Re: Saturation, etc.
Re: Saturation, etc.
- Subject: Re: Saturation, etc.
- From: eric ryan <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 14:46:56 -0700
Dear Lurker,
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Thanks for the note. First off, I did not know that the "older" 3900's
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ran on LinoColor. I was under the impression that all 3900 had an actual
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computer built onto the scanner themselves running on another software,
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and were PC not Macintosh based.
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The newer software that I was referring to is Heidelberg's ColorOpen
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suite. It contains three programs that allow control over the monitor,
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printer-proffer, and scanner calibration. As expected with any general
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solution, I have run into specific problems with each.
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Print Open is the printer/proofer profiling software. I get frustrated by
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it's ambiguous and general controls like: "customer prefers in
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colors--lighter or darker". Also the fact that total ink limits are
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ignored when using the relative colorimetric rendering intent in other
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software. And finally a lack of a smooth spectral gradient where vibrant
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lime greens turn to white, and where there is subtle but abrupt banding
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between cyan, blue, purple, and magenta. I have seen other print profiles
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that appear to out preform Print Open in the spectral gradient test alone.
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Scan Open is the scanner profiling software. It uses vender specific IT/8
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transparencies and prints (along with target data sets) to calculate the
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scanner's idiosyncracies. Unfortunately, I have never been able to scan a
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single slide or print directly with only the scanner calibration for film
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type selected. You'd expect to hit at least one out of a hundred, but you
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don't. The operator must massage every image to bring it closer to the
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original--most times fighting the ScanOpen created profile. This is where
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I have found that the Fuji reflective target and data set blows out
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highlights, and all (Kodak, Fuji, and Agfa) transparency sets plug the
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shadows. Requiring the operator to use advanced scanner functions like
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changing base density tables or LCH corrections--dynamic range, contrast
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and saturation curves, even resorting to fine field corrections or sector
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corrections on unacceptable color shifts. Sometimes I prefer to run raw
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prescans (no scanner calibration) and tweek each prescan accordingly
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before the final scan.
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View Open is the monitor profiling software. It is shipped with a Sequel
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imaging puck that I have not been able to interface with the computer
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(double mouse dongle not provided.) And View Open does not recognize our
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DTP92 when connected through USB card (ProveIt! does.) I do use this
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software but prefer ColorBlind's ProveIt! as a more accurate and versatile
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profiling solution. View Open measures approximatly 30 colors while
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ProveIt! measures over 200. And ProveIt allows the user to manually edit
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the RGB curves. In fact, all of Heidelberg's profiling software seems to
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lack precise post-profile manual adjustment.
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All this said, I still think that I've got the best thing going (at least
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in this town.) And I truly believe that scanning by visual assessment of
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the calibrated monitor is the most versitile and intuitive approach. But,
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this is no job for an ordinary worker. They may have changed the language
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and logic from the old school ways, but they haven't done away with the
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specialist (they've just lowered my wages--How easy is this?)
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Sincerely,
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Eric Ryan
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Scanning Technician
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The Electric Page
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ps. we use Imation Rainbow 2740 and Matchprint from imagesetter film as
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proof to pressheet.
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> I'm only familiar with the older 3900 unit with Linocolor- where
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>we scan strictly Tiff-CMYK. However I'm curious- in an earlier
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>message, you mentioned problems with some newer software-
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>blown hilites & plugged shadows. Do you have an Image-setting
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>parameter where you can align to a hilite & shadow (border) on
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>the image at your workstation? Or a Selective parameter where
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>you can reduce saturation? You should also have numerous
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>basic settings to choose from, that you can tailor to the
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>peculiarities of different films- Fujichrome- (saturation),
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>Kodachrome- (purple shadows) etc. I may be off track here- you
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>may be talking about something entirely different- in which case I
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>apologize.
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> I understand that in certain high-volume shops, operators don't
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>proof (we use Kodak's Approval) & even bypass a workstation
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>altogether- scanning straight to the server, so if that's the case I
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>ain't much help.
Lurker to remain anonymous.
Sincerely,
Eric Ryan
Scanning Technician
The Electric Page