[how to use]

[color/shift] is an open source catalog of custom .icc profiles built specifically for #risograph output. An .icc profile essentially maps the path of tranition from one color space to another using a combination of tables of color data to be interpolated and/or series of mathematical formulae. For [color/shift] we have generated [custom profile charts] that we use to generate these profiles which allow a caluculated exchange of the Red, Green, and Blue luminosity values seen on one's computer screen to be converted to the corresponding coverage amounts of for each of the ink colors in a given color combination.

[1] dowload your desired profile from the [profiles] page.

2,3, and 4 color profiles download will include 2x .icc profiles: a [separation profile] for converting RGB or CMYK files into a multi-channel profile to be either split or saved as a .eps file in Adobe Photoshop and a [preview profile] that will allow you to soft-proof prior to printing. this unique feature allows the user to make adaptive changes to the luminosity, color balance, hue, and saturation of an image prior to separation to better anticipate outcomes and/or adjust the image for conversion to the new, and likely more limited, output color space.

CMYK profiles will only have a single profile as they are able to function as both a separation and a preview profile. CMYK profiles can be used to split a file in Adobe Photoshop and they can be embedded into .pdf exports via Adobe InDesign.

[2] install your profiles before use

 For MAC users: the profiles must be installed to: MAC HD > Library > Color Shift > Profiles -or-User > Library > Color Shift > Profiles__

 For PC users: the profiles can be installed to: WINDOWS > System32 > Spool > Drivers > Color -or- you can right-click the downloaded file and select "install profile"

[3] basic CMYK or MULTI-CHANNEL profile conversion and separation in Adobe Photoshop

_ open your desired file in Adobe Photoshop 
_ use __Edit>Convert to Profile__ to open the colorspace convesion dialog box
_ click the __ADVNACED__ button to reveal the full dialog box option fields
_ select your preferred profile from the drop down menu
_ select 'perceptual' when the profile color space mostly aligns with source image color
_ select 'relative colormetric' when the profile color space results in a significant adjustment to a image color or when more muted and subtle output is desired.
_ select OK

[4] after conversion, open the channels panel to view separations or split the file

  to view channel separation in color, click the + button at the bottom of the channels panel to add a new alpha channel. Using the 'eye' button you can disable channels to view individual channels in their output color.

[5a] saving the file in the .eps format for import into InDesign:

  Adobe Photoshop > File > Save As

[5b] splitting the file to print separations or save separations as .pdfs:

  Click the expansion menu in the channels panel and select 'split channels' to generate separate greyscale files for each spot color channel.

[6] printing the charts:

  PRINT ORDER: The profile name ex. [color/shift] Blue - Pink - Yellow.icc will refeclt the print order that corresponds to the chart/profile. Keeping this print order will yeild the best results. If you choose to print using an alternative order you will see less accurate results especially when using more opaque colors.  

  SCREENING: All [color/shift] profiles have data smoothing and averaging to yeild the most widely useful profile. Moving forward we will be releasing screening specific profiles and .acv curves specific to different drivers and screening settings (i.e. graintouch vs halftone). Generally, we have found that the in-driver screen-covered settings are more linear by default than graintouch output. (stay tuned for tutorials related to screening and more screening specialized profiles in popular color combinations)

  PRINT DENSITY and PRINT SPEED/INTERVAL: These settings can be modulated on the majority of RISO printers. Our understanding is that the speed for best results vary wildly by model, color, and drum age, etc. We have found on our MZ790U's that the most even results come when printing at Speed "4 or 5" with Interval On. We print our charts at Density "3" and often modulate density on saturated colors in order to help with slight color balancing issues. 

  PAPER: All [color/shift] profiles have paper values averaged to 94.0 brightness paper that is scientifically neutral. You may want to compensate warm (yellowish) or cool (blueish) color channels when using cool papers (with optical brightners) or natural/ivory papers especially those with the ability to acheive near full-color reproduction.

[soft proofing in photoshop]

[1] why use a custom soft proofing condition prior to conversion.

a unique feature of [color/shift] profiles is the ability to use our companion PREVIEW .icc profiles to reliably soft-proof within Adobe Photoshop. When well calibrated the user will have the ability to make micro-adjustments to image hue, saturation, luminosity, etc to compenste specifically for the attributes of a given output color space. In many cases, risogrpah printers burn numerous masters with incrimental pre-press adjustments to walk an image into the target output. When perfectly calibrated an .icc profile (especially one which is CMYK adjacent) will yield a stunningly accurate printed outcome. However, often risograph printers do not have the targe of fidelity to the source image. As such, the generation and disemination of Preview .icc profiles will allow the printer/user to anticipate not only print output but to also confidently modify source images to acheive very particular printed outcomes.

[2] how to apply custom soft proofing conditions.

 apply a custom proofing condition via View > Proof Setup > Custom

 for beta profiles, we recommend that you toggle between PERCEPTUAL and RELATIVE COLORMETRIC rendering (both with Blackpoint Compensation on) and use the one that seems closer to your desired outcome. In theory, perceptual is the preferred rendering intent for going to a reduce colorspace, however with very limited colorspace profiles we have found recommend relative colormetric to yeild preferable results when printing on the RISO.

[3] ...in the pipe line.

Beginning in January 2021, we will be working on building out this how-to-use section in greater detial, we will also be working through adding and testing existing BETA profiles and working to get them to be as reliable and broadly useful as possible. After which, we will begin to publish monthly profile specific tutorials, screening, driver, and machine specific .acv curves.

We will start with us working through the specific printing conditions of the THERE, THERE, quarterly -- or how we would do it now given what we've learned in the process...

ISSUE ONE     Metallic Gold + Fluorescent Pink + Black (or Midnight)
ISSUE TWO     Two Passes each of BLack and White Ink.
ISSUE THREE   Blue + Fluorescent Pink + Yellow
ISSUE FOUR    Coral + Midnight + Yellow
ISSUE FIVE    Aqua + Fluorescent Pink + Midnight (or Blue) + Yellow
ISSUE SIX     Bisque + Mint + Midnight (or Mahogany) + Scarlet
ISSUE SEVEN   Black + Midnight (or other dark color)

[how to use with spectrolite]

Spectrolite is a Mac desktop app by ANEMONE that does color separations and other riso-specific things. You can use the profiles downloaded from [color/shift] to to separate your images into color files in Spectrolite.

You can also use Spectrolite to halftone your images, apply the same separation to a multi-page PDF (handy for doing the same color separation on tons of images at once), and do simple zine imposition and then apply a color/shift profile to all the pages/images at one time.

[getting set up]

1. Download and install Spectrolite to your Mac.
2. In the Inks page, choose the inks you have available to print with.
3. In the Palette page, build a color palette of the riso inks that are in the .icc profile you want to use.
4. While editing your Palette, click the Add Profiles button.
5. Add your .icc Separation Profile, and the .icc Preview Profile (optional).
6. Save the Palette.

Note: In the future, [color/shift] profiles will be integrated directly into Spectrolite, removing the need to download profiles from this site and load them in (steps 4-6 above).

[separating images]

1. On the Palettes page, select the palette with the [color/shift] .icc profile you want to use.
2. Insert your image by dragging and dropping or selecting the file.
3. Press the RISO-ify button.
4. Feel free to zoom to compare the original and preview files, or click on the colors on the sidebar to view the layers.
5. Press Export to get your files.