![]() ![]() A fixed monitor position is also key, because the viewing conditions of a display change depending on how it is positioned. “Barring that,” says Penney, “follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, work with basic calibration kits, and, perhaps most importantly, be very cognizant of the influence of ambient light on the monitor.” Don’t place your monitor where the vagaries of daylight will skew your perception of what’s on the screen. This service, which costs $99, involves printing out the supplied template test pattern and then mailing it back to the company, where it is scanned using their pro hardware/software to create a unique and personal profile for each printer/paper combo. Penney relies on the print profiling service from Freestyle Photographic to create custom profiles for his printer. “Before I print the X-Rite color chart used to make the profile, I go to the printer and press the maintenance button, then color calibration, and then auto adjust and print the test strips out on any glossy surface, just not matte or textured.” He uses X-Rite’s i1 calibration setup for his Canon Pro 4000. Creating and using the right paper profile is a vital data point in the mix, as each paper will have its particular requirements for the correct laydown of ink depending on paper thickness and surface texture.Ĭollins builds his own paper profiles for his printer, as he feels that those supplied by the paper companies are not nearly as precise as he would like. This avoids the need for “eyeballing” and making endless proofs of hit-and-miss corrections that waste time, ink and paper. Calibration & ProfilesĬolor calibration simply means that the monitor, computer and printer are all on the same visual page. For prints often called for by his wedding and portrait clientele (he works with many WPPI photographers), he uses Epson’s Premium Luster. ![]() Penney’s choices are similar, with options for a textural, “watercolor” look (Canson Printmaking Rag), a smooth matte (Canson Rag Photographique), and, for a rich exhibition paper that matches the look of the fine silver papers of the past, Canson’s Baryta Prestige. “A paper I often use for color and black-and-white work is Hahnemüehle’s Fine Art Pearl 285 gsm, a luster paper that reminds me of the old ‘F’ (silver halide) air-dryed.” ![]() He prefers matte or “near matte” surface papers such as Hahnemüehle’s Photo Rag or, “for brighter snap,” Moab Entrada Bright 300gsm. While both print masters agree that the choice of paper should match the intent of the image, Collins recommends a minimum weight in the 280-320 gsm range for fine-art work. More and more galleries are listing paper and ink in the information plaques that accompany the art on display, a selling point that indicates print permanence and the quality of materials used, so it pays to be deliberate with your choices. He offers image editing and print services as well and is a one-stop shop for matting, mounting and framing.īoth veteran printers shared their tips about paper choice, profiling and calibration, print dialogue setup choices, resolution, and ink and printer maintenance to help avoid wasted paper and time. He currently serves the wedding, portrait and fine-art professional market, making prints for gallery and wall display and for competition entries using a Canon IPF 2000. Jonathan Penney began his printmaking career as a custom black-and-white silver printer in the ’90s. Fred and his wife, Alison, also have a gallery in Great Barrington, MA that shows his and other photographers’ work. Photographer Fred Collins runs Berkshire Digital Labs, which offers digital restoration and repair of damaged artwork, editing services, and fine-art reproduction and printing services for artists and photographers. With that in mind, I contacted two master printers to get their insider tips for photographers who want to–– get great prints from their own fine-art work. If you’ve ever struggled for hours making a series of inkjet prints on expensive paper that never quite match what you had in mind, printing your own images can seem like an exercise in frustration. While there are clear advantages to working with a pro lab, I’ve always felt that a photographer’s active participation in creating their own prints adds value, insures that every nuance of their vision is incorporated into the final image and completes the circle begun when the photographer first snapped the shutter.įor all of the creative satisfaction that printing delivers, it can be an exacting discipline. ![]()
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