Notes from Andrew Darlow’s talk for the Somerset County Photo Club
Notes from the lecture:
Color Management Tips By Andrew Darlow, Author of 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques (link to reviews and book information on Amazon.com) and Pet Photography 101: Tips for Taking Better Photos of Your Dog or Cat (link to reviews and book information on Amazon.com)
Bound Brook Library, Bound Brook, NJ – October 27, 2009
Thanks for coming to the talk (or if you couldn’t make it, I hope this info is helpful). If you would like to download a free chapter from my 301 Inkjet Tips book (Chapter 2: 2mb PDF), as well as the Table of Contents and Introduction, visit this page: (TofC: 600kb PDF).
If you would like to receive a tip a week from my book, 301 Inkjet Tips, for the next 12 weeks, as well as a free monthly newsletter with info and more tips, just send a blank e-mail to inkjettips01@aweber.com. You will then be asked to confirm that you would like to begin receiving my newsletter.
Upcoming Workshop in New Brunswick, NJ
I am conducting a workshop entitled: Digital Photography Tips: How to Get Better Photos With Any Camera in New Brunswick, NJ from 2-5pm on Saturday, November 7. The cost is $20 per person. For more info, visit this page: https://darlow1107.eventbrite.com/
STEPS FOR PROPER COLOR MANAGEMENT
STEP 1: Calibrate and Profile Your Monitor
Many products are available for calibrating and/profiling-Here are some, with links to the company websites:
-ColorVision Spyder3 (monitors/projectors)
-ColorVision Spyder3Print (printers)
-ColorVision Spyder3Print SR (printers)
-X-Rite i1 Display 2 (monitors)
-X-Rite i1 PRO (monitors, printers, projectors)
-X-Rite ColorMunki (monitors, printers, projectors)
-Pantone huey (monitors)
-Pantone huey PRO (monitors)
Great article on Spyder3 Print (v.3.5 software) by Keith Cooper of Northlight-images.co.uk. It is an update for PrintFIX Pro or Spyder3 Print.
Step 2: Calibrate and Profile Your Printer
Test images are very helpful (Test images can be found here: L2.2) – The one I showed during the workshop can be found here.
Printer must be calibrated before you make a profile (inks/printheads should be working properly).
Step 3 (optional): Soft Proof (Can be done in Photoshop CS3, CS4, Elements and some Plug-ins)
Great softproof tutorials can be found here: L12.26 (Relative vs. Perceptual)–
Step-by-step printing tutorials are here for Mac and Windows (Elements and Photoshop are very similar): Look under L4.2 on this page
Suggestions for using custom profiles with Photo Labs: (sRGB is usually fine-Convert to Profile if you use Adobe RGB). Testing is important. Use test charts to see quality (especially B&W):
Don’t double profile! Prints usually will look reddish.
Good overview of rendering intents: https://tinyurl.com/42hc7u
Step 5: Save Settings and Take Notes
-Set up your file to print and Save Settings in Driver: Example: (Canon5100HanFineArtPearlBestProfileHSpeed)
-Take Notes when doing tests and when you have a final print, label it “final†(paper, printer, profile name, rendering intent (perceptual/rel. colorimetric).
-Control your light!
Your room light, light in which proofs are viewed, light in which your client views prints. See this PDN article for a lot of good links and info: https://tinyurl.com/2b3gfo ) – SoLux is a great light to check out-starts at about $50 for a clip-on light.
Great Spray (but it is toxic, so use a respirator): PremierArt Print Shield www.premierimagingproducts.com
Inexpensive Cutter: Making Memories Precision Paper Trimmer- www.makingmemories.com
Extensive article about cutters.
SPECIAL OFFERS FOR SOMERSET PHOTO CLUB MEMBERS – PHOTOGRAPHY/PRINT CONSULTING
I would like to offer any member of the Somerset Photo Club a 30% discount on
any phone or in-person consulting until the end of December, 2009. We can cover any of the following:
-Camera tips and techniques, regardless of your camera (point and shoot or DSLR);
-Lighting tips and product suggestions/information;
-Getting the most from inkjet and other printers, including:
-Choosing the ideal media and inks;
-Determining proper lighting for optimum print viewing;
-Achieving archival output with stable inks and media;
-Making proper hardware or software RIP decisions;
-Optimizing Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for speed and compatibility with other software;
-Printer, scanner, camera and computer purchasing recommendations;
-Screen and device calibration, including custom profiling;
-Data management using Adobe Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Photoshop Elements and/or iView Media Pro (now Microsoft Expression Media)
Here are what some of my clients have to say:
https://www.andrewdarlow.com/testimonials.html
The minimum time will be 30 minutes for a phone consult and 2 hours for an in-person consult (no travel charge if you live within 10 miles of the Bound Brook Library or Piscataway). The normal cost for a one hour consultation is $150, so a 30 minute call would be $52, and a 2 hour in-home consult would be $210 after the 30% discount.
I would also like to offer anyone the opportunity to have a custom profile made for any specific paper for $60 ea (about 50% off my normal fee because it includes up to a 20 minute phone consultation). Here’s how the custom profiling works:
-I send you the file with the color squares to print on.
-We review via phone how to make sure your printer is printing properly.
-I guide you through the steps to print it.
-You send me the printed target via mail.
-I then send you back a custom profile, with instructions where to
install it.
These discounted offers are valid until December 30, 2009.
Please feel free to call me at 732-742-0123 or send me an e-mail through the contact page if you have any questions about the consulting options.
And most importantly, have fun taking pictures and making prints!
All the best,
Andrew