Color Without Limits 2 by Xrite by Marc Aguilera, Mark Gundlach, and Phil Nelson

Device Independent Color
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

The technologies that you use every day to create, edit and print are color management ready—How ready are you? Without an understanding of color and how your applications and hardware handle color, your workflow is going to be all work and no flow. X-Rite Color Services is offering a 20-city seminar tour to help creative directors, designers, photographers and production managers unleash the power of their color.

Get the applied knowledge you need to effectively implement digital color management. Learn how to optimize color for your entire workflow, including inputs, displays, editing, proofing and every kind of final output. Master best practices and color settings for the latest versions of popular applications, including Adobe Creative Suite 2 and Quark 7. Simplify color matching, so that your monitor shows what’s in the file and your printer matches your screen.

Register today online or call toll-free 888.439.4403 x200 to speak with seminar coordinators and register by phone. For printer-friendly details, download the seminar PDF.

As an attendee, you’ll receive our Digital Color Toolkit, equipping you to begin applying color control immediately. The kit includes the Eye-One Display 2 monitor calibrator and software, our “Need to Know: Color” manual and color workbook, DIMA 2007 calibration target and digital file, reference CD, four digital NIK filters, a trial version of SilverFast DC Pro Studio for RAW and discounts from our sponsors.

The fee for the 9am-4pm training is $349 and includes lunch, the Digital Color Toolkit and an Eye-One Display 2 monitor calibrator.

Cites are listed below and more information and registration can be found by calling toll-free 888.439.4403 x200 to speak with seminar coordinators and register by phone.

Philadelphia, PA – Nov 7
Baltimore, MD – Nov 9
Boston, MA – Nov 14
New York, NY – Nov 16
Toronto, ON – Nov 28
Washington, DC – Nov 30
Chicago, IL – Dec 5
Detroit, MI – Dec 7
Kansas City, MO – Dec 12
Minneapolis, MN – Dec 14
Dallas, TX – Dec 19
Los Angeles, CA – Jan 9
Portland, OR – Jan 11
San Francisco, CA – Jan 16
Seattle, WA – Jan 18
Columbus, OH –Jan 23
Charlotte, NC – Jan 25
Nashville, TN – Jan 30
Atlanta, GA – Feb 1
Secaucus, NJ – Feb 6
Denver, CO –Feb 8

For a color workflow to really work, you need to get others on board throughout the process. One way to get everyone working together is to bring them with you to the seminar.

Take your design team, bring along your boss, invite key clients or send your sales, client relations and IT staff. Groups of four or more are invited to register for only $250 per attendee. This discount is available by phone at 888.439.4403 x200 for any combination of seminar cities.

hp Photo Influencer Program

Douglas Kirkland and David Saffir
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

It is always a pleasure working with hp Photo Influencers Douglas Kirkland and David Saffir. Xrite and hp contracted COLORCRITICAL services for the purpose of training on the new Z2100 and Z3100 Series Designjet Printers. We all met up at the DFA Lab to discuss digital print workflow with these new printers.

In thi shot Douglas and David were discussing the quality of the black density in David's image of a night scene in Tel Aviv Israel. Douglas was commeenting on the quality of one his famous images of Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cookoo Cookoo's Nest.

Thanks Douglas and David for a wonderful day!

Color Management for Photographers - UCSD Extension

Color Management for Photographers
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

Sign Up! If you have been having trouble understanding the complexeties of digitial color reporduction then this seminar will set you straight. It's hands on with access to fast computers and digital printers from Epson and hp. You will also have the ability to use the latest color measuring devices by Gretag Macbeth. In this short but intense "workshop" we go over the necessary fundamentals of color so missing in todays instruction. We also have the necessary equipment and means to produce quality color managed from capture to print. The workshop dates are convient for even the businest schedules. We meet for three hours from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm on Friday September 22, then for a full day on Saturday September 23 and then finish it up one week later for another full day of instruction September 30th. This is by far the most cost effective means to get quality instruction and hands on experience with color management. So please, sign up!

