My files printed and separated from Photoshop have halftones in the background and areas that should be solid black are tinted when I print through AccuRIP. Photoshop CS5 & CS6 users may get blank pages or no file output.

This is NOT an issue with AccuRIP Black Pearl. Photoshop has a default setting that causes the stray halftones. Easily fixed. AccuRIP is printing exactly what its being told to print, make the change in Photoshop before printing.

Understand that Photoshop is always trying to print in “color” as a composite (it is not a desirable program for file output) and is assigning a color profile to everything that is printed even your black and white channels. It happens “after” you click the “print” button and before AccuRIP receives the file data.

No Color Management and Separations:

Here is the answer to the problem and it’s located in your Photoshop Print Window (CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS6). Earlier versions of Photoshop have this feature located in the Print Preview window and it may be called “same as source”.

Version CS3 and CS4 both call it “No color Management” and it’s located in the Print Window under the “color management” tab. The color management tab can sometimes be set to Output, it’s the same button click and change it. Photoshop CS5 and CS6 only offers the option called Separations and its not always available.

*Adobe has made critical changes to CS5n and CS6 that are not all good for printing, that is their plan. See understanding Photoshop CS5 and CS6 in the 24/7 Answer Center for more information.

Once set to Color Management go to the section called “Color Handling”. By default Photoshop is set to “Printer manages color” or “Photoshop manages color”, both are INCORRECT and create the printing problem by converting your black data to a color profile before it prints. Change this setting to “No Color Management or Separations” to have your separations print as expected.

IMPORTANT CS5 and CS6 Information:

The ONLY color mode Photoshop CS5 and CS6 will print from is CMYK so change to the cmyk mode. Select “Separations” – the only option left since Adobe removed the better option of “No Color Management”. Adobe wants you out of Photoshop when it is time to output a file and use Adobe Illustrator or InDesign instead. If you continue to output from Photoshop CS5 and CS6 you will always have to alter the mode from RGB (broader gamut and better color fidelity) to cmyk (shorter gamut and color data loss) which is not advisable. The better workflow is to PLACE the Photoshop File in Illustrator and benefit from the greater file output controls.