In Focus Vol. 2 No. 2
Managing Color, Part 2
Manipulation for print… Policies, monitors, and soft proofing.
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By Tom Hauenstein
In the second part of this six-part series, I will go over four topics that are important factors to consider while working on your images in Photoshop: 1. The Color Settings dialog box. 2. The monitor you use to view your files. 3. The hardware you use to calibrate said monitor. 4. And, the ability to accurately soft proof. All of these determine whether or not you will be profitable with in-house printing.
In Part 1 of this series we talked (or wrote) a lot about source profiles. These can be device-specific, like the ICC profile of your scanner or camera, or more generic, like Adobe 1998 or sRGB.
Every image must have a source space profile embedded in it. The saying, “How can you get to where you are going if you don’t know where you are” reminds us of how important a source space really is. Therefore, you should never work with untagged images.
Color Settings in Photoshop
Now that we are sure the images have a source space, it is extremely important that these source profiles are never changed. We can be sure of that by checking the color settings in Photoshop. The route to get there is the same for both PC and Mac. Go to Edit>Color Settings, and the dialog box should appear (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Click the image to see it full-size. |
The most important part of this dialog box is the Color Management Policies. They should all be set to Preserve Embedded Profiles to ensure that they are never altered. If the source space of an image is incorrectly converted or a wrong source space has been applied, then the monitor will struggle to accurately soft proof. If you cannot accurately soft proof, then you will struggle to stay profitable.
The Importance of Choosing a Good Monitor
I often encounter a photographer who has invested over $40,000 in their camera and lens equipment, but then does all of the color correction on a low-quality monitor. The monitor is the window through which you view and correct files before sending them to print, and your system is only as strong as its weakest link.
For example, older CRTs are susceptible to inconsistent color shift, and many photographers are still using them. Let’s say that the CRT you are using has a slight magenta color shift sometimes, but sometimes it’s accurate. How can someone possibly correct a color shift in the file when they can not be sure if the shift they are seeing is in the actual file or just added by the monitor? This can seriously affect profitability.
The silver lining is that a good monitor does not have to break the bank. There are decent selections in all price ranges, but the true professional will most likely invest at least $1,500.
The three lines of monitors that I enjoy working with are the Lacie 300 series, Apple Cinema Displays, and the Eizo Color Edge series (all of which you can buy through LexJet). They range in price from $700 to $5,000, depending on the size and model you choose. Your LexJet account specialist or the technical support team would be happy to help you with this decision if you have any questions. The investment in a good monitor can actually save you money on the back end as the profitability example at the end of this article will show.
Color Management Hardware and Software for Monitors
There are two simple things to know after you’ve invested in a good monitor. First, the monitor must be calibrated and profiled regularly, and second, it must be done with sound hardware and software.
I run into photographers who still don’t calibrate their monitor. This is the most important part of color management!!! Please excuse the shouting indicated by the extraneous exclamation points, but they’re really not extraneous since this is so important.
Also, it will only cost around $250 to do so, so there is really no excuse not to. One should calibrate anywhere from once a week to once a month depending on the age and stability of the monitor. The newer, more stable monitors will only require monthly calibration where older, less stable monitors may require weekly calibration.
Now that Gretag Macbeth and X-Rite have merged, the options here are limited. I prefer the Eye-One Display 2. It seems to be superior to its competition in setting brightness and contrast during the calibration phase, making my monitor significantly more accurate. The affect of calibrating and profiling on your profitability will also be demonstrated in the profitability example.
Soft Proofing in Photoshop
If you print the same image on the same media with different rendering intents then the image may look completely different. Also, if you print the same image on different media with the same rendering intent, then the image may look completely different. The two reasons for this is that, 1. Every media has a unique color gamut, and, 2. Rendering intents determine how out of gamut colors are handled. So, how do we know what the print will look like before we print it?
Figure 2: Click the image to see it full size. |
A soft proof in Photoshop will do exactly that. On both Mac and PC, you go to View>Proof Setup>Custom (see Figure 2), and a dialog box will appear (see Figure 3). In this dialog box you choose the profile that you will end up using to print in the Device to Simulate section. This profile will be built for a specific printer, ink set, and media combination so it will understand the available gamut for that situation perfectly.
Rendering intents are mathematical rules for dealing with colors that fall in and out of gamut, so they will most likely affect the final output. The only way these would not affect your final output is if the file is completely in the gamut of the paper/printer/ink profile.
The two you should decide between are Perceptual and Relative Colorimetric. Perceptual tends to de-saturate colors in order to fit into gamut, but handles gradients better. Relative may look a little choppy in a gradient but should maintain saturation better.
Figure 3: Click the image to see it full size. |
Use the soft proof section to decide which rendering intent will work better for you. You should also check to see what type of affect the black point compensation has on the image. Try both rendering intents with black point compensation and see which looks the best, because you will have the option to choose these when you go eventually go to print.
Profit Factor
We’ll use the example we used in the first part of this series here as well… Let’s say we have two photographers who are commissioned to reproduce an identical piece of fine art on canvas at 16x20.
Also, assume that they are both going to charge $100 for the capture, manipulation, and canvas print unfinished. Finally, assume that their time is worth $50 per hour. In this example, however, both photographers spend 30 minutes setting up the lighting and exposure perfectly and do a quick curves adjustment and only spend 10 minutes in PhotoShop CS2 before printing.
Then assume that Photographer A either does not use source profiles correctly, did not invest in a good monitor, does not calibrate or profile his monitor, and/or does not soft proof.
Any one of these, or all of them together would prevent him from getting a usable print the first time. It therefore takes him four prints and an extra hour of manipulation in Photoshop to get a usable print.
Photographer B uses source profiles correctly, has invested in a good monitor, which is properly calibrated and profiled, and soft proofs in Photoshop, and therefore got a usable print the first time. Here’s how it affects the top and bottom lines for both photographers:
Photographer A
Set up and shoot 30 minutes at $50 an hour = -$25.00
Manipulation before print 10 minutes at $50 an hour = -$8.33
Ink and Canvas Cost ($4 per sqft at 2.22 sqft)x4 for usable print = -$35.52
Manipulation after prints 60 minutes at $50 an hour = - 50.00
Payment $100 total price = $100.00
Total = -$18.85
Photographer B
Set up and shoot 30 minutes at $50 an hour = -$25.00
Manipulation before print 10 minutes at $50 an hour = -$8.33
Ink and Canvas Cost ($4 per sqft at 2.22 sqft)x1 for usable print = -$8.88
Manipulation after prints 0 minutes at $50 an hour = $0.00
Payment $100 total price = $100.00
Total = $57.79
This example, though simplistic, should demonstrate how all four of the sections covered in Part 2 can drastically determine your level of success as a photographer or fine art reproducer.
Tom Hauenstein is LexJet’s technical support director. Look for Tom at a city near you beginning this summer when he hits the road with that voodoo he does so well – helping photographers and fine-art reproducers maximize their images and profit, while having fun doing it. To learn more about Tom’s upcoming Great Output color management seminar tour, Printing for Profitability in the Digital Darkroom, contact your account specialist or Tom at (800) 453-9538. |
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