converting to ICC profiles, RGB or CMYK ?

[doubledragon]

I wrote a photoshop action to convert my images into the ICC profile for the Costco Printer near my house...

should I convert the image to CMYK (from RGB) before I convert it to the ICC profile?
or after... does it matter?

[tim]

No, all photographic printing's in RGB. Also you don't need to convert them to the printer profile, leave them in sRgb and the printer will do it itself - or the RIP software attached to the printer. The ICC profile's usually just used for soft proofing.

[doubledragon]

ok thanks, ill leave it in sRGB

[JVolz]

Actually, inkjet pritning is in CMYK, not RGB. But you still don't have to worry about it; the it's converted as part of the RIP.

[tim]

I was talking about real photographic printing, not inkjet. CMYK is a narrow gamut, even if it is CMYK I suspect the printer gamut is wider than regular CMYK, which is why you should leave things in RGB and let the printer worry about the ink and profile conversion.

[JVolz]

Oh, I agree Tim, that CMYK is too narrow to work in and to leave things in RGB. The gamut issues with CMYK are all the more reason to have your profile ducks in a row, to give you the best chance of getting what you want to paper.