: Converting bar code to CMYK "True Black" I have .tiff. Part of the .tiff is a bar code. My printer is insisting the bar code be converted to 100%K - CMYK "pure black". (Their words) A couple

@Phylliss782

If the barcode has been scaled up, try to find the original one or use a barcode generator to create a new one.


Any manipulation of the barcode using magic wand or filling parts with
color or any selection might make it unreadable by scanners, therefore
useless.


Once you got your original unscaled barcode file, simply convert it to grayscale mode and then bitmap mode 50% threshold at the highest resolution you can. Ideally a minimum of 300ppi.

Then you can save it as a tif. It will be 100% black lineart and will print as clearly as a vector.

After this you can scale up the barcode, always in bitmap mode. The numbers below it will look horrible but it doesn't matter; the lines will still be intact and straight, and that's what's important for the scanner. You can always retype your numbers in your publishing software, it doesn't matter.

The printer says CMYK black 100% but a black-only lineart is a black K100%!

That's how a raster barcode should always be prepared! Don't trace it. Never use any other non-lineart format (eg. never use jpg, psd, etc.). Tif and eps in bitmap modes are alright.



Extra:
barcode4j.sourceforge.net/troubleshooting.html

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@Nimeshi706

The easiest way would be to create a selection around the bar code (I assume it's got the white background), then using the Channels Panel -

Hightlight the black channel and use Levels to boost the tone to 100%.
Then Highlight the C channel and fill the selection with white.
Then fill the selection on the M and Y channels with white as well.

Double check the K channel again and ensure the values are 100%.

That should give you only a 100%K bar code.

The preferable method is really to use a vector bar code. There are several online barcode converters which provide downloadable .eps files. Here is a link to a good one.

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