Optimizing for Newspaper Printing

Alrighty, I ran a search for some threads on how to optimize your photos for printing in the newspaper, and didn't really come up with much.

I just started working for my school newspaper, and I wanted to know how I can get the best looking photos on newspaper... paper. It's obviously quite a different material from plain white photo paper. So what makes a photo look it's best in the newspaper? I have been doing my standard color corrections etc., but should I be boosting the contrast and color more than usual to make it stand out more? Just curious to see if you guys have any helpful tips.

If there are already threads on this, I must have missed them, and please direct me to them! Thanks!

Hi Ainoko,

Can you tell us a little more about your situation? The big question is - who is responsible for converting your photos to CMYK?

The gamut of newsprint CMYK is very small, and most photographers die a thousand deaths when they either
(a) do the conversion themselves, and watch their bright colours flatten; or
(b) submit their photos for someone else to convert, and then see the awful print in the newspaper.

If you are submitting the photos in RGB format, then this is what you should do:

1. Shoot sRGB. Newsprint can't even encompass the sRGB gamut, so don't even contemplate dabbling in Adobe RGB.

2. Soft-proof using the SWOP Newsprint profile in Photoshop. It almost certainly won't be accurate for your newspaper, but it's better than nothing. It'll give you an idea of what colours are too bright to be reproduced. Then you need to desaturate those areas slightly to bring them into gamut. Under no circumstances should you go out of your way to "add extra contrast and colour" - that way lies disaster.

3. Enquire with the people who are going to be converting your photos, and try to ascertain if they know anything at all about profiles. If they don't, try to gently explain to them that the SWOP Coated profile that's loaded in their Photoshop or Distiller isn't suitable for their newspaper.

4. Cross your fingers.

If you are converting to CMYK yourself:

1) As above

2) As above

3) Ask the newspaper if they can give you an accurate profile. They won't be able to, but you're obliged to ask anyway.

4) Convert to CMYK using that SWOP Newsprint profile. Like I said, it's better than nothing.

5) Send the files, and make sure they are aware that you've already converted them! You don't want them attempting a clumsy second conversion.

Oh, and one more thing. When sharpening, go nuts! Newsprint is such a soft medium, you need to sharpen like crazy to get anywhere. I recommend USM 300,1,5 as a starting point.

Damo77 wrote in post #4854693
Hi Ainoko,

Can you tell us a little more about your situation? The big question is - who is responsible for converting your photos to CMYK?

The gamut of newsprint CMYK is very small, and most photographers die a thousand deaths when they either
(a) do the conversion themselves, and watch their bright colours flatten; or
(b) submit their photos for someone else to convert, and then see the awful print in the newspaper.

If you are submitting the photos in RGB format, then this is what you should do:

1. Shoot sRGB. Newsprint can't even encompass the sRGB gamut, so don't even contemplate dabbling in Adobe RGB.

2. Soft-proof using the SWOP Newsprint profile in Photoshop. It almost certainly won't be accurate for your newspaper, but it's better than nothing. It'll give you an idea of what colours are too bright to be reproduced. Then you need to desaturate those areas slightly to bring them into gamut. Under no circumstances should you go out of your way to "add extra contrast and colour" - that way lies disaster.

3. Enquire with the people who are going to be converting your photos, and try to ascertain if they know anything at all about profiles. If they don't, try to gently explain to them that the SWOP Coated profile that's loaded in their Photoshop or Distiller isn't suitable for their newspaper.

4. Cross your fingers.

If you are converting to CMYK yourself:

1) As above

2) As above

3) Ask the newspaper if they can give you an accurate profile. They won't be able to, but you're obliged to ask anyway.

4) Convert to CMYK using that SWOP Newsprint profile. Like I said, it's better than nothing.

5) Send the files, and make sure they are aware that you've already converted them! You don't want them attempting a clumsy second conversion.

Oh, and one more thing. When sharpening, go nuts! Newsprint is such a soft medium, you need to sharpen like crazy to get anywhere. I recommend USM 300,1,5 as a starting point.

Wow, geeze. Thanks for all the help! Haha. I confess though that I don't know half of what you are talking about.

I am shooting sRGB, I do my own conversions, and as far as I know they are untouched when sent to the printers.

Okay, now my questions to you...

1. What is Gamut?
2. What is Soft-Proof and SWOP?
3. What are profiles?

Haha, hope I'm not sounding like a total noob.

There's a Colour Management sticky at the top of this forum that you should read.

Yes, you're sounding like a total noob That's cool - everyone needs to start somewhere. Read the sticky, then write back with any further questions.

"Working CMYK-SWOP (Coated), 20%, GCR, Medium"

Is that it?

No, unfortunately Adobe makes it a bit harder to find than that.

1) Make sure you're in "Advanced Mode" in Color Settings, or have "More Options" selected (it depends on which version of PS you have)

2) Pull down the CMYK menu in Working Spaces and choose "Custom"

3) From "Ink Colors" choose "SWOP (Newsprint)". That'll give you "SWOP (Newsprint), 30%, GCR, Medium"

4) Ok, Ok.

From there, you can soft proof with "Working CMYK"