When creating your artwork, it is best to set up your file using CMYK settings. In apps like Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, this means selecting the ‘Print’ option when creating your file initially and converting images and creating colors in CMYK as you work.
In some circumstances you may need to work in RGB (for example you want to use certain filters in Photoshop, certain colors in Illustrator, or are saving files for web as well as print), or you may be working with artwork you have been sent. In those instances here is our best practice guide to converting RGB to CMYK.
To accurately convert your document follow these steps:
- Select ‘Edit’ > ‘Convert To Profile’.
- You will see two options under ‘Destination Space’. Leave the ‘RGB Profile’ as is, but change the ‘CMYK Profile’ to ‘Coated GRACoL 2006 (ISO 12647-2:2004)’ - this is Mixam’s preferred CMYK profile.
- Go to the ‘Conversion Options’ and select ‘Adobe (ACE)’ as your conversion engine. Choose ‘Relative Colorimetric’ for your ‘Intent’. (Choosing this preserves all RGB colors that can be accurately used in CMYK. It will also automatically replace any colors that cannot be replicated in CMYK with an appropriate equivalent.)
- Click ‘OK’.
While it may be tempting to simply select ‘convert to CMYK’ options in your app, this is not always the most accurate method. There are a number of different CMYK color profiles available and it is important that you select the right one to match your printer’s chosen profile.