First work using sRGB so that you will not limit the color or the amount of filters and color adjustments that you can use. Follow the Digital Color Management for Print first then convert to the following 4 Color Offset Commercial Litho Printing profiles, saving your file with a different name that might contain CMYK in the name.
When your image is final then convert to CMYK.
Photoshop Setup for 4 Color Offset Commercial Printing
Image > Mode> CMYK
Edit > Color Settings > North America Prepress 2
Edit > Color Settings > Working spaces :
RGB : Adobe RGB 1998
CMYK: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2
Edit > Assign Profile > check Working CMYK: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2
(This will embed your profile so that when you open the file when you are in a different color profile (i.e. web), a pop up window with an alert message will appear, so that you can color manage the document.
View > Proof Setup > Working CMYK
View > Proof Colors > unchecked
Image Size > 300 dpi for small prints (under 10”x10”)- 150 dpi for large prints
Illustrator Setup for 4 Color Offset Commercial Printing
File > Document Color Mode > CMYK
Edit > Color Settings > Working spaces :
RGB : Adobe RGB 1998
CMYK: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2
Edit > Assign Profile > check Working CMYK: U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2
(This will embed your profile so that when you open the file when you are in a different color profile (i.e. web), a pop up window with an alert message will appear, so that you can color manage the document.
View > Proof Setup > Working CMYK U.S. Web Coated (SWOP)
View > Proof Colors > unchecked
Note:
Uncoated paper will dull the color when printed, to see this on your monitor as closely as possible use the uncoated working profile instead of the coated.
Colors in the color mixer with the! in the triangle are outside of typical 4 color offset commercial litho printing capabilities.Spot colors can provide some of the cautioned colors including fluorescent, metallics and glosses. Most presses will only allow 1 or 2 spots. Spots add to the cost of printing.
