colour workflows from the agency point of view – cmyk, rgb or mixed operation?

Colour  workflows  from  the  agency  point  of  view  –  CMYK,  RGB  or  mixed  operation?Georg  Obermayr,  Fogra  Colour  Management  Symposium  2014

Agenda

➡ Todays  media  and  how  to  produce  for  them

➡ Components  of  media  production

➡ Requirements  for  the  content

➡ Color  workflows  for  pictures  (pixel)

➡ Color  workflows  for  graphics  (vector)

➡ Color  workflows  for  layouts  (print,  digital)

➡ Summary

1448–1457

1895

1947

1952

1977

1982,  1996

1989 2004 201020072006

2014

Smartwatch?Cars?TVs?Internet  of  things?3D  printers?Printed  electronics?Augmented  reality?

One  fits  all? Native  media  experience?

The  media  neutral  layout?Or  media  neutral  components?

Components  of  media  production

➡ Text

➡ Picture  (pixel)

➡ Graphic  (vector)

➡ Motion  design  (audio,  video,  animation)

➡ Layout  (print,  digital)

Text Picture  (pixel)

Graphic  (vector)

Motion  design  (audio,  video,  animation)

Content

Layout Layout Layout [Layout] [Layout]

Requirement  for  the  content:Maintain  it  at  the  highest  possible  abstraction  layer

Criteria  of  the  highest  possible  abstraction  layer➡ Structuring  and  meta-­‐layer

➡ Design

➡ The  delta  of  changes

➡ Object  description  and  preservation

➡ Modularization  and  outsourcing

➡ Quality

➡ Responsivity  and  renditions

➡ File  format  and  size

➡ Color

Key  questions  for  quality

➡ In  wich  resolution  and  quality  level  will  the  content  be  stored?

➡ Is  the  highest  possible  quality  be  used  or  an  assumed  average?

➡ Is  consistency  between  different  channels  the  goal  or  the  best  possible  outcome?

➡ How  and  when  is  the  optimisation  taking  place?

Highest  possible  abstraction  layer:1.  Pictures  (pixel)

Media  neutral  masterECI-­‐RGB,  Adobe-­‐RGB

„untagged  sRGB  world“

RGB-­‐>RGB

Photoshop,layout  application,

PDF,  prepress  workflow:

RGB-­‐>CMYK

Highest  possible  abstraction  layer:2.  Graphics  (vector)

Graphics  …  

➡ Not  as  easy  as  images  ...

➡ No  RGB  as  media  neutral  master!

➡ Why:  Printing  conditions  and  their  properties  (channel  specificity)  allow  no  “contamination”  as  ICC-­‐based  conversions  are  generating

➡ Approach  1:  device  link  conversion

➡ Approach  2:  two  versions!

Mein Logo

Mein Logo

sRGB  version„untagged  sRGB  world“

1:1or

CMYK-­‐>CMYK(Device  link)

Pixel  conversion!

CMYK  version(s)

Mein Logo 1:1or

CMYK-­‐>CMYK(Device  link)

CMYK  version(s)

Pixel  conversion!

„untagged  sRGB  world“

CMYK-­‐>RGB

Mein Logo

Mein Logo

sRGB  version

CMYK  version(s)

The  best  result?

The  lowest  common  

denominator?

Predictability?

Highest  possible  abstraction  layer:3.  Layout  (print,  digital)

First  of  all  ...What  is  (not)  a  digital  layout?

But:  The  export  format  says  nothing  about  the  authoring  application!

Nope.

The  question  of  questions:  Is  there  a  media  neutral  layout?  

Mein Logo

Text Text Text

RGB-­‐>CMYK-­‐>CMYK  (device  link)

RGB

RGB

RGB

CMYK

CMYK

Transparency!

Mein Logo

Text Text Text

or  CMYK

or  CMYK

RGB

RGB

„untagged  sRGB  world“ RGB

RGB-­‐>RGB  orCMYK-­‐>RGB  or

[RGB  becomes  untagged]

Mein Logo

Text Text Text

 or  CMYK

or  CMYK

RGB

RGB

„untagged  sRGB  world“ RGB

Side-­‐by-­‐Side? Comparison  from  memory?

Media  neutral  layouts:  If  color  would  be  no  longer  an  issue:➡ Structure  (machine  readability)  of  the  content

➡ Separation  of  content  and  design  +  central  deployment  of  styles

➡ Semantics  of  the  layout  elements

➡ Responsivity

➡ Management  of  versions  and  variants

➡ Rendering  environment  and  quality

➡ Native  media  experience!

Whoa!HTML5  closer  to  

the  ideal  as  Print  or  PDF…

Summary:  highest  possible  abstraction  layer  and  colors➡ Basic  problem:  The  best  or  the  most  predictable  outcome?

➡ Clue:  Compare  side-­‐by-­‐side  or  or  remembered?

➡ Pictures:  From  media  neutral  master  to  RGB  or  CMYK

➡ Graphics:  Store  two  versions  or  from  CMYK  to  RGB

➡ Layouts:  Several  versions  depending  on  the  destination  media,  RGB  to  CMYK  

(only  pictures!)  for  print;  CMYK  to  RGB  or  RGB  to  RGB  for  digital  media

➡ Layouts  with  the  goal  of  a  native  media  experience  rarely  can  be  used  across  

different  media  –  color  is  the  smallest  issue  here

➡ To  think  of  the  users  rarely  leads  to  the  most  economical  result.  Good  thing!

Thank  you!PDFX-ready-Workflow V2 – CMYKAusgabe 2014

FADENL E I T

Contact:g.obermayr@adverma.dewww.georgobermayr.deTwitter:  @georgobermayr