It is not only frustrating to get a print that does not look the way you expect, it can be expensive.

One of the major issues photographers and digital artists face is a printed image that doesn’t match the computer screen. There are several factors which can cause this discrepancy and usually a combination of factors are involved. Firstly there is the fact that a screen image is viewed via light passing through the image, an additive colors process. The print is created using the process called subtractive colors.   A previous blog discusses this in RBG vs CMYK .  Since these are fundamentally different processes, one can not recreate exact matches. Also many vibrant colors are out of the print gamut and can only be viewed on the screen.  The color picker in Photoshop CSx will warn you when you pick a color out of print gamut with an ! next to the new color box.

Color matching can  difficult to achieve.( Color Management is a complex science.) Without a calibration device and a monitor capable of being calibrated, it will be very difficult. For the most accurate screen viewing one must calibrate the monitor regularly to a specific profile.  Here is an excellent article on Monitor calibration.  I use the settings detailed in this article. I set my gamma to 1.8 and color temperature to 5000 degrees kelvin. With these settings, the colors are more neutral and will more closely match a print.

Additional screen issues include lighting on the screen, ambient light, kinds of lighting, screen resolution, graphics settings, monitor adaptability,  monitor age, monitor type, and whether or not you use a calibration device. You may find working in a dimmed room with no light falling on your screen makes viewing better.

As we discussed in the previous post, color space can affect your colors, as can the paper, inkset, printer type, and viewing light source. One way to visualize the effects of the paper you print on is to do a “soft proof” in Photoshop.   If you print yourself, find your media manufacture’s online site and down load the correct ICC Profiles . If you have a professional printer produce your work, ask what brand of papers are used and how to get the profiles.   For example, I use Breathing Color  or Lexjet products.  In Photoshop, go to the menu item View>Proof Color>Custom. A dialog box will pop up.  Use the drop down arrow to find the previously installed ICC Profiles for the media you intend to print your image on.  If there is a great deal of out of gamut color in your image you might see a drastic change. If it is a good match you may see no change.  If there is a great change you may want to adjust your colors or forgo printing that image.

In Part III I will be discussing the printing process.

When creating an image for output, one must remember the old adage, “Garbage in… Garbage out”.  If your digital file is not the best it can be then the resulting print will not be very good either.  The larger the output the better the image must be.  Many file defects can not be detected in a 4×6 inch print, but would be glaringly obvious in a 12×16 inch or larger print.   If you are reading this article, one must assume your goal is a larger and better image.  In many respects the quality of your digital file is the the most important factor in output.

The first step is to become familiar with your camera or digital capture device. Take the time to read and understand your camera’s owner’s manual.  Be sure your settings are set on the largest image your camera can capture.  It does not make sense to pay for megapixels and set your image size to small.  Memory space is no longer expensive so should not be an issue. The larger the file the larger the output. If your camera has the capability to shoot in Camera Raw, it is wise to use it. If you are used to shooting in jpg and just started using camera raw, you may find your images seem flat, not as vibrant. That is because the camera applies adjustments to the jpg image.  In camera raw, you must apply the adjustments. Some other advantages of using Raw are an uncompressed file, more digital information, more ability to edit and adjust the final image, and usually a larger image.

It will require some digital editing, but if your objective is to create the best possible printed image, then it behoves you to learn to edit your work.   There are many factors that affect the quality of your photo. If you find you are unable to hold the camera steady – use a tripod or a monopod. If you are seeing a great deal of digital noise (graininess), lower your ISO or use a flash.  Although there are software fixes for issues like digital noise, it is best to have a great shot to start rather than try to fix a bad shot.

