Modifying a CMYK Profile

Use the tabs on the CMYK Profile dialog to configure the CMYK black generation, transfer and components, and to adjust the for color shifts.

Note: Clicking Default in any of the profile tabs will reset the tab to the program’s default settings.

To open the CMYK Profile dialog:

Choose File > Preferences > CMYK Conversion Preferences to open the CMYK Conversion Preferences dialog.
Choose the name of the profile from the Current Profile drop down list.
Click Modify to open the CMYK Profile dialog

To configure the Black Generation tab:

In the CMYK Profile dialog click the Black Generation tab.

In the Method group box, choose from the following options:

UCR - Undercolor Removal Replaces some of the cyan, magenta, and yellow components of neutral grey and shadow areas with black. This helps compensate for some of the trapping problems that occur in multi-color printing.

GCR - Grey Component Replacement Replaces grey components in colored areas with black. The least prominent color is reduced or removed completely, along with proportional amounts of the other two colors, to define a grey component, which is then replaced with black ink.

In the Parameters group box, configure the following settings:

Total coverage limit This can range from 200 to 400%

Blank ink coverage limit This can range from 0 to 200%

Black starts at This can range from 0 to 100%

GCR Black Gamma This can range from 1 to 4. This option is inactive unless the GCR option is selected.

Note: The black line in the graph represents the black value and updates as you change the settings.

To configure the Transfer and Components tab:

In the CMYK Profile dialog click the Transfer and Components tab.

The left panel of the Transfer and Components tab displays a graph of the transfer curves for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The right panels display parameters for grey and color components.

In the Transfer Curves group box, adjust the transfer curves by highlighting the name of a curve in the Transfer Curves drop-down list, and then dragging the points of the curve up or down.

Each transfer curve contains five adjustable points that define the curve based on its zero-tone, quarter-tone, mid-tone, three-quarter-tone, and full-tone percentages. The default curve is a straight line from 0 to 100%. A curve that slopes above this 45º line produces darker tones.

In the Grey Component group box, set the percentages by typing values into the corresponding fields. Values can range from 0 to 100%.
In the Color Component group box, set the percentages by typing values into the corresponding fields. Values can range from 0 to 100%.

To configure the Ink Calibration tab:

In the CMYK Profile dialog click the Ink Calibration tab.

In the Hue and Greyness group box, click in the color box of the color you want to change to open the Color dialog. Adjust the color settings and click OK.
In the Grey Balance group box , type values in the text fields to adjust the individual CMY percentages.

Modifying a CMYK Profile

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