Image Adjustment for Valley News Printing

To download Valley News Photoshop Settings file, click here
To download Valley News Press ICC profile, click here

Basics

Calibrate monitor to 6500k white point, 2.2 gamma.
Work on copies of your original image ... in case you need to do it over.
Change Image Size to 170 DPI, follow instructions at Correct Image Size, below
Load Valley News Photoshop settings.
To download Valley News Photoshop Settings file, click here (2.5Mb file)
To download Valley News Press ICC profile, click here (2.5Mb file)
If you can't use these settings, assume a 32% dot gain
Minimum printable dot = 5% (plan on anything less than 5% to not print)
Maximum printable dot = 92% (plan on anything more than 92% to become solid)
For best newspaper reproduction, both color and black & white images should look fairly contrasty on your screen in Photoshop.
Note that when placing cmyk images in page layout programs, they may appear different on your screen than when viewed in Photoshop.

Black and White Images

1. If image is in color mode, change mode to Grayscale
2. Show info pallette: set up to show Grayscale
3. Change Image Size to 170 DPI, follow instructions at Correct Image Size, below
4. In curves or levels:
Set up the image to have the maximum tonal range printable.
1. Set a white.
Choose the "set white" eyedropper and click in an area that you want to go to "paper white".
2. Set a black
Choose the "set black" eyedropper and click in an area that you want to go to "solid black", usually the darkest shadow in the photo.
3. Adjust the midtone of the levels slider, or adjust the curve to lighten up midtones to desired brightness.
Recheck highlight end to make sure you're holding a dot anywhere you want to print.
4. Follow steps below to sharpen the image

Color Images

For images in RGB mode

Keep copies of original RGB images in another file, in case it's needed to go back to the original.

Show info pallette: set up to show "Actual Color" and "CMYK"

Resample the image down to 170 or 200 dpi at approximately the desired output size -- never resample to a higher dpi.

Set up the image to have the maximum tonal range printable in curves or levels:

1. Set a white.
Choose the "set white" eyedropper and click in an area that you want to go to "paper white".

2. Set a black
Choose the "set black" eyedropper and click in an area that you want to go to "solid black", usually the darkest shadow in the photo.

2. Set a gray
Choose the "set gray" eyedropper and click in several different areas that should be neutral to find the best choice to set the gray.
Note that a perfect neutral gray should be equal percentatges of R, G and B.

3. Adjust the midtone of the levels slider, or adjust the curve to lighten up midtones to desired brightness.

4. Sharpen as described below.

5. Convert mode to CMYK.

Recheck highlight end to make sure you're holding a dot anywhere you want to print (assume anything 4% and greater will print).
Recheck darkest shadow area to see that the total ink percent is 200% or more (add up the C, M, Y and K percentage numbers or change info pallette to display "Total Ink"

Sharpen the image

With a 170 dpi image, reduce view to 50%
Choose Filters>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask.
Check the "Preview" box so you see the results on your image
Set radius (between .8 and 1.5 usually is good), threshold to 0, and change amount until the desired sharpness is attained on screen (typically, between 175 and 250).

Correct Image Size

In Photoshop, go to IMAGE>IMAGE SIZE
Look at the Resolution field, setting it to display in PIXELS/INCH.
If the resolution is greater than 170 pixels per inch follow A below:
If the resolution is less than 170 pixels per inch, follow B below:

	A - Original Resolution Greater Than 170 DPI
	Make sure the units for resolution is set to pixels/inch.
	Note the "Document Size". Do not use the image significantly larger than this size (in other words, when you place the image in your page layout program, don't run it larger than 115% of its original size).
	With the "Constrain Proportions" and "Resample Image" boxes checked, type 170 into the Resolution field.
	You should notice the file size (pixel dimensions) decrease and the image get smaller on your screen.
	B - Original Resolution Less Than 170 DPI
	Make sure the units for resolution is set to pixels/inch.
	Check the "Constrain Proportions" box. Clear the "Resample Image" box.
	Type 170 into the "Resolution" field.
	You should notice no change in the file size of the document (pixel dimensions).
	You should notice the "width" and "height" reduce in size.
	Note the new "Document Size".
	Do not use the image significantly larger than this size (in other words, when you place the image in your page layout program, don't run it larger than 115% of its original size).