Printing from InDesign vs. Photoshop

[Pat_Phelan@adobeforums.com]

I have a logo which was given to me. I do not know what program was used to design this logo; it was given to me as a high-resolution tif file. The design is text with some line graphic and is a medium to dark color blue, with some shading.

If I open this file in Photoshop CS and print it out to a B/W laser printer, it comes out nice, crisp and dark. If I place the file in InDesign CS 3.01 and print it out to the same printer, it looks washed out. Both programs have color settings set to North American General Purpose defaults.

I am no color expert; I know very little about the color settings, etc., of the two programs. But why won't this file print the same from both programs?

Any input/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

Pat Phelan

[Michael_S._Flynn@adobeforums.com]

Check your color space. My guess is that the file you were given is RGB and InDesign's default color space is CMYK.

[Pat_Phelan@adobeforums.com]

Thanks for the response.

The original file is, yes, RGB. Everything I look at in ID re. the color space is confusing. There are lots of choices, but how do I set up the color management to get a good black from an actual dark color?

Is it just too complicated if you aren't an expert?

Many, MANY thanks!

Pat

[Michael_S._Flynn@adobeforums.com]

First, simply try going to Edit then from the flyout menu of Transparancy Blend Space select Document RGB. That should take care of the problem. Essentially, you use the selection for each document depending upon you output needs.

For Color Management, it's not really complicated unless you use Photoshop AND have a custom Color Management setup for it AND you want to use the same settings for InDesign. Complicated assuming your Photoshop color management needs are not typical; if they ARE typical, just use the same preset in InDesign as you do in Photoshop.

Since I do a LOT of importing of PDFs and EPSs into Photoshop, I have a cistom color management settng that brings in Black as 100% Black and NOT Rich Black. Unfortunately this setting creates problems when converting RGB images to CMYK so I have to remember to switch Color Management settings before those onverisons and then switch back for importing the PDFs and EPSs.

Here are my InDesign Color Settings:

Enable Color Managment: Checked
Settings: Custom
Advanced Mode: Checked
Working Spaces RGB: Monitor RGB (You'll need to use Adobe Gamma or some other monitor calibration software to create a monitor profile) If you don't want to do that, just use Adobe RGB (1998)
Working Spaces CMYK: U.S. Web Uncoated v2 (You need to select Sheetfed or Web, Coated or Uncoated for your own needs)
Color Management Policies RGB: Off (Use Convert to Working Space if you're not using Monitor RGB)
Color management Policies CMYK: Convert to Working Space
Profile Mismatches: Both Unchecked
Missing Profiles: Unchecked
Conversion Options Engine: Adobe (ACE)
Conversions Options Intent: Relative Colormetric
Use Black Point Compensation: Checked

[Pat_Phelan@adobeforums.com]

Many thanks for your input. I hate to admit I have never done anything with any of the color management features.

I followed your suggestion re. the transparency blend space. I also went in to Photoshop and saved my color settings, then loaded them into InDesign. I figured that way they would definitely be the same? Anyhow, this logo still prints out darker from Photoshop than it does from InDesign.

I guess it's going to have to go down as one of life's mysteries. I think I will just ask for a b/w copy of the file to use for b/w printing.

Once again, many thanks for your time and suggestions. I did learn something.

Pat