i1 Share - encompus orange

i1 Share - encompus orange
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

Getting the right color can be a massive challange. Here is a screen shot of i1 share in action to solve an everyday problem one may have getting the Pantone equalivalent of a measured paint swatch. The situation is that we needed to have Pantone color that was a close match to the color of our walls, in fact we wanted the color of our walls to match our business cards and our website. So we started the process by measuring the color of our walls and getting a L*a*b* value in i1 Share. Share then gave us the closest Pantone Coated color Pantone 158C. i1 Share will also give us a CMYK or RGB mix for a given ICC Profile. The power of this is vast and it is a free download from Gretag Macbeth. Of course the real power comes from the i1 and the complete Pantone library. So the next time your in our studio or on our website check to see our color match between our business card, the color of our painted walls, and our website.

Color Management for Digital Sign Makers

Color Management for Digital Sign Makers
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

I am on tour again! This tour runs from July 11 to October 4 will feature myself as well as Mark Gundlach of GIA. The focus of this tour will be to educate large format printers and designers the necessary concepts needed to manage color digitally. We look at the fundamentals of color science without turining you into a color geek. We will also define necessary terms suchs as Profile, Calibration, Linearization, and Delta E. We stress the importance of understanding how profiles work and what you can expect from ICC profiles. We define color measurment devices like colorimeters and spectrophotometers and how they differ from densitometers. One of the interactive and dynamic parts of the seminar surrounds the procedure for managing ink on cast or calandered film. Dark Ink Restrictions, Linearization, Total Ink Limit, and Profile is our Mantra. It can be a lot of information but it's what you need if your frustrated with getting the right color. I personally urge you to get educated and put what you learn into action. Many of the seminar attendees have taken our seminars before and come with lots of questions, which of course we welcome. So if your a beginner or an advanced user you will get something out of this informative one day seminar. Also, some cites have a second day detailed and advanced RIP training seminar on Onyx 7.0, the latest Onyx Graphics has to offer. Onyx is a powerful RIP and it has got even better with a new Media Manager and tool set such as Layout. Check out more information from Onyx and if your interested check out the DSM page from GIA. I hope to see you there!

Harvest Productions Digital Prepress

Harvest Productions Digital Prepress II
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

The digital reproduction of fine art is not for everyone. It takes a skill that takes patience and precision. No where is there a more impressive setup than Harvest Productions in Yorba Linda, CA. having literaly dozens of printing devices from the famed IRIS to the Roland Gliclee Maker to the Vutek Press Vu Grand Format, Harvest has it all. Their main goal is to reproduce artwork exactly like the artist original by calling in the artists to proof the match between inkjet and original in a color managed environment. Harvest is not new to color management and go back to the Colorblind software days of the early 90's. It is always an immense pleasure and honor to work with the brainiacs of Harvest and Bulldog Inks. This recent visit I spent time with James and Derek of Bulldog and we spent two days looking into the finer aspects of Profile Maker Pro, GMB's flagship profile making software. James and Derek are great and it also helps that we share music and have similar tastes. Thanks James for introducing me to DJ Danger Mouse, I always heard he was genius and Derek, look out for the next album and World Tour by Early Man, it is sure to be a show not to miss.

Allegra Print and Imaging - Billings Montana

Allegra Print and Imaging
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

Allegra is on board and sees the immediate benefits of running a color managed workflow. With tools like GMB Profile Maker 5.5 an i1 and a budget for training Allegra is well on their way to being one of the best printers in their part of the world. What impresses me most about Allegra is their commitment to making this technology work and sometimes that is half the battle. In my short two days in beautiful Montana we were able to calibrate and profile their pre-press displays and profiled thier Ryobi Sheetfed Press as well as Designjet 5500 as a inkjet proofer. The results were very good the first run and the proof was withing delta tolerances as a "match". Thanks to Al, Suri in pre-press and to Mark in the press room and a special thanks to owner Brain McGovern who as an owner I rarely see so much enthusiasm in impletenting a color managed workflow. I am impressed and wish you continued success.