DSLR cameras usually have a menu option for setting color space.  The default is usually sRGB. The sRGB color space is the color space of choice if you only intend to post your images to the web. It is the space most computers and other devices use.  However, sRGB is a limited color space, compressing colors and limiting color gamut.  The most widely used color space for output is usually Adobe RGB.  It has a wider gamut (more colors) and is compatible with most digital printing systems. If you set your camera to shoot in the Adobe RGB color space, you will want to use that color space in your  digital editing software as well. It is not advisable to go from one color space to the other  for output. By shooting in sRGB then converting to Adobe RGB in your editing software, you might find a drastic difference in color appearance. If you are using Photoshop for your editing software, you can designate your color workspace.  Go to Edit> Color settings and select Adobe RGB for your working space.  Under Color Management Policies it is a good idea to choose to “Preserve Embedded Profiles”  and to have Photoshop ask if there are profile mismatches. I do not change the color space if there is a mismatch for the color space as it changes the colors. If your camera does not have a setting for color space, it is best to assume you are shooting in sRGB.

Image resolution is another concern when thinking about image output. Resolution can be very confusing as it refers to several very different things. There is first the image resolution – how many pixels per inch in your digital file.  There is screen resolution, the pixels per inch on your computer screen, and finally there  is print resolution- how many points per inch of ink the printer puts onto the printed media.  All of these measures of resolution are different but are often confused. For this part of the discussion we are mostly concerned with image resolution.  The image resolution is directly correlated to your image size.

I often hear and see the concept that to be printed an image must be 300 ppi (pixels per inch).  If one is planning on outputting to a published source – newspaper, magazine, etc., that is correct.  The publishing industry maintains a standard of 300 ppi and if an image is sent in another resolution it will become a different size when placed into the publisher’s document.  For consistency and  convenience published material should be submitted at 300 ppi.   Often images published in newspapers and magazines are small.  Meeting this size requirement is not difficult.

The 300 ppi publishing rule does not have to correlate to image printing, however.  If the image is good, it can be printed with its native resolution to whatever size it continues to look good. I have read numerous articles about what resolution the image file must be in order to have a great print. Despite what many “experts” say, in my 10 years as a commercial digital printer  I have printed images at 72 pixels per inch resolution that look as sharp or sharper than images printed at 300 ppi.

The major factor here is “native resolution” – The actual pixel size that your camera captures.  When you import or download your image from your camera to your software it is the pixel dimensions set by the image sensor of your camera that dictates the resolution size, and not the other way around. That is the resolution does not (within parameters) dictate print size but the print size dictates the resolution.  Consider the first image size box. The native resolution of this image is 5616 pixels x 3744 pixels.  By resizing the document size resolution I can change the image size output. If I wanted to print this image at 8×12, it would increase the document size resolution to 468 ppi but not alter the native resolution of 5616 pixels x 3744 pixels. If my original image is sharp at 100% view in Photoshop, it will print sharp at 12×8 or 23.4×15.6 or even 78 x 52 at 72 ppi.  (One thing  to note is that at the smaller sizes the printer device will eliminate pixels but it done by algorithms and is invisible  to the user). The images of the daliah above would print fine at 72ppi  with the native resolution, but as you can see would print badly at 72ppi when up-resed.

If you decide to up-res an image (add pixels) then you are changing the native resolution and your image will begin to degrade to the point where it is often destroyed or at the very least quality compromised.

The end result of photography is not as it used to be. In the days of film photography the only way the photographer could view the image was as an actual printed photograph or sit in a darkened room and

view a slide show. If the processed photo was excellent the photographer might consider an enlargement for display. Unless the photographer had access to a dark room the film and print were created by “photo labs”. The photographer usually did not have much input into how the image was processed and developed. The only way others could view or enjoy the work of the photographer was to actually be there and view the physical print or the slide show. Occasionally, professional photographers were published in magazines and were able to share their work with a larger audience. Most photos, however, were developed, printed to a small format and then stuck in a drawer and forgotten.

Digital imaging and the internet have changed everything. Photographers can now share their work with the entire world. Through social media sites like Flickr, Smugmug, Facebook or email photographers can display their work and get feedback. With tools like Photoshop, Lightroom or Picasa the photographic artist can enhance, create and process his work in the “digital darkroom”. With the cost of film development eliminated, an artist can be as prolific as she wants to be. One need never create an actual print to consider oneself a digital photographic artist. As one develops as a photographic artist in this digital age, the mastery of imaging software is the first step in becoming a fine art photographer.

