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Preview CMYK auto save, save, export

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troutdavid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 19, 2013
3
0
Portland, OR
Help.... I have a jpeg picture that's going to a cd package. The picture is cmyk. Final package needs to be in CMYK.

When I put picture into Preview I can make all sorts of color changes just fine. But shortly after loading picture I get message: "The document could not be autosaved. Your changes will not be saved until the problem is resolved."
Then when I try to either save, after making duplicate, changing name, etc... or also try to export.... It gives error message; "Could not be exported, saved, as "picture name.

Why would autosave not save it...? I'm 10.7.5 OS I don't really understand autosave or seem to find access to control of it...

Why will it not save or export? This appears to be true of every cmyk picture I put in?

Why would Apple not allow saving, of cmyk....even when it can work on the file fine? Is it true that you can't save or export cmyk files at all?

What options do I have? Hard to believe "save as" isn't there. But I don't think it would work either.

Do I have to change jpegs over to RGB? work on them... and then change them back? How do I go both ways....? (easy there....)
very frustrating......

Is there some other easy software I should use to change cmyk pictures?

Trout
 
Y

YESimBLUNTED

macrumors member
May 25, 2011
87
0
In my cubicle somewhere in this rat maze
troutdavid said:
Is there some other easy software I should use to change cmyk pictures?
Click to expand...

Photoshop.

I never use Preview for anything but previewing, not to say that it can't do wonders, but I wouldn't use it for conversions. First thing is if this jpg is being printed you need to make sure its at least 150 dpi (300 dpi is standard for printing usually). You also don't want to send a jpg to a printer, usually a PDF is what printers ask for. I am not sure if this is a professional job, as in using a print company, or if it is just for home printers that may have 4-6 colors in them.

You can download free trials of Adobe software on their site. After you download PS go to Image>Mode>CMYK and then save it as whatever you want.

If this going to a print company, you really need to talk to your print company and find out what they want, cuz you are in for a world of hurt sending jpgs to them.

Good luck! :rolleyes:
 
T

troutdavid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 19, 2013
3
0
Portland, OR
Preview cmyk

Photo Shop is beyond my skills and not user friendly from what I can tell. I am using iStudio and think it is good for what I need. But its not a photo editor.

I do plan on sending pdf to the duplicator/printer. Which is what they say they prefer. However, they say that all pictures need to be cmyk. I assumed that means even when you send pdf, everything needs to be in cmyk. Not sure why in PDF that would be matter, but I'll take their word.

But my question still does apply to Preview. Why won't it save or export jpeg cmyk? How do I get it to? If it won't, do I have to change to RGB and then change back?
 
thekev

thekev

macrumors 604
Aug 5, 2010
7,005
3,343
troutdavid said:
But my question still does apply to Preview. Why won't it save or export jpeg cmyk? How do I get it to? If it won't, do I have to change to RGB and then change back?
Click to expand...

Preview is likely previewing and making adjustments by converting it through colorsync to rgb. CMYK is somewhat finicky really and you do need to understand where it's printing so as to keep it within the appropriate density limits and retain as much predictability as possible. Photoshop isn't that difficult as far as software goes. It gets way worse than that:p.
 
fig

fig

macrumors 6502a
Jun 13, 2012
916
84
Austin, TX
troutdavid said:
Photo Shop is beyond my skills and not user friendly from what I can tell. I am using iStudio and think it is good for what I need. But its not a photo editor.
Click to expand...

If you have access to Photoshop it's literally Image -> Mode -> CMYK Color.

I don't know exactly what iStudio is but I'd think that any sort of image editor/paint package would have the ability to go from RGB to CMYK.

As mentioned, Preview isn't an editor and the RGB->CMYK is probably more something it happens to do rather than a primary function of the software. I'd do it in something else.
 
B

benwiggy

macrumors 68020
Jun 15, 2012
2,382
201
If you're dealing with CMYK files for print, then Preview isn't the right tool.

Photoshop has millions of options and features, but there's still a core group of functions that are essential for this kind of work. You'll find everything under the Image menu for colour correction and for setting the mode to CMYK.

There may be other (cheaper) software that can do the same thing.

If the JPEG is going to be part of a larger piece of artwork in Illustrator, InDesign, or some other DTP package, then the CMYK translation can be done when the press-ready PDF is made, if at all.
 
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