PULSE Advertising

PULSE Advertising
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

PULSE Advertising is a premiere agency focusing totally on the film industry. They are also COLORCRITICAL. Color is so important to their success, they have made the investment in color management hardware and software in order to satisfy the needs of their art directors. The only thing stopping PULSE was where to find training and technical implemention. This is where I come in. I worked with the team at PULSE for two full days building profiles for their displays and their output for a seamless workflow and screen to print match. With an entire team spread across the studio, the print viewing conditions varied everywhere except for a uniform balanced lighting source near the large format printers. After the implementation and training the results were instantaneous. In fact the staff was so pleased, I got an email from Lori Dunlop, PULSE Production Manager, "...all we've heard today is art directors saying that they LOVE their color. and, it shaves so much time off of what we in production need to do just to get a print ready...kudos to you!"

Thanks Lori for working with me, you are a pleasure to work with. Thanks Scott for having the vision to get this right, and finally thanks to Ginny for being so on top of your operations. It is a pleasure to do business with all of you.

UCSD Color Imaging I - Spring 06

UCSD Color Imaging I
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

If your looking for a 9 week course in digital imaging with an emphasis on color management then check out the University of California San Diego Extension Studies. I teach a course were the recomended reading is Tim Grey's book "Color Confidence" and we use the Gretag Macbeth i1 Match System for calibration and profiling. Our equipment is up to date with a quad tone print system, Epson 2200's, and hp Photosmart 8750's all networked to Dell P4's. The course is usually 3 hours a week from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. It's interactive and the students actually build their own ICC profiles to be used with their choice of displays as well as have access to GMB i1 Spectrophotometers where they can build a custom output profile to the media of their choice. It's an eye opening experience for those who want to best color their device can reproduce. If any of the students read this post I want to thank you for being patient with my schedule. I sometimes wish I had a clone. Also thanks to Annika at UCSD for also being so patient and personable, you make my day.

SCR Designs - Colorado

Spectrolino Spectroscan XY Scanning Spectrophotometer
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

In todays digital printing, weather the inks are water based or solvent based, the importance of color management is one of the most important aspects of your workflow. Shane Reynolds of SCR Design does not cut corners on anything. He is a steadfast perfectionist. He invested in all the right tools, including the new Gretag Macbeth iO automated table for the i1 Spectrophotometer. Running the ever so incredible Onyx Production House 6.5 RIP and printing to a Mutoh Tucan LT Ultra and Ultima Cutter, Shane is totally equipped to attack the market with the digital output. My involvement with Shane includedteaching him everything I could in two days since his brain was a pure spongeand wanted to know the little details in getting the best color possible off his solvent printer. I taught the basics, which Shane if you need a reminder:

Media Optimization -
Head Height
Distance Adjust
Heater Settings
Dot Gain Banding Check

Calibrations-
Dark Ink Restrictions
Linearization
Advanced Greyscale
Total Ink Limit

Characterizations
ICC Profile via i1 XT and IO

Shane, it was great to visit your "shop" and I hope you are a big success. Send me an email anytime you have a question!

Nissan Design - Farmington Hills Michigan

Nissan Sport Concept
Originally uploaded by Abdul R.

This week I had the pleasure to visit and help implement a color managed workflow at Nissan Design America in Farmington Hills Michigan. When concepting a car the fine details are what matters most. The ability for a designer to accurately depict the vision of the design is key to the over communication of the design. The color of the trim, the interior, the paint, the wheels all need to be seen in a similar way to what would actually be concepted later on in production. Nissan uses state of the art techniques to achive a color managed workflow. From leather sample to 3D rendering to large format output the color has to be right. I am proud to say Nissan is a satisfied client in both locations, San Diego and Farmington Hills. I want to thank Nissan for venturing into the world of digital color science and for being patient in it's implementation. I also want to thank Kevin Arnold for letting me do my thing and to Fred Falting for his words and inspiration. I will see you all soon!