 There comes a time, however, when the photographer wants to have an actual print. Whether it is to enter competitions and art shows or to hang on the wall, the printing of one’s digital work is a logical next step. Often there is a surprise and disappointment when the resulting print does not come close to matching the image on the computer screen. The photographer then realizes that there is another element to learn in this process. There are many factors that effect digital imaging output. From defining and working in a color space to specifying profiles for the print media, the variables in printing can be daunting and mysterious.

In this three part discussion, we will start with image capture, processing and color space. Part two will discuss media profiles, screen calibration and print drivers and software, part three will cover the printing process, printers and media.

Photoshop Plug-ins… What are they? Why do I need them?

Plug-ins are typically third party software that works in conjunction with a specific software or software products. Adobe, makers of Photoshop, is company that encourages developers to create plug-ins for its products. There are several plug-in products that work with Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom that enhance their capabilities.

However, since Adobe Photoshop is such a powerful feature laden product why would anyone need a plug-in? The answer is that despite Photoshop having many features, some of the features work better with plug-ins. If you have ever tried to use the noise reduction filter in PS, you have likely been disappointed. While it does a fairly good job of reducing digital noise, it softens the image to a point that it loses focus. Using Unsharp mask in PS often enhances the left over noise negating the previous adjustments in noise reduction. The end result is often unsatisfactory.

Some of the more popular plug-ins are made by Nic Software. Recently Nic Software was acquired by Google. This is good news as the price of the entire plug-in suite is now less than a single product was previously. For $149 (look for coupons for even more savings) you can buy the entire suite. Beside the two plug-ins discussed here the suite includes HDR Efex Pro 4 for creating high dynamic range photos, Color Efex Pro 4 for filters to enhance the color of images, Silver Efex Pro 4 for Black and white enhancements and, my personal favorite, Viveza 2 for spot editing.

Click to open images. Click again to see large size.

A few years ago HDR (high dynamic range) be came the rage. It seemed that every online photo site was discussing how to do it. HDR photography was showing up every where. How-to instructions are easily found. With over 200,000 hits on Youtube for HDR tutorials, it is easy to see how popular this technique has become.

The newest trend is focus stacking. This technique increases the Depth of Field in macro photography. By combining a large number of exposures with the focus point moved incrementally one is able to create an extreme close-up with sharp focus throughout the subject.

The process is done using a sturdy tripod and a good camera. (Remember if you are using a tripod to turn off the image stabilizer on your lens.) Starting at one end of your subject take a series of shots. Move the focus point slightly back (or forward if you stated at the back of your subject). The more focus points the sharper your image will be.

Open all the resulting images in your software. In this case we are using Photoshop CS 3 or higher. Place all the images in one file as layers. Keep the layer in order. Select all the layers at the same time and go to Edit>Auto align layer. When that finishes, with all layers still selected go to Edit>Auto blend layers. You may find some anomalies around the edges so crop that part and you have finished your image.

There are other software products that will do this as well. Helicon Soft is one of the leading software in this technique. http://www.heliconsoft.com/ . Another choice would be Photoacute: http://www.photoacute.com/index.html This software not only does focus stacking but has a killer noise reduction feature and HDR. There are several opensource free software as well, Picolay is one http://picolay.de/ .

If you find that this technique becomes one that you want to master, there are several devices that can automate the process. Cognisys produces several items such as slide rails and remotes to aid in the focus stacking process. http://www.cognisys-inc.com/stackshot/stackshot.php

A panoramic photo captures an image that is at least twice as long as high.  Usually a photograph with an aspect ratio* of 2:1 or higher would be considered a panorama. For example, 10×20 or 8×16 inch prints would be considered panoramic, with a view that is twice as wide as high.  An image that is as great as or greater than the viewing field of the human eye would be panoramic. A higher aspect ratio, of 4:1 or even 10:1 would be panoramic.

