DTP


 
Lively discussions on the graphic arts and publishing — in print or on the web


Go Back   Desktop Publishing Forum > General Discussions > Images

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-29-2006, 08:50 AM   #1
Robin Springall
Member
 
Robin Springall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ealing Common, London W5, where I duplicate CDs and DVDs.
Posts: 1,259
Default Placing black image into Photoshop

I don't normally get involved too much with Photoshop, so sorry if this is a daft question, but how do you plonk a black and white tiff into a CMYK Photoshop design without the tiff being converted to rich black?

The design is a CD inlay tray card in CMYK, and I've generated a barcode that I want to place onto it. The tiff is 100% black, and must remain so. When I place the barcode onto the page design it goes in on its own layer, but the colour changes to rich black.

Bit of a rush of course!
Robin Springall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-29-2006, 10:52 AM   #2
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default

This is just a guess, but what happens if you place the b&w tiff while the image is still RGB and then convert to CMYK, perhaps via LAB?

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-29-2006, 11:22 AM   #3
Robin Springall
Member
 
Robin Springall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ealing Common, London W5, where I duplicate CDs and DVDs.
Posts: 1,259
Default

Dunno Ann, but I expect the colours will all go to pot!
I've fixed it now with help from Mick, my film maker, and zis iz vot ve did:

1. Open the greyscale tiff in Photoshop, then convert it to cmyk.
2. Delete the cyan, yellow and magenta channel content (not the channels, the content) to leave just the black channel.
3. Increase the contrast a tad (I used +16 or +20) to make sure the black is 100%.
4. Copy or place into the main document. Check with the eyedropper that the image really is still 100% black).
5. Have a glass of wine!

Surely there's an easier way?
Robin Springall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-29-2006, 12:01 PM   #4
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin Springall
Surely there's an easier way?
One would think so...

I've only ever put b&w EPS barcodes onto page layout program pages for publication, and they've always worked fine.

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-29-2006, 12:24 PM   #5
Franca
Staff
 
Franca's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Monterey Bay area, CA
Posts: 2,228
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by annc
I've only ever put b&w EPS barcodes onto page layout program pages for publication, and they've always worked fine.
That's why this sort of thing hasn't come up for me as well. I never go from design all the way to print in an image editing or drawing app. I only do the individual bits and then bring those into the publishing app. That way nothing gets "converted" that shouldn't be.

To my mind, something like a bar code is an illustration item. It would be exported as EPS from Illustrator or Draw and wouldn't set foot in an image editing app. I don't like to mix my pixels and curves. Something I learned from way "back in the day" when image editors were image editors and illustration apps were illustration apps. Now all apps seem to be trying to do all things; people are using apps because they are familiar with them to accomplish tasks the apps weren't originally intended for and don't necessarily do all that well. It's not really the consumer's fault; the manufacturers claim the apps can do it all, the consumer or the company the user works for is convinced, and that's what ends up being used even if it may not be the best or only tool needed for the job. OK, stepping off my soapbox now.

   
__________________
..
..Franca

..
Franca is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-29-2006, 12:49 PM   #6
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Franca
To my mind, something like a bar code is an illustration item. It would be exported as EPS from Illustrator or Draw and wouldn't set foot in an image editing app.
I use a specific barcode application, having been caught out trying to do it on the cheap in the first instance, and using a free JPEG barcode creator on the Internet. That one would print to a PostScript laser printer, but not to an imagesetter. Nasty.

But like you, I believe that barcodes are an illustration item, and also that they should be really, really clear. Where I work now, we use barcodes for the books, and also the best quality laser barcode readers. There are still occasions when the reader doesn't want to acknowledge the barcode on the book, although the instances are much less frequent than I see happen at supermarkets. But even though I've only done a couple of circulation desk shifts, I have a lot of sympathy for the supermarket checkout people. We at least can take the wand off its stand and thus adjust the angle, getting better reading rates. I've yet to face the necessity to type the barcode numbers into the computer.

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-29-2006, 12:02 PM   #7
Franca
Staff
 
Franca's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Monterey Bay area, CA
Posts: 2,228
Default

Unfortunately, deleting the channel content for the bar code from all but the K channel is the only way I can think of.... but I wonder if you could save a step or two by doing the necessary manipulations directly in the main document? Not sure because I haven't tried it myself.

   
__________________
..
..Franca

..
Franca is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-29-2006, 02:56 PM   #8
Robin Springall
Member
 
Robin Springall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ealing Common, London W5, where I duplicate CDs and DVDs.
Posts: 1,259
Default

I agree with you both that this wasn't the best way to produce a document for print, but since the chap had obviously spent ages doing it, and said he designed CD artwork as his main occupation, I couldn't really tell him to shove off <gg>. Oh, and he's my client's client's designer, over in the USA. So I have to be nice and friendly and helpful even though the sizes were wrong and there were no fold marks, and and and (been there before, girls?) Anyway, it's sorted and my client has agreed to pay for the time.

I tried doing the channel stuff just on the barcode layer, but it changed the whole document.
Robin Springall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 12:00 AM   #9
annc
Sysop
 
annc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Subtropical Queensland, Australia, between the mountains and the Coral Sea
Posts: 4,592
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin Springall
Oh, and he's my client's client's designer, over in the USA. So I have to be nice and friendly and helpful even though the sizes were wrong and there were no fold marks, and and and (been there before, girls?)
Yep! I hate that third-hand stuff, but at least you're being paid for your time, and that's a big plus.

   
__________________
annc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-30-2006, 12:07 AM   #10
Mike
Staff
 
Mike's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Llanwrtyd Wells
Posts: 1,450
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin Springall
Surely there's an easier way?
Get somebody else to do it while you make the coffee!

An even easier way to do it if it's a recurring problem would be to write a PS action or -- even better -- get someone else to do it while you make the coffee.

Mike

   
__________________
Mike

www.welshframing.com
Mike is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Convert to Black & White Andrew B. Images 35 10-09-2006 01:31 PM
free 'Cooper Black' look-alike? hotchocko Fonts & Typography 2 06-16-2006 06:39 AM
Image problem, alt, not image dthomsen8 Web Site Building & Maintenance 6 03-21-2006 09:01 AM
Cooper Black -- The movie Howard White Fonts & Typography 1 08-13-2005 09:58 AM
Editing a Photoshop image marlene Images 9 06-14-2005 12:03 PM


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 08:34 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Contents copyright 2004–2019 Desktop Publishing Forum and its members.