RGB to CMYK: Step-by-step

Make sure you are working in the CMYK color space. Most of these instructions will apply to all versions of the particular software program.

 Adobe Illustrator

 Use the following menu options:
 • Existing files: select Edit/Select All then Filter/Colors/Convert to CMYK.
 • New files: select File/New and select CMYK color for the Color Mode.

 Adobe InDesign

 Use the following menu options: Window/Swatches and Window/Color. Double click color in Swatches Change color  mode to CMYK and color type to Process. Any colors created in the document that are not in the Swatches palette, need  to be changed to the CMYK color space. Select each object you want to convert and make sure the Color palette reflects  the CMYK percentages. Click top right arrow in the palette to change to CMYK if necessary.
 Don't forget to send us your layout, all fonts used, and all linked images!

Adobe PhotoShop

Use the following menu options:
• Existing files: Image/Mode/CMYK
• New files: select CMYK for the mode before clicking OK.

QuarkXPress

Use the following menu options: Edit/Edit Colors/Show Colors in Use/Highlight Color and click Edit. Change model to CMYK and deselect Spot color.

Don't forget to send us your layout, all fonts used, and all linked images!

CorelDraw

Select each object you want to convert. Select the Fill tool and click Fill Color Dialog. Make sure the Color model is CMYK.

For each object with an outline: Select the Outline tool and click the Outline Color Dialog. Make sure the Color model is CMYK.

Microsoft Publisher 2000

Microsoft Publisher defaults to RGB. It is easy to convert everything to a CMYK color space or to start a new document using the CMYK color space. Use the following menu options: Tools/Commercial Printing Tools/ Color Printing and select Process colors (CMYK). Please note that all images incorporated into a layout need to be linked and not embedded in order to maintain the CMYK color space within the image. Using the following menu options does this: Tools/Commercial Printing Tools/Graphics Manager and highlight the embedded image. Click Link and click Browse to locate the original file and link to it. Send both the images and the layout file to us for printing.