Quabin Panorama Photo

There are cameras which will create a panoramic image with a single shot. There are multiple lens and software to help create panoramic photographs as well as 360° photographic images. But for most of us, our usual still digital cameras using a standard lens along with some stitching software will be more than adequate for pano creation.

There are a number of software stitching programs on the market. One of the most popular is PTgui. (www.ptgui.com ).  Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements have Photomerge feature and does an excellent job for most panoramic stitching.  More recent versions (CS4 or better) do a much better job than earlier versions.

No matter what you use to create the final image, it is the photographic process that will determine how good your final image is.  It is possible to hand hold the camera and still create a panorama but it is much easier to use a tripod. You can purchase specific heads for your tripod to create panoramas, from the inexpensive LensPen Pananic head for about $20 to a Manfrotto Spherical Panoramic Head Kit at $650.

If you chose to forgo the expense of a special head for your tripod there are a few rules to keep in mind. If you are shooting without a tripod, try to use your body as the center point. Plant your feet firmly and turn from your waist. As with any shot, take a breath and hold it before depressing the shutter button.  If you are shooting with a tripod, it is best to level the head if you can before shooting.  The most important rule, however, is to overlap your shots by at least 1/3 of the scene you are shooting. I usually pick out a land mark in the shot about 1/3 from the edge and make that opposite edge on the next shot.

It is also important to keep the settings the same in the camera. If you have auto focus turned on be careful with the focus. It could shift based on the image and it would destroy your panorama.  You may want to shoot in Manuel Mode in order to avoid that from happening. A shift in meter reading could also make the creation difficult, although the software will do some blending of edges.

Try re-positioning yourself and trying the shot from a slightly different angle.  Take several multiple shots from different perspectives. Your first perspective might not work as expected when you start to turn the camera.  The number of shots you use to create your panorama is dependent on the scene you are shooting. I find that for a 180° shot that I will need 5-7 shots.

Creating a panorama photo is fun and rewarding. Going beyond the limits of the lens and camera opens up a whole new way of seeing through your lens. Capturing a wide view makes the scene more memorable and closer to what the “mind sees”.  Try turning the camera for a vertical shot. This will make your panorama wider and capture more of the scene. Good luck and keep shooting!

*Aspect ratio is a measure comparing width to height. Most digital cameras will produce a 3:2 aspect ratio.  The resulting print size of 4×6 or 8×12 is an example of 3:2 aspect ratio.

As a giclée printer, I often see confusion about color mode.   For this discussion I will focus on RGB and CMYK, although there are other color modes with different functions and uses.

RGB (red, green and blue) refers to the additive or “light” color process.  When these three colors of light are combined; white light results. The absence of these colors of light appears as black. This is the idea behind display devices, like your TV or Computer Monitor.

CMYK (cyan, magenta, and yellow) are subtractive colors. These colors reflect light back. Theoretically when combined the three colors should produce black. Because the resulting color is not a “pure” black, printers add black (K) to the combination resulting in CMYK.

RGB refers to light (additive) while CMYK refers to pigment, inks or paint (subtractive). Because all printers, be it inkjet, laser, or offset use the subtractive process to produce color it seems reasonable that when creating files for printing one would work in the CMYK mode. This is true for traditional color printing often called offset or 4-color process. The technology behind this printing process is to create 4 separate printing plates. Each plate was originally created by photographing the image to be printed four times using a filter for each color.  The resulting separations representing red, green and blue were then reversed to create the negatives for its color opposite.  For example red is opposite cyan on the color wheel, because cyan is the result of mixing blue and green light and the absence of red light.

Although the inkjet printers and devices that are used today by many professional printers use pigmented inks that are CMYK or variations of CMYK, the file mode format should be RGB.  This is because the files are converted by the print driver or RIP (raster image processor, fancy name for print drivers), into CMYK.  If the files are not in the RGB mode, this process still happens but sometimes with unwanted results because CMYK has a smaller color gamut.