Launch Party for Create Magazine

Launch Party for Create Magazine
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

We hosted one hell of a party April 21 for Create Magazine in celebration of their Summer 2006 Issue. The party had lighting affects by a Los Angeles based company and the music was live by DJ Adam of San Diego. It was a action packed night filled with guests from Kettner Nights as well as our invited guests. It was a perfect time to show off our newly almost finished design studio as well as kick back with a glass of wine in one hand and grooving to a beat on the other. There are many people to thank for getting this event off the ground. From the DJ to the Cleaning Crew, thanks to everyone, this event would not have happened if not for you.

Color Control Freak Tour 2006

Color Control Freak Tour 2006
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

So the tour has come to and end. Phil Nelson and I have completed the first tour of the year for GMB and GIA. We have the numbers to prove it was a huge success with 1,136 people attending in over 27 cites, several of which sold out completely. The tour which was sponsored by hp, Adobe, Eizo, HOW, Pantone, Quark, nik, and Gretag Macbeth made a beleiver out of the skeptical and reinforced the essentials for seasoned veterans. Face it, if your not measuring color then how can you expect to control it. Face it, your a color control freak. So keep your eye out for the next upcomming seminar tour, like Picture Perfect and Digital Sign Making. Special thanks goes out the Juniper Sage for making the tour run so smoothly.

Linderoth and Associates Architecture - Phoenix

Linderoth 3D Rendering
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

Color management is very import in architecture and especially important for Linderoth and Associates, a full service architectural firm focusing on impact housing in Arizona, California, and Nevada. COLORCRITICAL helped Linderoth this week bet a better control on their printing through a customized ICC workflow to their wide format printing devices. Establishing mixtures of RGB to simulate paint swatches is no easy task but with spectrophotometry the job can be much easier. Thanks Dean for making my visit pleasant and I will fly over for a day anytime.

CAPIC Color Management Lecture at ACAD - Calgary Canada

Profiled and Gray Balanced Fruit
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

There is something about Canada I really love. Maybe it's the snow...or the funny people, oh, I know it's Tim Horton's. The home of the best coffe and donut a visiting American can hope for. But seriously, Canada rocks, and I mean it. I recently had the pleasure to speak to a nice crowd on behalf of CAPIC, the Canadian Association for Photographers and Illustrators in Communications at the lovely campus of ACAD, Alberta College of Art and Design. The topic was a full color managed workflow for photographers where we had a live studio setup and had images shot on location. Our workflow was simple. We shot with a Phase one P20 connected to a G5 through C1 Pro. We white balanced our strobes, set the lighting for even exposure, shot the GMB Color Checker SG and processed the file through the Phase One's No Color Correction profile giving us as "un-colormanaged" of a file you can get. We then ran the target through GMB Profile Maker Pro software to build a profile, then put the profile back into the C1 Pro workflow. Once the files were captured we processed them to come into Photoshop where we converted to our working space of Abobe RGB 1998. We also built a custon ICC profile of our La Cie CRT and built an RGB output profile to our Epson 4000. It was a great seminar and everyone learned something. I will gladly do it again. Special thanks goes out to the guys at CAPIC for our amazing Indian Dinner and conversation and to Dirk Erkau for his support and drive to get me up to Canada.

Next stop Vancouver eh?

ASMP Lecture at Ray Street Studios

ASMP Lecture at Ray Street Studios
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

I will be speaking to individuals from the American Society of Media Photographers at Ray Street Studios, 3426 Ray Street, San Diego in North Park on Tuesday Februrary 28th. The lecture will be about color management, including Microsoft's recent development in Vista to evolve the current color management system. This new system is called WCS, Windows Color System. I will also discuss The Mysteries of CMYK, do a CS2 Color Managed demo, talk about today's photographic roles, discuss the questions photographers need to ask their clients, and finally give some personal recomendations. If your interested in attending this informal discussion pplease vsit the ASMP-SD site.

