Making the most of having the blues


Printed mailer and envelope set

When used in print as a spot color, PMS 293 not only makes KU blue consistent across your publications, it also introduces an energy and vibrancy that instantly reads as KU. Create the same effect in your color-treated photos by using duotone presets to easily convert your photos to one of these four color combinations.

 

Here’s how:

Steps to create a duotone using presets

Download the duotone presets.

Example image of a statue in front of a building is shown with four different blue duotone combination color treatments. PMS 293 and Fog, PMS 293 and Steam, PMS 293 and Sky, PMS 293 and Limestone

Start with a color image. Convert it to a grayscale image. (Image > Mode > Grayscale) Make sure your image has a full range of tonal values.

Example image with Photoshop interface showing the menu to find Image>Mode> Grayscale

Choose Duotone in the same menu. (Image > Mode > Duotone)

Example image is now shown in grayscale. Photoshop interface show the menu structure to find Image > Mode> Duotone

When the Duotone options dialog box pops up, select the gear to the right of the Preset dropdown. Choose Load Preset and navigate to the duotone presets stored on your computer. Choose the color variation. Tip: Not all photos look good with all color combinations. Use your judgment.

Example image now shown with duotone treatment in the background. Photoshop interface shows the Duotone Options dialog box with a contextual menu open and "Load Preset" highlighted.

Make final adjustments to midtone contrast as needed and save the file as a .psd or .eps file. When you place your image into a professional design program (like InDesign or Illustrator) the spot color will be retained.

If your blues don’t look right in the on-screen preview, make a pdf. They should match. If not, make sure you are using PANTONE 293 C for all instances of KU blue.

 

For all other print uses

If you don’t need to use PMS 293 in your photo treatment, use the CMYK templates to create your color treated photo.

CMYK color palette for use with Adobe Creative Suite

 

For use on screens

Anytime you are creating something that will be seen on a screen it is important to use RGB or Hex colors rather than Pantone colors or CMYK colors. To create color-treated photos for screens, use the RGB templates.

RGB/Hex color palette for use with Adobe Creative Suite