As Peter states there are a huge number of printing / paper variables which are adjusted for during the RGB > CYMK conversion process to compensate for the mechanical limitations of the printing process and different paper brightness/color. Those are best left to the printer who understands them and who will apply the optimal contrast adjustment and sharpening needed.
Speaking from a background in color separation and printing for offset publications on the receiving end of photographer\'s submissions I\'d suggest that unless otherwise instructed by the publication you send them RGB files at camera resolution (i.e. cropped but not resized) edited and sharpened per your normal workflow for tonal range and sharpness. That way you will be giving the printer a \"normal\" baseline to work from. The technical staff of the paper will then be able to adjust the files per their press profiles for optimal results.
The appearance of the images will change as a result of the difference in ink gamut / printing and there is nothing which can prevent it. If you can obtain a copy of the profile for the press and paper the newspaper uses you\'ll be able to apply them in Photoshop and get an idea how the contrast and color separation will change. But part of the process of photo editing for publications is knowing how the images will change and selecting images which will reproduce well. For example if printing on newsprint you simply wouldn\'t select a photo with nuanced detail in the shadows or highlights. So its very likely that the photo editors will select photos based on their \"normal\" (i.e. un-manipulated) appearance and their understanding of how well they will reproduce.
When you have an ongoing relationship with a printing company or publisher its possible to anticipate the press outcome based on observation of previous results and compensate for them up-front in your editing process in the way Peter describes, but for a first-time submission you can do more harm than good if you try to second-guess what will happen during reproduction and manipulate your files based on those guesses.
Jun 08, 2009 at 06:53 AM
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