Serendipity Blackmagic / Veripress 9.1+ adds support for TIFF, PSD including spot colours, or PDF files containing RGB images and spot colours to be processed via an RGB input profile.
In the past, when processing RGB TIFF and PSD files in our software, any included spot colours would be merged into the RGB channels.
PDF files including RGB images and spot colours would be processed via the CMYK input profile by default. In this case, spot colour fidelity was maintained as the spots were handled by the special colour path, at the cost of a reduced the gamut for the RGB images.
Alternatively, PDFs could be submitted using the Render in RGB option, but as with TIFF and PSD files, any included spot colours would be merged into the RGB process channels.
Serendipity Blackmagic and Veripress are now able to render jobs with RGB process colours using an RGB input profile, while managing any spot colours using the software’s integrated special colour path.
This improvement to our colour management system preserves the expanded colour gamut and dynamic range of photographic (RGB) design elements, and maintains the accuracy of individually handled spot colour channels.
Submitting PDF files to an RGB Workflow
To submit a PDF to an RGB workflow, configure your Jobticket as follows:
- Open the Workbench application, then navigate to the Jobticket to be used.
- Go to the Jobticket > Colour Management panel
- Assign the RGB ICC profile to be used, selected via the RGB Input > Profile… button.
- Go to the Jobticket > Posctscript/PDF Options panel, then enable the Render in RGB option.
- Disable the Use CMYK Simulation from PDF for Unknown Colours option.
- Go to the Jobticket > Input Colours panel.
- Assign the Special Colour Set, including the spot colours in the job file(s), via the Special Colour Set… button.
- Save the Jobticket (File menu > Save, or Ctrl/CMD+S).
Note – Using this configuration, any spot colour in a file not found in your assigned Special Colour Set will cause the job to fail.
- Check the job [View] errors in the Queuemanager, or check the latest colours added to your system Unknown Specials set if one is assigned.
- Add the missing spot colours listed to your Special Colour Set, then resubmit the file.
This ensures spots are managed by the dedicated special colour path, rather than being merged with the RGB process colours, resulting in greater colour accuracy.
Submitting TIFF and PSD files to an RGB Workflow
To submit a TIFF or PSD to an RGB workflow, configure your Jobticket as follows:
- Open the Workbench application, then navigate to the Jobticket to be used.
- Go to the Jobticket > Colour Management panel
- Assign the RGB ICC profile to be used, selected via the RGB Input > Profile… button.
- Go to the Jobticket > Input Colours panel.
- Assign the Special Colour Set, including the spot colours in the job file(s), via the Special Colour Set… button.
- Save the Jobticket (File menu > Save, or Ctrl/CMD+S).
Note – Using this configuration is quite straightforward as TIFF and PSD files are often saved in an RGB colourspace and so submitted via the RGB Input ICC profile. Any included spot colours will automatically be recognised and if they are not in your assigned Special Colour Set, will be merged with the RGB process colours.
To achieve best colour accuracy, ensure any file spots colour have been added to your Special Colour Set prior to submitting.