Balancing grayscale images for offset printing

[jeffhelgesen]

Hi. I've taken a look at the GC documentation on adjusting Levels settings for images, but I'm hoping to find a bit more direction on determining if I am adjusting images in a way which are balanced for offset printing. Is this just an eyeball test, or is there an ideal balance ratio to be struck?(I'm currently converting true color images to Deep Gray, using the Auto Levels command to ballpark the balance, and then making minor adjustments to the center level control.I'm using GC 9.1.Thanks in advance for any assistance...!

[Carl von Einem]

Attachments rint processes differ so much that it's best to contact the printing studio and ask them for recommendations regarding e.g. ICC profiles and dot gain. As a rule of thumb I'd be careful with too dark areas, at one point everything looks pitch black in the output and details get lost. Regards, Carl jmh@researchpress.com schrieb am 24.03.14 19:26: > > > Hi. I've taken a look at the GC documentation on adjusting Levels > settings for images, but I'm hoping to find a bit more direction on > determining if I am adjusting images in a way which are balanced for > offset printing. Is this just an eyeball test, or is there an ideal > balance ratio to be struck? > > (I'm currently converting true color images to Deep Gray, using the Auto > Levels command to ballpark the balance, and then making minor > adjustments to the center level control. > > I'm using GC 9.1. > > Thanks in advance for any assistance...! >

[Jeff Helgesen]

Thank you, Carl. Are there quantifiable controls for taking their feedback and setting dot gain, etc.? This aspect of print production is new to me, I’m hoping to learn enough using GC as my preferred tool to avoid having to send out graphics such as these to a service bureau (or the printer). I appreciate your response! Cheers, Jeff On Mar 25, 2014, at 10:07 AM, Carl von Einem <einem@gmx.de> wrote: > Print processes differ so much that it's best to contact the printing studio and ask them for recommendations regarding e.g. ICC profiles and dot gain. As a rule of thumb I'd be careful with too dark areas, at one point everything looks pitch black in the output and details get lost. > > Regards, > Carl > > jmh@researchpress.com schrieb am 24.03.14 19:26: >> >> >> Hi. I've taken a look at the GC documentation on adjusting Levels >> settings for images, but I'm hoping to find a bit more direction on >> determining if I am adjusting images in a way which are balanced for >> offset printing. Is this just an eyeball test, or is there an ideal >> balance ratio to be struck? >> >> (I'm currently converting true color images to Deep Gray, using the Auto >> Levels command to ballpark the balance, and then making minor >> adjustments to the center level control. >> >> I'm using GC 9.1. >> >> Thanks in advance for any assistance...! >> > -- Jeff Helgesen Production Manager Research Press / 2612 N. Mattis Ave. / Champaign, IL 61822 Voice: 800.519.2707 / Fax: 217.352.1221

[Carl von Einem]

Attachments :Just ask the printer and if unsure, please ask them to first print a digital proof so you can see a close approach of the print result. If you use special paper that needs to be thought of, too. "White" in your images can only be as white as the paper is (unless an extra layer with white color is printed first - but don't think about this option...). Jeff Helgesen schrieb am 25.03.14 16:20: > Thank you, Carl. > > Are there quantifiable controls for taking their feedback and setting dot gain, etc.? This aspect of print production is new to me, I’m hoping to learn enough using GC as my preferred tool to avoid having to send out graphics such as these to a service bureau (or the printer). > > I appreciate your response! > > Cheers, > Jeff > > On Mar 25, 2014, at 10:07 AM, Carl von Einem <einem@gmx.de> wrote: > >> Print processes differ so much that it's best to contact the printing studio and ask them for recommendations regarding e.g. ICC profiles and dot gain. As a rule of thumb I'd be careful with too dark areas, at one point everything looks pitch black in the output and details get lost. >> >> Regards, >> Carl >> >> jmh@researchpress.com schrieb am 24.03.14 19:26: >>> >>> >>> Hi. I've taken a look at the GC documentation on adjusting Levels >>> settings for images, but I'm hoping to find a bit more direction on >>> determining if I am adjusting images in a way which are balanced for >>> offset printing. Is this just an eyeball test, or is there an ideal >>> balance ratio to be struck? >>> >>> (I'm currently converting true color images to Deep Gray, using the Auto >>> Levels command to ballpark the balance, and then making minor >>> adjustments to the center level control. >>> >>> I'm using GC 9.1. >>> >>> Thanks in advance for any assistance...! >>> >> >