Swore by RGB for years until a client returned 500 business cards in St. Louis

I used to think CMYK vs RGB was just nerdy theory talk and never bothered converting my files before sending them to the printer. Last March, a local bakery in St. Louis paid me $400 for a bright neon flyer design, but when the cards came back, the green looked like muddy swamp water. That mistake cost me the reprint fee and half the client's trust. Has anyone else had a print job go sideways because they skipped converting from RGB to CMYK?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinl903d ago

Started converting everything to CMYK and checking the preview before hitting submit. Never had swamp colors again after that.

vera_roberts1d agoTop Commenter

That's a solid habit you've got there @robinl90. The convert then check method catches a lot of problems before they hit the press. But here's the thing, are you also soft-proofing with a calibrated monitor? Because CMYK conversion is one thing, but without a proper profile match, those swamp colors can still sneak in. I've seen people do the convert step religiously but still get muddy greens and browns because their screen shows one thing and the print shows another. Curious if you're doing that extra step or if the conversion alone does the trick for you.