ASMP promotes photographers' rights, educates photographers in better business practices, produces business publications for photographers and helps buyers find professional photographers. ASMP was founded in 1944 by a handful of the world's leading photojournalists and is recognized internationally for its leadership role. ASMP has over 5,000 members, including many of the world's greatest photographers, in 40 chapters nationwide.

Thanks to Jamie Smith, William Morton, Fred Greaves, and Ray Street Studios for making this event possible.

Integrated Color Management with GMB Profilemaker- 4 Day GIA Seminar

Integrated Color Management
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

This week I taught the 4 Day Seminar entitled Integrated Color Management with a full house. The attendees were from all over the world including Columbia and Indonesia. Thanks to Neil, Sen Wei, Tanya, Wesley, Juan, Jon, and Carlos. This comprehensive 4-day program is the best way for graphics industry professionals to learn all of the components of color management. From calibration to workflow, attendees fully understand the creation and integration of profiles for cameras, scanners, monitors and printers to get outstanding color throughout their workflow.

In a small classroom workshop, we covered all aspects of GretagMacbeth ProfileMaker, including profile creation, tweaking and judging. We also address workflow issues including matching Pantone® colors, setting up desktop applications, batch conversions and using color measurement instruments.

Attendees created their own color-managed workflow at their own fully-equipped workstation and was able to get matching colors from original to final print at the conclusion of the course. We also discuss how to communicate color management with your customers and eliminate color workflow bottlenecks. Whether you have a desktop inkjet or are going out to press, this class will help you get the color you expect every time.

Participants receive a certificate of completion, presentation handouts, GIA’s Need to Know: Digital Basics and Need to Know: Color manuals.



Who Should Attend
Anyone with color issues should attend! That includes: photographers, digital print shops, commercial printers, graphic designers, resellers, color consultants and manufacturers.


Agenda

Color Management Review
• Basics of color
• How the color management process works
• Human perception issues

ProfileMaker
• Capture Profiles
• Camera
• Scanner
• Display Profiles
• Monitor types
• Settings
• Viewing conditions
• Output Profiles
• Calibration
• RGB profiling
• CMYK linearization and ink limits
• CMYK profiling
• n-color
• Advanced Profiling
• Press
• Grand Format

Measure Tool
• Correcting for print variation
• Calibration issues
• Verification

ProfileEditor
• Using ProfileEditor tools to tweak profiles
• Updating CMYK profiles
• Evaluating and comparing color gamuts

Setting Up Applications
• Adobe® Photoshop®

• Acrobat®
• QuarkXPress™
• OS options, Mac OS X
• Handling capture to application
• Customer file to application
• Embedded profiles
• Client coordination

Soft Proofing
• Adobe
• Quark

Working Spaces to Print
• Adobe
• Quark
• RGB Driver
• CMYK RIP
• RIP vs. application color management
• Proofing

Spot Color Matching
• Using ICC profiles to build Pantone color libraries
• Matching actual Pantone vs. process colors
• Application setup
• RIP options
• Eye-One Share / Color
• Color Picker
• CXF color sharing

Batch Processing
• iQueue

Case Study Workflows
• Photo lab
• Sign shop
• Commercial printer

Daniel J. Cox of Natural Exposures - Bozeman, Montana.

Daniel J Cox of Natural Exposures
Originally uploaded by colorcritical.

I had the pleasure this last week to working with celebrated photographer Dan Cox of Natural Exposures. Although Dan was on a shoot in Africa I worked with his very knowledgable internal staff setting up a comlete color managed workflow. Printing to a hp Designjet 130nr and an hp Photosmart 8750, Natural Exposures hopes to get the absolute best quality in printing. I along with Kimberly Brown-Azzerello of hp implemented and audited a workflow of custom ICC conversions and soft-proofing. Bozeman Montana is absolutely beautiful and thanks to Beth and her team of smart and capable interns for making my stay so pleasant.