Design for Print Workshop Two - Photoshop.

• Colour modes
• Title bar on images in photoshop will tell you the name of the image, percentage you're viewing and the colour mode.
• RGB is the default colour mode on Photoshop.
• There is a wider spectrum of colours available with RBG.
• Gamut means range.
• Change the colour mode by going to image, mode and then select CMYK.
• Changing the mode will alter the brightness and saturation in order for it to print.
• More options are available when working in RGB.
• File size in RGB is smaller

• Gamut
• Original image with and without gamut warning.
• Vibrancy makes colour sit outside of the gamut.

 

• Decreasing the saturation makes the colours fit with the gamut.
• Adjusting the levels can also work.

• To refine this only adjust the colours that are out of the gamut, an adjustment layer can do this.
• You can also use 'proof colours' it makes the image slightly duller. It turns on the CMYK preview even though it is still an RGB file.
• Before you save convert from RGB to CMYK.

• Swatches
• Foreground and background colour tool, colour palette and swatches can be used to select colours.
• To delete swatches press 'alt' and click on them. Save the empty swatch box as a file to ensure you don't have to do it every time. Make sure you have at least one swatch.
• To add a swatch change the foreground colour to what you want then click inside the swatch palette.
• To get the saved palette up go to the swatch menu and click 'replace swatches'.
• For other programmes use 'save swatches for exchange'.
• To build a swatch palette use the colour picker, make sure the colours you pick are inside the printable area.
• Click the box under the exclamation mark to go to the closest printable tone.

• Spot colours
• Access the spot colour libraries by clicking on the foreground colour to bring up the colour picker. Then click 'colour libraries'.
• To find a colour you know just type in the reference number.

• By just using the colour selected as it is, it loses its unique reference number. Therefore it is no longer a spot colour and is just a mixture of ink.

• Duotone
• Creating a duotone image. Using a greyscale image and a spot colour which accents the grey scales within the original image.
• Convert your image to grey scale. Levels may need to be adjusted.

• Go to image, mode, duotone. Then select a spot colour from the colour libraries.
• If you ever want to change to chosen colour it is easy to go back and just alter it.
• Use the duo tone curve to alter the grey scale values.

• Save as a photoshop file.

• Colour channels
• Channels define the colour within an image, always black and white.
• Dark areas where there is a lot of the colour and lighter where there is not so much.

• Channels can be used to save information on selections.
• Use a selection tool to select an area and then click 'save selection as channel'.
• When the selection is turned on it will appear red.
• You can make more accurate selections using the paint brush.

• You can also use 'new spot channel' from the menu and select a spot colour from the libraries.
• Again use the paint tool to apply where you want the colour.

• You can use this technique to add spot varnishes.
• To save an image with a spot colour channel make it a photoshop file. Make sure 'spot colours' is checked.