K Only option of Image layer for RGB documents

[ashf]

Would be nice if you could enable K Only option for RGB mode as well.

[loukash]

Thing is, there is no "K" in "RGB". Only "R", "G", and "B"… (And the invisible "A".)

[ashf]

1 hour ago, loukash said:

Thing is, there is no "K" in "RGB". Only "R", "G", and "B"… (And the invisible "A".)

Yes, I know.  I mean I'm asking Serif to make colorizing the image possible in the same way as in CMYK document.
Illustrator can do that.

[walt.farrell]

3 minutes ago, ashf said:

Yes, I know.  I mean I'm asking Serif to make colorizing the image possible in the same way as CMYK document.

That's not at all clear from your initial description, so perhaps you should provide more details and possibly an example, so it's clear what you want.

 

[walt.farrell]

However, guessing at what you want, I think it's already possible.

You can adjust the Fill of an Image layer (not a Pixel layer) using the Fill or Gradient Tools, and that will recolor that layer.

[ashf]

Really? it's different on my side.
The image layer without K only will be monotone-ish(total white and total black part will remain as is) when apply a color.
but it's not exactly the same color as specified.

It seems that once the K only is enabled in CMYK mode, it will be inherited even if the document is converted to RGB mode.
But the color can not be applied to the image just placed. (you see thin red border around the logo, that's the color I applied)

[ashf]

[loukash]

9 hours ago, ashf said:

colorizing the image possible in the same way as in CMYK document

There's no point in doing that. In CMYK, you're colorizing because you want it to print on a specific spot color plate or use a specific CMYK tint.
In RGB, you don't specify any print plates.

In RGB, if you want to colorize a placed RGB image "on the fly", without adding adjustment or filter layers, you can do it pretty simply like this:

1. place an RGB image:
   
    
2. make it b/w using the Gradient Overlay effect set to black-to-black "gradient" and e.g. Saturation blend mode:
   
    
3. colorize using the Color Overlay effect e.g. in the Screen mode:
   

[ashf]

Thank you.

Though Illustrator can just apply a color to the image using the fill regardless of which color mode.
This would be quicker and intuitive.
 

[loukash]

4 minutes ago, ashf said:

Illustrator can just apply a color to the image using the fill

Well, and obviously it took them a few decades to implement this, because my AI CS5 can't.
And frankly, I have absolutely no idea how to even colorize a placed RGB bitmap image in CS5…
I vaguely remember I was trying to figure it out while working on a (CMYK) LP cover layout draft a few years back where I wanted a "K only"-like photo colorization, and ended up converting all images to grayscale and reimporting to make it even work.

[loukash]

16 minutes ago, loukash said:

I have absolutely no idea how to even colorize a placed RGB bitmap image in CS5…

Alright, I've figured it out:
In AI CS5 the technique is… wait for it… basically the same as in Affinity per my example above, except more complicated because first you have to add a clipping path to the placed image, then convert it back to regular path while keeping it grouped with the image, then you can apply multiple fills to the path which is now same size as the image below. Of course, you can do the same workflow in Affinity as well, but why should you, when you can do everything with just layer effects directly on the image layer?

[ashf]

38 minutes ago, loukash said:

Alright, I've figured it out:
In AI CS5 the technique is… wait for it… basically the same as in Affinity per my example above, except more complicated because first you have to add a clipping path to the placed image, then convert it back to regular path while keeping it grouped with the image, then you can apply multiple fills to the path which is now same size as the image below. Of course, you can do the same workflow in Affinity as well, but why should you, when you can do everything with just layer effects directly on the image layer?

I think you can colorize the image in RGB mode if it's 1 bit or grayscale.

[ashf]

Of course I won't use RGB image in Affintiy as well.
I use only a grayscale or a 1bit image because a color image won't be needed for this purpose.
Like I mentioned "document" color format is the key. not a placed image.

[loukash]

4 minutes ago, ashf said:

you can colorize the image in RGB mode if it's 1 bit or grayscale

Exactly. Which means you must convert it first outside Illustrator before you can colorize it.

Anyway…

~~~

Now I vaguely rememeber a Serif staff post earlier this year (or older?) that the lack of the "K Only" option in RGB documents is "by design", because, well, there is no "K".

[loukash]

1 minute ago, ashf said:

I use only a grayscale or a 1bit image because a color image won't be needed for this purpose

… and that's where the Color Overlay effect does exactly what you want, and even in just one step because you don't need the other gradient overlay to convert to grayscale.