The visual effect of artwork clearly separates comic books and graphic novels from other genres. Get the artwork right and you’re off to a head start in capturing the reader’s attention and imagination.
This unique combination of words and pictures also takes communication to the very highest level. For example, it’s one thing to introduce a powerful new comic book character through dialogue. However, you can make that dialogue much more impactful by demonstrating their immense power through stunning visuals and vibrant colors in an intense battle.
Comic book illustrators do an amazing job of mixing old art forms into modern design. Look through comic books and graphic novels and you’ll see influences of realism, renaissance, surrealism and minimalism as well as current graphic design trends. The writers and artists are experts at blending the words and visuals together for a compelling reading experience.
The First Challenge: Taking RGB to CMYK
But unless you understand the nuances of converting RGB design files to CMYK print files, the results can be disappointing. While it’s not rocket science, the process definitely goes beyond pushing the “convert file” command to achieve the best results.
Just for the sake of clarity, let’s do a short review of RGB (red, green, blue) and CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color models. RGB is how your computer (or any digital device) displays color. It is additive in nature, meaning that it displays color by adding light. When you mix all three colors together when working in RGB, you get white.
The color gamut of neither model can display all the colors visible to the naked eye. But the RGB gamut is larger than the CMYK gamut. RGB can display 16.7 million possible color values vs. about 16 thousand possibilities in CMYK.
How CMYK Differs From RGB
CMYK is the color model used in printing. It involves a subtractive process that displays color by absorbing light. In other words, the ink displays the color. All four CMYK colors mixed together at different percentages can produce a rich black.
Notably, CMYK is unable to display neon colors. That’s because neon colors have fluorescence, enabling them to reflect more visible light than other colors. CMYK colors can only be as bright as the underlying substrate, which is usually paper.
So, you can see the obvious challenges resulting from the size differences of the two color gamuts and the way that they each display color. Designers who work in RGB and then make a file conversion to CMYK will likely find some of their colors dull and muted.
How to Get the Most Out of CMYK
One recommendation is to create your files in CMYK. This allows you to see more accurately what you’re going to get in print. It also allows you to tweak the color before sending it for processing. Thus, you maintain more control over the final appearance of your comic book or graphic novel artwork.
Some other file conversion tips include:
- Convert RGB to the correct colorspace, either grayscale, CMYK or spot color.
- For spot color being printed in CMYK, convert to CMYK in your native file before releasing or converting to a PDF file. And remember that no Pantone color converts to CMYK with absolute accuracy. Be sure to ask for a swatch.
If you want to ensure the colors will reproduce correctly, request a color-accurate proof of a few pages or the entire book from your printer.
Get Familiar With ICC Profiles
There’s no chance of reproducing accurate color if your scanner, computer or monitor are inaccurate. This is where International Color Consortium (ICC) profiles come into play. ICC profiles contain a set of data that characterizes a color input or output device. In short, each device in your design workflow that inputs or displays color can be assigned a profile. These profiles define the color gamut that the devices are capable of displaying.
The first step is to determine the color gamut of each of your devices. If they are different (say your computer is RGB and your monitor is DCI-P3) then you need to import the differing ICC profile into your computer operating system to ensure accurate color display.
Likewise, graphics and digital images have their individual profiles. They will only display accurately if you match the ICC image profile with the monitor and import the corresponding ICC profile into your computer’s operating system.
If all this sounds a bit daunting, there are software programs available that simplify the process.
Seek a Printer With G7® Certification
The challenges don’t stop once you optimize a file for accurate color reproduction. Different printing methods, such as digital, inkjet and offset, all reproduce color differently. Idealliance developed the G7® specification that “defines a universal appearance for black-and-white imagery (or a printed grayscale), as well as how to calibrate and control any printing or proofing system to achieve that appearance.”
Controlling grays makes color images also look as pleasing to the eye as possible without ICC profiles. But for even greater accuracy on color-critical work, G7 can be combined with ICC color management.
G7 also brings some RGB benefits to CMYK. RGB files from one digital display usually look reasonably accurate on another, say your computer to your smartphone. The reason is that all video display devices produce the color gray from equal RGB values as well as typically sharing a common 2.2 gamma. Thus, black-and-white images appear very similar wherever displayed.
G7 provides a universal standard for printing gray in CMYK. Previously, lightness and contrast could vary significantly across different printing technologies and even from press to press within the same technology.
G7 now provides a simple calibration method for any printing system to match its definition of gray balance and neutral tonality. In short, if you printed the first run of your graphic novel on a digital press and later printed a longer run offset, G7 would enable each run to color match closely to one another. G7 is all about getting the same predictable color output every time, whether your comic book or graphic novel is running on a digital press or an offset press – regardless of the substrate.
Pay Attention to Press and Paper
The printing technology and the paper you choose will also impact your file preparation and color reproduction. Getting the best results requires using the correct line screen for both the print technology and the paper.
The glossier the paper, the finer linescreen you can use. Less gloss (or no coating at all), means more absorption of the ink and a coarser screen. Check with your print provider, but these are generally acceptable line screen ranges (dots per inch or DPI) for the main press technologies:
- 100-133 DPI – coldest/non-heatset web
- 133-175 DPI – heatset web
- 120-200 DPI – sheetfed
- Line screens don’t apply to digital printing
In preparing files, the best approach is to use a DPI that is 1.5-2 times the actual linescreen used when printing. Set your raster and transparency settings to high resolution and be certain to arrange type in the uppermost level. A good default standard is 300-350 dpi.
Address Ink Issues
One other thing you want to pay attention to is ink density, which is the thickness of the ink layer on the paper. The combination of all the process colors (cyan, yellow, magenta and black) at full strength would be 400% ink coverage, which is not necessary to achieve a rich black color. Keep in mind that some print technologies can reproduce more density than others. Different papers can also handle more density than others.
Again, you should always check with your print provider, but here are general ink density guidelines: sheetfed (300%, 270% if UV coating); coldest/non-heatset web (260% for offset paper, 245% for groundwood paper, 235% for newsprint); heatset web (310%) and digital (320%).
And as a final tip, be aware of the effect of varnish on ink. High gloss varnish deepens hues, creating a rich, even surface that reflects light. Meanwhile, dull varnish softens ink, moderating its intensity for a subtler effect.
Call the Experts at Walsworth
Our clients include some of the industry’s most recognizable names, from Dungeons & Dragons and Minecraft to art books for Larry Elmore, the noted fantasy illustrator whose work appears in Dungeons & Dragons, Dragonlance and his own comic strip series, SnarfQuest.
Walsworth constantly invests in the equipment, services and solutions to meet the demands of this dynamic publishing segment. Our ability to handle quick turnarounds with ease is supported by advanced premedia capabilities (including G7 certification), multiple print platforms, a robust bindery and deep mailing and distribution know-how.
And we can help you reach your audience where they are. While print forms the core of your distribution strategy, you may also incorporate digital strategies to expand your reach, enhance engagement or address readers’ preferences. We can provide you with digital publishing apps, website solutions and other content delivery options to maximize your reader connections.
Getting in touch is simple. Just submit your information and a friendly Walsworth associate will be in touch within 24 hours.
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