Say no to CMYK. Why you shouldn't use it for your photo prints

Why there is no good reason for most people to convert images to CMYK for printing. Keith addresses an issue he's been asked about by several people: "Surely, if my printer uses CMYK inks, I should convert my images to CMYK for printing" No, almost never, and if you do genuinely need CMYK you should very likely already know why. How most photo printers are RGB devices and just need a good icc profile for the printer/paper for good results. Basically if you use CMYK and don't know why, or didn't know there are different varieties of CMYK, then you are on very thin ice and probably shouldn't be using it (or at very least should read the book below). This is part of Keith's collection of print related articles, videos and reviews covering printing, colour management and photography at: http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/photography-articles-and-reviews/printing-paper-reviews-articles/ My absolute best source for info about CMYK is the excellent 'Real World Colour Management' [Fraser et al.] It's a really well written book - you only need read the relevant parts, but it has been my number one quick reference source for over a decade. If you use CMYK and don't know why, then you really should read this. yes, I know suggesting a book is heresy on YouTube, but I don't care! ;-) When might you use CMYK? - well, commercial graphic design and commercial print spring to mind. A sound understanding of colour management is required to reliably and meaningfully use CMYK. If the book above isn't available, Id suggest reading Martin Evening's Photoshop chapter on colour management - very well written http://www.photoshopforphotographers.com/download/PSCS_colmanage.pdf I would regard a basic understanding of what's in this PDF as a pre-requisite of effectively using CMYK ----------------- My articles and videos are always free to access. Any help with running this channel is gratefully received. If you'd like to make a small donation, I have a Kofi page: "Buy me a coffee" https://ko-fi.com/keithcooper ----------------- I also have some affiliate links which earn me a commission if used. US Amazon photo/print gear: https://amzn.to/3l9vJC6 B&H Photo: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/?BI=2008&KBID=2711&DFF=d10-v1-t8-x4 Adorama: https://www.adorama.com/?utm_source=rflaid64416&utm_medium=affiliate