Dear Matthew, I remember from my blockmaking days:
We (the repro house) did our own proofs in all forms but not for gravure. Different inks where used for different markets. That proof was the guide for the printers. Not many repro houses have their own proofing machines because they "trust" the printers to use the same data (lookup table). I know that some printers twiddle the big Heidelberg's with the UCR settings because it can save them a fortune in inks. I saw printers rubbing the registration marks out in order to fool the laser eye. I also know that most Colour Magazines use the very best and latest Printing machines and those machines actually stop printing if the slightest bit is wrong. What we see in the magazines is often sabotaged by unwilling uncaring people. During my apprentice it was the Lithographer who was the last person in line before the film went onto the plates. (Like Cesar with the Thumb down). They could wear white coats and we had to wear brown or grey! It was he or she who rang the Repro Department (us) if we gave them rubbish. We hated them so much but kept telling them how good looking they where. With digital some are proud to know about Histograms. Most of my pictures would loose the intended feel if I would go by the so called "perfect Histogram" Libraries and printers are making new rules because someone who's perhaps visited a Photoshop education program for 3 days thinks they know about printing. Do you know if your Repro House/ Printers used your files as they are? You can get good Reproofs from a Box Brownie (spelling?). I would take your old files and have proofs made as you watch. That might save you a new camera. Back to your points: If the printers say to you they can not do anything with a RGB file they say that because they can blame you if things go wrong. WITHOUT A LOOKUP TABLE IN HAND you should not give a CMYK file. Even if the files that you gave in CMYK looked good than that is luck. You should not blame your camera. CMYK files that you see on you monitor are not CMYK because your monitor is RGB. The "K" element (black) in CMYK is only there to "correct" the faults in current inks. the Gamut is less and it is there to artificially compensate for the insufficient spectrum. in the inks. Because the "K" is a cheat, I often soften the black channel up to 25%! - It is the K that is often to blame for strange break offs in high lights. - You solarised effect that you mention is a curve clash: it is the difference between your curves and the printers.- In a simplistic way you can try that out in Photoshop or whatever, use the manual curve line control and play around.- Some plug ins are based on that simple tool to bugger up the picture and they charge you $ 19 - 180 for the privilege. The ins and outs about Lookup Tables are too long to explain here, it needs training for some time. Example: I was asked by an Ad Agency (Artbuyer) to provide CMYK files, NOTHING else. The pictures where for Posters AND Press, Glossy AND Newspaper. Tree different CMYK files are needed for that, dotgain is one off the most important factors. When I explained, which was wrong, she said: "sounds far to clever for me darling." I spoke to the Print Buyer, kind off "allright maid, do what you think is best" bloke because he did not know what he or I was talking about and tried to divert the conversation by saying something like "I hope you used Kodak or whatever Film" - I should have talked to the printers first. That was fun und a great learning curve because I rang the printers and I could just hear from the tone of their voice that sounded like " Photographer on the line, lets give him some shit". Things got worse when the boss noticed that I was a Printer for Graphis Magazine in Switzerland for 4 years, after he said "I thought you are a Photographer!" I gave up, supplied my files in RGB and CMYK and my own Iris proof print with a note that the Iris was done with my own "standard" lookup table and that my CMYK file should not be used. The Iris print was just a gift to the client because it looked "nice". Call back from the Agency: "Great, can we have a 10"x8" Tranny that looks like you luffly Iris print" I do think I cried after that. Morale of the story: "Don't give CMYK files" unless you do a book about your life and slept with the printers for a few month. Regards Andreas > Since my test the "poor" repro house has done more test for me but they > readily admit they are not what we need. I'm not even sure if it might just > be the printer they use for outputting the proofs. I realise it is very > difficult to sum up what is wrong but I am finding it very difficult to get > an unbiased point of view. I know it is a lot to ask but if someone was > willing I would happily send the test proofs to get a second opinion. At the > moment I am considering doing further investigation by using images from a > newer camera (maybe the Canon D10). > =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
