@marthadimeoSummary:
Going from the first proof to an accurate reproduction of the artwork requires a discerning eye for color to identify differences, an in-depth knowledge of color separations and the printing process, and the ability to precisely manipulate color using curves in Photoshop.
Beyond these technical skills, it also demands a genuine passion for ensuring true color fidelity, bridging the gap between the artist’s vision and the tangible result, so every piece resonates as intended.
Color-Correcting Artwork
When you think of New Yorker cartoons, colored drawings are probably not the first thing to come to mind. Unless of course, you’re familiar with the full-page cartoons by Roz Chast.
While going through some old files, I came across this proof of a Roz Chast cartoon. It reminded me of my early days learning to color-correct artwork, a process that, as I’ve elaborated in other posts, is quite distinct from color editing photographs. I’m sharing it here to illustrate how a proof is methodically marked up and to showcase my adeptness in color evaluation.
Does the Proof Match the Original Art?
Before any color-correcting can be done, I must determine how the digital capture differs from the original art. Are there colors that are off—colors in the proof that don’t match the original artwork? And if so, how are they off? Is the color too warm? Does it need less magenta or yellow, or more cyan? Or perhaps a color is too cool. Will reducing cyan do the trick or should yellow or magenta be added?
There is also the issue of brightness and contrast—which is actually the first consideration in the evaluation process. Is the overall image too light or too dark? Does the contrast—the difference between the lightest areas and the darkest areas—match the original art? Does the reproduction hold the same detail in the highlights and the shadows as the original art? These are the considerations—the assessment—that must be made before one pixel is adjusted in the image.
+Y (yellow), -M (magenta) — Fine-Tuning Color
Once a color is identified as being off—in need of correction—the next step is to know how to correct it. As you can see on the proof, there are annotations of +Y (yellow), -M (magenta), -C (cyan). In comparing the proof to the original, judgment is made as to how cyan, magenta, yellow, and black should be manipulated to match the artwork as closely as possible, while taking into consideration the constraints of the 4-color printing process and the characteristics of the substrate the image will be printed on.
If I assessed the proof correctly, one round of adjustments gets me to the desired results.
RGB vs CMYK Workflow
As a side note, in most workflows, image files are kept in RGB and color correction is done in RGB. The CMYK file is generated as the last step in the prepress workflow.
Identify, Mark-Up, Execute
To summarize, color-correcting artwork is a three-step process.
1) Identify what needs to be corrected: Compare the proof to the original artwork to identify the differences.
2) Mark-up the proof: This requires a discerning eye for color and an in-depth knowledge of color separations and the printing process.
3) Execute the changes: Manipulate curves in Photoshop to achieve the desired results.
Going from the first proof to an accurate reproduction of the artwork requires a thorough understanding of prepress, printing, substrates, the skill to color-correct with curves, excellent color vision, and a keen eye to discern color differences.
You Got This—You Know Who to Call
Color is complex, but ChromaQueen can help ~ Visit the Working Together and Services pages. Let’s get started.
POSTSCRIPT
Meeting the Cartoonists
One of my favorite mementos from my time at The New Yorker is my autographed copy of The Art of The New Yorker, 1925-1995 by Lee Lorenz.
Once a week the cartoonists come to the magazine to submit their latest work. One day, I happened to be passing by the foyer when they were hanging out there chatting. I seized the opportunity; I grabbed my copy of the book and asked all of the artists present to sign it. Roz Chast signed page 131, next to the cartoon titled The Girl with the Sensible Shoes.
Fun Fact About Cartoonist Roz Chast
According to her Wikipedia bio, Chast has published over 800 cartoons in The New Yorker. (That’s a treasure trove of humorous observations!)