RGB converted to CMYK when making PDF

[PrepressCrapFixer]

Okay this is a dumb question but I need to know exactly what I tell the Salesman about why the color on their job doesn't match last time we printed it.  I picked up a PDF page from a previously printed job and place it in a supplied Quark 6 file.  Printed as composite CMYK to a postscript file then normalized to a PDF.  I realized after the proof was bounced back to my department that one of the images within the place PDF was RGB and when Quark converted to CMYK for the postscript it did a shitty job of converting :evil:.  If I open the RGB image in Photoshop and convert to CMYK it gives me a completely different set of numbers than what I got from the PDF .  BTW Quark was not using CMS.

Apparently the last time we printed this particular add the RGB was converted by our RIP so it did a good job of it and it looked correct.  Exactly what is the root cause of the color shift since I'm not using any kind of color profile when printing. 

BTW - I'm on the same page as the rest of you as far as wishing for the demise of Quark but I'm stuck with it :sad:.

[KOB]

http://americanprinter.com/mag/rgb_cmyk_0605/index.html

Don't know if this will help, FWIW.....

[determined]

Did you have to place it in Quark? could you have pasted it into an existing pdf file and ripped that? Just curious....maybe if you had just exported a pdf from quark?

[David]

what version of Quack you got?

Quark has a look up table it uses for color conversion, which on a good day, looks like crap. You can't turn it off.
I wouldn't let Quark convert anything, either do it at the RIP or in Photoshop.

[30YearsandCounting]

Customer gives you an RGB image and expects the same result as the last time they gave you that RGB image.  Yup... been there.
Since there is no "wrong" way to do the conversion... it's hard to fault someone.  Each way works, but give different results and yes some do look better than others.  But that doesn't make it wrong to let the software do it.  The solution is to make sure the customer understands that if their job is printing in CMYK they really should provide CMYK files.  Otherwise there is always the possibility that they may get a result other than what they expect. 

[determined]

I would avoid Quark at all costs if possible....it's evil  :evil:

Just my opinion

[DigitalCrapShoveler]

Quark is in it's own Time/Space Continuum. Whatever rules apply to other applications, are the exact opposite in Quark. This would be an instance where being "different" is a detriment. I am with the Pirate-Boy on this one.

[David]

BOY?!

when's the last time you saw a pirate boy stand flat foot and pee in a dump truck?


 

[PrepressCrapFixer]

Thanks everyone for the replys.  Yes I agree Quark is the EVIL spawn of Satan himself, but there are still a bunch of old school desingers that swear by it :rolleyes:  I personally use Indesign for 90% of all that I do internally but accassionally I get these dumb ass people out there who just don't get it.

I know that I wll get another file from this customer and they will complain about the color matching.  The really fucked up part is that they have somebody else make color proofs of their files before they deliver them to us and they expect that the proof we make will match exactly :angry:.  One thing I can tell is that they are printing the file directly out of Quark to what ever divice they are using and whatever color profile that device is using.  

[Joe]

We have a hard and fast rule. If customers choose to send RGB files we are not responsible for the the color of it. PERIOD. END OF STORY.

[PrepressCrapFixer]

We have a hard and fast rule. If customers choose to send RGB files we are not responsible for the the color of it. PERIOD. END OF STORY.

Damn, I like the way you think.

[widespot]

You should be able to use the same RGB conversion setup in Distiller as in Photoshop. Although I am not sure how placing the PDF into Quark first and created .ps would affect that. Assuming the RGB data remains the same distiller could do the conversion to CMYK.

I do agree that Quark is a PITA.

[Joe]

You should be able to use the same RGB conversion setup in Distiller as in Photoshop. Although I am not sure how placing the PDF into Quark first and created .ps would affect that. Assuming the RGB data remains the same distiller could do the conversion to CMYK.

I do agree that Quark is a PITA.

I'm pretty sure Quark converts it before it gets to distiller.