So should you produce files in RGB mode or CMYK mode? The answer is it depends. If your files will be sent to a printer who uses an offset or 4-color process press then you should convert your files to CMYK.  If your printer uses a digital process and prints on an inkjet printer, you should keep your files in RGB mode. If you are unsure what process your printer uses, ask.  If you want the best possible color for your image, be aware of how it will be produced.

Western Mass Tornado Photo Show Fund Raiser

So many incredible photos have been taken of this devastating event. Many photographers have felt the need to record and preserve the images of the profound change that has happened in our region. Giclée of New England, Inc Gallery will be sponsoring a Photo Show as a fund raiser for the victims of the June 1 tornado. We would also like to see before and after photos in this show. Photos of rebuilding and clean-up efforts will be welcome as well as those that document the massive destruction.

There is a $10 donation fee  for two images. You can enter as many times as you like. We will find space to hang all entries. All entry fees will be donated to the Disaster Fund at the Monson Savings Bank. Giclée of New England, Inc. will offer printing, framing or mounting of photos for this show at deeply discounted rates.  Videos can also be entered for showing.

There will be awards (prizes if we can get donations) for :

Have you signed up to be counted in NEFA’s CultureCount? NEFA (New England Foundation for the Arts) is a enormous resource for anyone in the arts in New England.  If you are an artist, run a creative business or represent a cultural nonprofit you should be counted. Click here to find out why you should be listed.  http://www.culturecount.org/public/whycreate.aspx

CultureCount is a free creative economy database.  CultureCount is a centralized source of descriptive, financial, demographic, and geographic information about cultural nonprofits, businesses, and professionals in New England.

CultureCount provides a comprehensive representation of the creative economy of New England that supports the advocacy, fundraising, cultural analysis, and policy development efforts of artists, cultural organizations, researchers, and policy makers. CultureCount users can log on to discover cultural organizations, explore their communities, and analyze economic impact.

It is important to our regional economy that those of us who are working in the Creative Economy be counted. If you are not sure if you or your business would be identified as part of the creative economy click on this link to see if you fit the definition http://www.nefa.org/sites/default/files/ResearchCreativeEconRptHighlihghts.pdf.

Last week I had the great opportunity to attend the NEFA’s (New England Foundation for the Arts) Creative Community Exchange in North Adams. This event, hosted by Mass MoCA and Berkshire Creative, focused on how development of creative spaces and creative economies has benefited towns and regions throughout New England.

The event was made up of workshops presented by cultural and creative community leaders.  The presenters focused on the successful implementation of developing the creative economy in their towns, cities or regions. With four different workshops in each session time slot, it was a difficult choice to decide which workshops to attend.

On Wednesday, May 18 the activities began with a tour of Mass MoCA lead by Joe Thompson, Director of Mass MoCA.  This was an intimate look behind the scenes.  It was wonderful to hear the story of space and exhibit development from such a knowledgeable person.

Thursday, May 19 was the start of the actual event.  A marvelous breakfast was served to attendees.  After a brief welcome we went to our chosen workshops.  The first one I attended was the Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP). It was about the art challenges of a rural community and how developing the arts in Rockingham VT brought culture and economic growth to the area. The next session, Pittsfield Dept of Community Development: Downtown Renaissance was truly inspiring.  How a city of 44,000 with minimal art and culture presence was able to develop a thriving and healthy creative economy was the focus of this workshop.  After a delightful lunch, there were three more workshops. These covered developing creative partnerships and how small towns developed “Down Street” art centers.

Friday, May 20 started with another great breakfast followed by a “Spark” event designed to stimulate networking.  The workshops followed.  For the ending events an outstanding meal was provided with awards and speakers. Most notable among the speakers was  National Endowment For the Arts Chairman,  Rocco Landesman.  He is a powerful speaker with a meaningful message. His slogan, “Art Works” has inspired me.

I made several connections at this event. I hope to be able to implement some of the ideas presented in our region and I do hope to be able to attend future events of this kind. If anyone is interested in a more in depth discussion of what I learned, please phone me or send me an email and we can delve more fully into this exciting subject.