Color question

[dbphotos]

When I design something (i.e. business card) in PS using RGB and convert it to CMYK and look at it in any other program the blues become more purple. Is there a trick to keeping the color correct? Would using Pantone codes work better?

[hurricane]

experienced exactly the same thing (blue went very purple) before I knew much about color management (still don't know that much!) but yes I went to using the Pantone numbers for everything and have been much happier. With a color calibrated monitor, I'm pretty close on paper printed materials. It's all over the map when its a different process/material (something printed on plastic for example) so I always get a color proof.

[canoflan]

You should probably use an the gamut checker in PS and convert to CMYK. Those colors should show out of gamut for the profile you plan to use for printing.
Pat

[dbphotos]

I have no problem when I print on my local printers because I use printer profiles, but when I send to Overnight Prints is when I experience the issue.

Thanks again!

[dbphotos]

Actually just found that Overnight Prints has a color profile, so I'll try that.

http://www.overnightprints.com/?A=faqs#q18

[picman]

Originally Posted by dbphotos

When I design something (i.e. business card) in PS using RGB and convert it to CMYK and look at it in any other program the blues become more purple. Is there a trick to keeping the color correct? Would using Pantone codes work better?

You said "look at it in any other program" are the other programs color management aware?

If you had a Pantone to process color swatch book it would give you an idea how a specific Pantone color would reproduce in cymk.

[hurricane]

that reminds me, Pantone isn't foolproof: some printers disagree on how certain Pantone colors should be represented in CMYK. When I got proofs from two different printers (one bus. cards, one letterhead), one looked my screen, one did not. Turned out they had very different CMYK values associated with the particular Pantone code. The result was not vastly different, but it was obvious.

Another thought: are you in sRGB or adobeRGB in Photoshop?