Re: Profiling for cheap??
Re: Profiling for cheap??
- Subject: Re: Profiling for cheap??
- From: Kim Christiansen <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2003 10:14:54 -0800
- Resent-date: Mon, 24 Nov 2003 10:15:57 -0800
- Resent-from: Kim Christiansen <email@hidden>
- Resent-message-id: <email@hidden>
- Resent-to: email@hidden
On Nov 24, 2003, at 5:06 AM, Kurt Seefeldt wrote:
I'd like to have more confidence in my workflow so I can start to
photograph more freely. I've been looking at quite a bit of info out
there on calibrating and profiling of equipment. I'm a bit confused as
to what I actually need to invest in to start the process. Here is
where I am:
1) I need to calibrate and profile my monitor (Apple 17" LCD on Mac OS
X.2.8). This one I know must be done. I found a Spyder PhotoCAL for
$150 and was thinking about that, until I heard a not-so-good personal
report on it.
Well, I've installed some Spyders with some pretty happy customers so i
think they are just fine. The other option to look at is the
retag-Macbeth Eye-One Display. But I think it's selling for about $100
more than the Spyder you mentioned... so go for it. Profiling your
Monitor is the #1 step to getting started in a color managed workflow.
2) I want to profile my Scanner (Epson Photo 2450) for reflective and
transparency work. I need to get a target for each of those tasks. Can
I use Photoshop 7 to create the profile? I found an article on this on
the Digital Dog website (thanks Andrew) If I have to purchase
software, which package should I be looking at?
3) I want to use the IT8 target from the scanner reflective profiling
to profile my Canon 10D. I plan to shoot the target at the beginning
of each shoot and generate a profile for that shoot, if it doesn't
match other profiles under similar conditions. Here is where software
would come in handy, but I would handle it similarly to the Scanner
profiling, if that is possible.
Hmm, I've found that profiling a scanner for reflective and
transparency requires two separate profiles. You'll need an IT8
reflective and an IT8 transparency target. For the Camera, there are
some profiling packages out there like In-Camera that use the Gretag
Color Checker. I think you can still get a version of Color-eyes that
uses this a well. I have had excellent results with the Color-Eyes
20/20 product for profiling Digital cameras, but that would probably
fall out of the "cheap" range.
Basically, can I get away with a software/hardware solution for my
monitor and use Photoshop for the input devices? I can get output
profiles from my print house for their equipment, which I think should
cover me there. Am I on the right track? Would using Photoshop be so
much of a pain that bucking up for the software be worth it in both
the short and long runs? I'm really cheap, but don't want to be too
cheap with this and consume hours and hours of valuable time farting
around. Thanks for your help and experience!!
Kurt
OK Kurt, here it is in a nutshell.
1) Get a monitor calibrater/profiler software/hardware combo (Spyder,
Eye-One etc)
2) Buy a couple of targets, reflective and transmissive and scan these
with NO COLOR ADJUSTMENT, No AUTO settings or anything and send them to
a provider of profiles like Chromix or another vendor.
(disclosure note: I do work for and with Chromix, I list them here only
as an example, there are many providers of profiles on the net and you
should seek out one that works for you and your budget)
4) Buy a Camera profiling software and target package.
(Alternatively, use the native space of the camera and accept the color
variations that will be inherent to your particular camera. Sample lots
of images and create a color adjustment in Photoshop that gives you
acceptable results and then create an action to apply said adjustment
to all images from the camera. With your monitor adjusted you can rely
on your monitor as a soft proofing device.)
5) If you have a printer, download and print a target from the place
that provided you with your scanner profiles and get profiles built for
your favorite papers.
6) Buy a book like "Real World Color Management" and read it!
Six is key. Color Management isn't all about hardware and software,
it's all about the workflow and how it gets applied by you and people
you work with in your shop. It's just as important to understand WHY
you need to calibrate a monitor and/or a scanner as it is to do it.
Because the secret to color management is knowing that it doesn't
always work the way we expect or want it to. It's not a magic "Color
Good" button and sometimes it gets downright complicated. That's why
you need the "why" as well as the "what" to get a color managed
workflow.
Good luck!
Kim Christiansen
The MacSmith
Studio Systems Consulting
206-229-7725
www.themacsmith.cc
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