Hi Gimpers,

2 questions:
Years ago I illustrated a book [or 2] using paper and ink. I have been asked to redo the books to be able to be published in both ebook & Print on Demand formats. So this means images in CMYK, and then able to be converted to pdf

So I need to make print ready images. I like using GIMP & definitely do not have time to teach myself Photoshop - even though I have a copy of it. After using GIMP for the last few years, Photoshop seems to be really counter-intuitive...
I generally use GIMP for fairly simple signs, illustrations and image manipulation.
I need to draw the images in bright and clear colour.

What Gimp plugin will work for me?
[I tried to install separate+ but Windows7 keeps asking for a DLL that I can't find...]

Second Q - I need to draw figures and images and need to know how to smooth those line drawings. I find the path tool a nightmare - so difficult to use. If anyone has simple instructions for me as a start point that would be great. Even if someone could point me to a great tutorial - I would really appreciate it.

PS not a nerd, originally a teacher, so please answer in simple hierarchical language. [sometimes you guys confuse me as my nerdspeak is rusty ;-)]. What I mean is please don't skip any steps in your answer, I only play with GIMP and only use it occasionally. But love using it. I would like to get much better at it, especially so I can reproduce my original drawings, and improve on them as illustrations.

Karine

Unlike built in CMYK support that you have with PS, GIMP doesn't directly support embedded CMYK. There was talks about doing so many years ago, but it was decided that RGB was good enough. You can decompose your image to CMYK channels, but that's as far as you can get with the GIMP. Decomposing does allow you do create templates which might be good enough for offset printing firms.

Example of what I'm referring to. You can convert your RGB photo image to CMYK channels. If you have each of the channels of your CMYK, you can Recompose to RGB in GIMP too; colors might be slightly off.

Thanks Lyle.
I'll try to do this.
What about composing using the CMYK in the colour palette, and then if I save this as a jpg or png with the channels converted to CMYK, will these then display as CMYK? and print correctly?
I guess I can check by printing.

Hmmm - I have a suggestion for a [probably huge] project... composition in CMYK. My thought that it would be well received [not just by me] because most people/some people don;t just display their images on a RGB screen but print their images eventually, and printers use CMYK.

Argh I dread having to attempt the Photoshop learning curve.
I have started it up around 17 times in the last week, and closed it again after the tutorials for the version I have seem to be missing steps in logic. It is way out of my comfort zone.

Thanks again,
I appreciate the feedback
K

Not an answer to your questions Katrine but I advise you not to save in jpg format if any of your pictures have transparency. (It will turn to white) png is the best there.

Oh dear, can-of-worms time.



you need libtiff3.dll from Gimp 2.6.
All the required files + a few more are here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/azx5y ... tility.zip
For separate+ there is: icc_colorspace.exe libtiff3.dll separate.exe separate_import.exe all these go in your gimp profile C:\Users\your-name\gimp-2.8\plug-ins. There is also a basic icc profile ISOcoated.icc, put that anywhere you like provided you can find it again.

A bit of a video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rby7r771D4 4 minutes so should not strain the concentration.



For PDF I would not use Gimp except for the image editing. Save your work as RGB png or jpg.

I am sure that someone will be along soon to suggest Scribus and if you intend lots of publishing then it is worth the effort to learn all the in-and-outs.

For speed, then get the latest version of ImageMagick http://www.imagemagick.org/script/binary-releases.php - down torards the bottom of that page.

You do need to know how to use command line, but pop your image(s) in a convenient folder open a terminal (cmd window) there and use the command


if the colours are maybe too dark/light then use the alternative


It all looks more complicated than it is

a very late edit: As a linux user I often forget this. For Windows user I believe Ghostscript is required for anything PDF so get it from here:
http://www.ghostscript.com/download/gsdnld.html

Don't use JPG!
Whatever software you end up using, always save files in a loss-less format eg. PNG, BMP, TIFF(lossless),etc for transfer to other packages.
JPG/JPEG will always introduce nasty artefacts, even if you specify 100% quality, and is therefore best avoided in any production "pipeline".

Yeah; PS support CMYK embedded jpegs if my memory serves me correctly, but that's pretty much a no-no for many many reasons as far as sharing these type files for the general consumption and defintely a problem when working the image in the GIMP. Yes; can of worms this thread can get so this will be my last input on the matter. lol

I think that this topic would be interesting for you. Also follow this link (includes in the topic).

For your purpose you can work with my paint, gimp and krita. With krita would change RGB mode to CMYK when you are finishing your work, and notice that krita can open .xcf files and support some G'mic's filters.

Krita seems to have a problem with exporting or saving after changing the color mode . In Debian at the moment; might try it in Windwoes tomorrow. I need to get a thing or two printable, and it would be nice if I could get Krita to do it.

I downloaded Krita to have a play. I like some of the features. But I couldn't get it to import or open a .xcf [sad]. But I am looking forward to playing with it. Is there any reason that it might not be opening .xcf?

In Gimp - If I can choose my colours using the colour picker, & ensure that they are CMYK compliant/convertible. Then convert the finished png using image magic [or even photoshop or illustrator] or .xcf using Krita - well then I will be very happy.

I can't seem to draw as well in photoshop or illustrator - they seem so very complex & they never seem to do what I want. I really want to stick with Gimp mostly because I am comfortable in the medium.

I only have part of the weekends to play at the moment. So this may take some time.
I am so very happy to hear everyone's suggestions.
Love this forum - thank you all.

When I have to, I will do all the real work in GIMP and export, then tweak color in Photoslop (I hate it too, but it groks cmyk, darnit)) So far so good, I've been able to produce sellable greeting cards.

Matera - Good to know. I'd love to see some.

I am working on the book right now.
Love the illustrating. Much better than work graphics for website logos!

Thanks for the tips
K

http://www.jaks-place.com/wordpress/about/cards/

I'm thinking of making some to sell myself too, lol

I've only just recently installed Krita on my system, (and not a recent version), but as far as I can tell it doesn't seem to support the .xcf format. The solution should be to export it to openraster (i.e. .ora) or .psd with Gimp, then open it as one of those with Krita.

Good tip, thanks David.
I'll try that when I get up to that stage.

There's also Cinepaint, a Gimp fork that handles CMYK (apparently):

http://sourceforge.net/projects/cinepaint/

Most recent version is from 2013. I can't vouch for it though, as I've never used it.

The oldest Krita that I've installed (run on Deb7) is 2.4.4 (I think) and it is able to open .xcf files.

If you convert, under Krita, rgb to cmyk you can export or save as the file in .tiff format.

Also, there is an Open Source app, for Linux & Win, named CMYKTool, developed by the same author of separate gimp-plugin.

I downloaded Krita 2.9.4 - which is the newest version.
it would not open .xcf and there was nowhere to import. However I did not try to open an existing png & attempt to convert to CMYK. Will do that.
I do like the look and feel of it.
But need time to get around to it.
I will also look at CMYKTool - thanks

I don't know why you can not open .xcf in Krita.
I hope that the attachment help you.



p.s.
For interested people Xournal (or googling, instead)