Colour Management Gains [was: This is not good-Layoffs at X-Rite]
Colour Management Gains [was: This is not good-Layoffs at X-Rite]
- Subject: Colour Management Gains [was: This is not good-Layoffs at X-Rite]
- From: Martin Orpen <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:05:01 +0100
On 18 Apr 2008, at 00:33, Terence Wyse wrote:
It's too bad really that the design/creative hasn't embraced the
technology as they stand to gain the most. But, the reality is that
there's a lot of folks on the creative side that their jobs depend
on the LACK OF color management (think press checks and chargeable
image editing). It's not always in their best interests that color
management would reduce the need for these services.
I don't believe that is "generally" true.
Put yourself in the position of a designer. A client commissions you
to produce a brochure with a budget that nowadays consists of:
1. Allocation for images - photography and illustration
2. Allocation for copy writing (although this is often overlooked)
3. Allocation for the design and page layout work
4. Allocation for printing
Back in the good old days there was an allocation of cash for a stage
or two before printing - the artists formerly known as pre-press.
That cash isn't still floating about as an opportunity for "gain" by
the designer. It has been removed from the production chain and
trousered by the client.
Image editing -- as in big retouching moves -- is fine because the
client can see why why the model's head needs swapping for another
one. But the little moves like colour matching and sharpening... the
royalty-free image downloaded from Flickr should look as good as the
commissioned photography should'nt It?
That's what colour management is all about isn't it? The client
doesn't see any reason to pay for an additional stage in the
production process because it's all automated now.
[An aside: A design consultancy that I used to do a lot of work for
got a call from the world's biggest record company a few years back.
"Why have you charged us for 'repro'?" The consultancy explained that
they didn't have the expertise to separate images for magazines and
newsprint or the ability to produce proofs. The response was "get a
copy of Acrobat" and an outright refusal to pay any more repro charges.
This is a "win, win, win" situation for the record company because,
when the product is delivered to them looking like a POS they've paid
less than they should have in the first place and can then refuse to
pay both the designer and the printer until the problems are fixed for
free.]
They are paying for images which should automagically reproduce
perfectly in any medium and paying for printing which should
automagically offer perfect reproduction too - even if their eco-
friendly designer is printing the job on uncoated, recycled blotting
paper.
Designers do what is safe and expedient in the circumstances - get the
printer to incorporate as much pre-press work in the print budget as
they can and demand that the photographer provide print-ready images
for the project.
And both suppliers are happy to oblige to win the commission - the
photographer believing that "Image => Mode => CMYK" and an RGB proof
from an Epson 2400 is "press-ready" and the printer believing that his
nephew and a cracked PC version of Photoshop counts as a "pre-press
department"
What exactly does the designer/creative stand to gain from taking
responsibility for colour management in this situation?
I'm guessing that, if you knew the answer to that question, you'd
spend your days in a black polo-neck sipping espressos while waxing
lyrical about colour management in design consultancies... instead of
in jeans and t-shirt supping sugary tea with the press minders... ;-)
Side-stepping the issue allows the designer/creative to back away and
leave the photographer arguing with the printer about why the images
suck. Involvement means investment in training/hardware/software and
taking responsibility for both the image creator's and printer's
inability to colour manage their workflows while arguing that the
client stumps up additional cash - all without any guarantee of a
return on the investment.
Regards
--
Martin Orpen
Idea Digital Imaging Ltd
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