Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
and easier. It's not a good idea to apply edits to the same profile over and
over again. Try to edit a copy of the original profile each time you load
the profile into the editor. If an edit list isn't available, make copious notes
or even screen captures of the editor.
Ultimately there becomes a point in the editing process where tiny
edits become counter productive. I've spent hours editing a profile getting
to 98 percent of my goal only to spend hours and countless pages
attempting to achieve that extra 1 percent. I've also found that such a
profile might produce exactly the results I want with one test image only
to produce poor results with other images. This is why it's important to
test many different types of images to first decide if editing is necessary.
Having the best possible viewing conditions to evaluate the output is crit-
ical. Be sure that any media being used is completely dry and stable before
beginning the editing process or evaluating the output from the edited
profile.
Environmental Conditions
How are you viewing your prints? Go into any professional photography
studio and you'll very likely see a daylight-balanced light box for viewing
transparencies. Go into any print shop or prepress house and you'll see
a D50 balanced viewing booth for examining prints. The sad news is this
very useful contraption is rarely seen in photo studios. Are transparen-
cies more important to view correctly than reflective prints? Of course
not. For that reason, a light box for reflective print evaluation is a criti-
cal component to have. Some photographers claim that this somewhat
expensive purchase isn't necessary since clients ultimately will be viewing
prints under any and all types of illuminants. That's true, yet we still need
a standard method of viewing prints to evaluate color.
If you intend to do any work with print shops (those that use big four-
color printing presses), you have to have the same lighting for print eval-
uation as they do—typically a fluorescent daylight-balanced light box.
Companies like GTI Graphic Technologies and Just Normlicht produce
excellent light boxes both big and small. These fluorescent light boxes are
industry standard, so like them or not, they are used as a common means
of evaluating reflective prints. Fluorescent tubes have issues that make
them somewhat less than ideal for print viewing. The spectrum is rather
spiky in response as seen in Fig. 6-38. I still recommend these units because
the products are so commonly found in the photo and print industries.
A light like the SoLux lamps are much closer to daylight. These lamps,
which can fit into a number of different kinds of track lighting, are the
closest simulation to daylight available. The downside, aside from the heat
they produce, is controlling the light. Ensuring that the light from these
bulbs is the right intensity and doesn't fall onto areas of the environment
like a display can be tricky. Nonetheless, many users find the SoLux bulbs
an excellent way to view their prints. These lamps are ideal for illumi-
