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Petr Nikl photographer, Prague |
Professional photographer Petr Nikl, lives and works in Prague, Czech Republic. He deals with advertising, art and reportage photography. Options studio: · Exterior and interior photography (mobile light park) · Processing of commercial and art photography · Reportage and wedding photography · Nude photos and portraits · Product photography to web site · Work with models · Arranged still lifes · Food styling · Professional editing and retouching photographs |
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Monitor Calibration and Profiling in Product Photography. |
| Date Added: April 30, 2010 01:29:49 PM |
| Author: Andy Nickerson |
| Category: Photographers: Advertising |
| So you've bitten the bullet.� You've asserted that your fresh new product collection is just too valuable to be advertised with amateur photography, so you've called in a professional photographer to help record your products best visual assets and help develop your corporate brand image. The photographs are back and look gorgeous, you've never seen your products look so great.� Just a little tweaking in Photoshop before you transmit them to the printers for that big new brochure release and that's it, task done? Your brochure comes back from the print house but all is not well!� The photography looks nothing like it did on your monitor and now your products are wearing a rather nasty yellow caste. This is an incredibly usual concern and one I hear clients gripe about on a recurring basis.� The natural reaction would seem to be, 'blame the photographer', after all they supplied the original image files.� But in reality it is most likely to one of or a mixture of the following problems: 1.� Severe Image Adjustment in Photoshop.� Unskilled or incompetent Photoshop users will often perform pointless and damaging image manipulation approaches that will often culminate in poor quality printing. 2.� RGB to CYMK Conversion.� The RGB profiled picture file your photographer gave you will often look very dissimilar onscreen to when it comes out of the printer.� This is a huge issue in it's self and merits it's own article but basically industry printing inks can rarely replicate the same precise colours that you see on your computer monitor.� The image files need mindful conversion and ideally proofing if precise colour accuracy is vital. 3.� A Lack of or Inadequate Monitor Calibration and Profiling.� A perpetual annoyance of mine.� If you don't calibrate you monitor efficiently, or worst you've calibrated it badly, then what you see on it is as good as worthless! It is this third issue that I will concentrate on.� Your computers monitor is your best ally if set-up the right way or your greatest enemy if set-up incorrectly.� It should permit you to really accurately proof your photographs and see just how they will appear when printed.� If set-up incorrectly blacks could possibly print grey, whites can be contaminated with unpleasant colour castes and photos will generally differ� extensively� to how they appeared on your screen. Monitor Calibration is the method of altering your monitors controls to achieve the most neutral display possible, including modifying its luminance (brightness), white point (colour temperature) and gamma settings.� If you don't work with imagery on a frequent basis or you hire a graphic designer (who understands the significance of tight colour management) to do your pre-press work then you might choose to simply adjust your monitors controls manually, nonetheless remember not to change the image files as what you view on your screen will be different to what your designer and printer sees!� In any case I strongly advise that you invest in some basic monitor calibration apparatus that will come bundled with compatible profile software.� You will not have to invest thousands, indeed for the price of a full set of inkjet cartridges you'll be able to buy a basic calibration device, but it will transform your digital workflow and give you the success you deserve. The calibrator will effectively asses your monitors imperfections and in combination with the software will work out a profile that is unique to your screen.� Think of this profile as a 'filter' or 'mask' that once employed to your screen will remove any imperfections and will give you a completely neutral view. It never ceases to amaze me how even professional designers simply don't appreciate or choose to ignore the importance of colour management in their workflow.� Monitor calibration is a small yet important part of a professional digital workflow that when overlooked, can cause untold disappointment and problems.� So do yourself a hefty favour and invest in some fundamental monitor calibration equipment, you'll wonder why you haven't done it sooner! Andy Nickerson is a Commercial Photographer in Northampton with over 14 years experience in working for design and advertising professionals. |
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