RE: Monitor Soft-Proofing in Photoshop
RE: Monitor Soft-Proofing in Photoshop
- Subject: RE: Monitor Soft-Proofing in Photoshop
- From: "Marc Aguilera" <email@hidden>
- Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 19:56:13 -0800
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I calibrated and profiled the monitors with OptiCAL. Created a custom
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target with 1.8 Gamma, 6000K and 3.0 and 85 as my white and black
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points. Each monitor is using this target and match each other.
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I have had to try five to find one that did not overly
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compress the yellows.They claim the return rate is
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as low as 3 percent.
Why 6000K? The LaCie is typically quite capable of hitting 5000K-5300K,
especially if balanced through PreCal.
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I have send my Monaco 530 patch from to the Pictro. Read it in on my
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SpectroScan using Monaco 4.5. The Pictro was calibrated just prior to
the >swatches being sent. It is calibrated every 4-5 hours each day.
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I load the profile into Photoshop via View/Proof Setup/Custom. I
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created my proof setup without paper white simulation, too washed out
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- tried both Rel Col and Perceptual. Preferred Perceptual.
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The problem is that it is not close. Blues are way off. Overall
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contrast is way to low, ect... They are viewing the Pictro output in a
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desktop mounted light box at 5000.
I will quote Don Hutcheson (www.apple.com/colorsync), "...you will need
some means of illuminating the original or proof with standard D50
lighting, and a way of reducing the intensity of that lighting to the
brightness of the monitor screen."
For one, I always look at white. Does the light box white (take blank
output from the Pictro) match a white document in Photoshop? If the
monitors were calibrated and profiled as 6000K as you stated, which is
cooler or "more blue" than 5000K or 5300K the prints will be off in
blue. Again quoting Hutcheson, "The first task is to set up, adjacent to
the monitor, a lighting system that illuminates the original or proof at
the same brightness level as the monitor image... Most people assume the
monitor should be set to a standard color temperature like D50 or D65,
but calibrating to either of these standards always seems to result in a
screen color that does not match a standard viewing booth."
Trust us, match the viewing white to the display white and soft-proofing
will lean toward being much easier. I wish all light boxes were at D50,
life would be less complicated, but it simply isn't the case. In fact,
it's usually in the range of 5300K. ColorBlind ProveIt! has a wonderful
visual calibration feature that will allow you to tweak visually the
white point of your monitor profile. By "eyeballing" reflective white in
your light box you can visually match white in the ProveIt! GUI and
ultimately produce a profile with a custom white point that better
approximates your viewing environment. Or you can read the white of your
light box with a Color Temperature Meter and use PreCal and Optical to
hit that target.
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I feel I have done everything buy the book. I build lots of profiles
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for RIPs and inkjets. Its how I make my living. But I feel that their
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is a limitation to this process.
There are limitations, but you can get a closer match by matching light
box white to monitor white.
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Have others been successful in setting up accurate soft-proofs via
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Photoshops soft-proof system?
Yes. Like vs. Like or shall I say white vs. white. Spend time on first
getting monitor white matched to your viewing environment and then move
on to building a good accurate characterization of the device. With the
proper workflow implementation in Photoshop you should get closer
results to what you have stated.
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I have recommended the new Sony Artisan to them in hopes that it will
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be better suited. The Sony looks very good even when calibrated at
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5000K. Unlike the LaCie which goes too yellow. It seems that the Sony
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calibration program can control both the white and black RGB gain
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controls to map a better white point and retain the blacks.
(Dmin) Black is an issue. The Artisan is a fantastic evolution in
monitor calibration and profiling, however, what you already have in
place is totally doable. The LaCie and Optical and Spyder is quite
capable of getting a great D50-or so and Luminance that will match the
reflective Luminance and Kelvin of a decent light box.
Marc Aguilera
ColorCritical
email@hidden
*****
Do or do not, there is no try - Yoda
*****
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