correct color brightness settings

MW
Posted By
Michael_Walton
May 10, 2008
Views
292
Replies
3
Status
Closed
<http://video-excel.com/half_page_ad.pdf>

as some of you who work in TV know, video uses color bars to set up your source material in order to insure that levels in video will be output properly.

please see the above PDF. i created the BG in photoshop, then imported it into indesign for a half-page magazine ad.

this PDF is a high-quality output of PDF. i printed it on my $99 ink jet printer just to see how it looks on paper and it doesn’t look too bad.

but is there some way i can test the print output without having to get a printed proof from the print company, that will insure that the ad’s colors and levels are set properly?

guess what i mean is, is there some way that a color bar system similar to TV can be used to compare with the PDF?

thanks… deaf guy
Related Tags
bright color correct settings

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

PF
Peter_Figen
May 10, 2008
The video color bars are actually just a form of visual calibration, and not all that accurate or repeatable. Thankfully, in stills, we’ve got better solutions – hardware monitor calibration, which in conjunction with monitor profiles and output profiles, allow an extremely high degree of predictability from screen to print. You want to look at an X-Rite EyeOne monitor calibration system for starters. Around $200 and worth every penny.

Entire books have been written on the subject including but not limited to Real World Color Management and portions of Real World Photoshop, among others. Even the Color Management section of the Adobe Help files will be good reading.

Setting file up for printing in advertisements is really easy when you know what you’re doing but can be daunting when you’re just starting out. I strongly advise you to consult with someone who has done this many times and has a good understanding of the process. Just because something looks good on your cheapo inkjet prnter does not guarantee it will look good in the magazine.
C
Curvemeister
May 10, 2008
On Fri, 9 May 2008 17:43:32 -0700, wrote:

this PDF is a high-quality output of PDF. i printed it on my $99 ink jet printer just to see how it looks on paper and it doesn’t look too bad.

That’s a good indication – keep in mind the exact color may vary, depending on the printer conditions.

but is there some way i can test the print output without having to get a printed proof from the print company, that will insure that the ad’s colors and levels are set properly?

This can, in theory, be done using Photoshop’s soft preview, along with a profile that approximates the final output device. Actual use of this feature is likely to be inaccurate, for a variety of reasons. Ask your printer, but don’t expect them to actually have a profile for you to use. They will know whether they are using coated stock or not, and that will help you pick one of the SWOP profiles. This is less of a concern if they are using laser or other digital printing.

guess what i mean is, is there some way that a color bar system similar to TV can be used to compare with the PDF?

There are no outlandish colors in your image, so I would’nt worry on that score. Not knowing what the output device will be, I can’t really say. If this is for a press, there are two issues. You should talk to the printer about trap – they may do that for you as part of ripping the pdf. The exact shade of blue of the logo and background may change a bit, or become darker. Again, for non-offset printing, this may not be a concern.

As an aside, the texture of the background is likely to look like a mistake, and I would recommend using just a smooth background. —
Mike Russell – http://www.curvemeister.com
MW
Michael_Walton
May 10, 2008
ok thanks to both of you.

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections