Steve wreath

[sjordan93436]

First attempt at cmyk.  Don't know if I succeeded, but I tried to boost a little yellow.  I tried to add contrast but lost shadow detail.  (I will fix my pumpkin next).  Is it helpful to attach full jpg (not a screenshot)?

[mikemeister_admin]

I'd say yes,then the class can click on the image and see what  you saw on your monitor.GregM

[ggroess]

Yes the full JPG is very helpful...I can look at it in Photoshop and in most cases give you a change that will take the image from where you are at when you posted to what ever fix needs to be applied.

I download every image and look in PS.  But the full image is always better. 

RE: CMYK...I'll post again for that...
Greg

[ggroess]

Overall you have a pretty strong Cyan cast working on this image...try setting a neutral on the gray branches on the left edge of the image...

I like to think of CMYK as Negative RGB. You are really using "inks" to make a print at this point.. so to speak...CMYK is a more subtle adjustment space, you might find it to have the feather lite touch instead of the hammer like approach LAB can have.

Remember that in CMYK the GCR is like a volume lever.  The heavier the GCR the less adjustment for the same effect.  Heavy GCR is the easiest to see on the monitor.  The printed results...well actual mileage may vary....

You can color correct in CMYK without the K, if you add more CMY without changing the K you get the same values but the shadows look incomplete, muddy, or somehow lacking in POP.  If you had to you could make an adjustment without the K but it would take a great deal of CMY.  I'm trying to think of a better analogy....how about this...

If you are making a color print in the darkroom, you always use only 2 colors on the enlarger. You use Y and M, if you add C you have to zero out one of the other two because otherwise you make neutral gray and the prints look muddy / flat. 

The same is true here, you are adjusting "inks" to print a subtractive image on paper.  The inks subtract light from the reflected white of the paper.  Every place that should be black or dark gray would need some K to complete the "blackness" otherwise too much light is allowed to reflect through the inks as they are semi transparent.

RGB on the other hand is additive.  The colors combine together to create white.  (255,255,255 = white) and  (0,0,0 = Black).  I always think of RGB as theater lighting you can add Magenta and Green lights and get a neutral light that appears white to the eye.

In your image you have a Cyan problem...but your curve shows you adjusting the Cyan so this is natural...try this one again and start by setting a neutral.  Then go after subtle color casts with small adjustments...Lastly add just enough K to make the image look full and rich without locking up the shadows.

Greg

[sjordan93436]

Hmm....  what am I doing wrong.  I use cm .12 on my win7 cs5.

The hue clocks are all 0,0,0,0.  Setting neutrals, highlights and shadow points don't work.

??

[ggroess]

32 bit or 64 bit??

If you have 32 bit you can load the 3.0.19 build.  It is running on My Win7 PS CS4 32 bit version just fine...the 84 bit 3.2.0 build you are showing has hue clock "issues"
Greg

[sjordan93436]

I have win 7 32 bit.  I upgraded to 3.0.19.  Same issue.  All clocks are 0,0,0,0

[ggroess]

Rats....
We might have to skip this until Mike repairs the program.  You can try this out without the hue clocks just to see what happens to a CMYK image...

There is a registry Hack we could try to see if we can restore the CMYK if you like but I hate to ask you to do minor surgery on the registry file...
Greg

[sjordan93436]

I watched Mike.  I could do that again...  (shhh....  He deleted the curvemeister registry.  If done wrong, ouch. )

I will try the wreath without clocks.

[ggroess]

Well the registry edits are possible but you have to go to exact spot...

If you want to let me know...I can post the string you need to follow in regedit to get there...

Greg