How should I view a color-critical printed book to judge the image examples accurately?
Asked 1/12/2015
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I’m reading Dan Margulis’ Modern Photoshop Color Workflow and noticed that some printed image examples seem hard to evaluate, especially after using a bright tablet or monitor. What lighting and viewing conditions are best for getting the most accurate impression from a color-critical printed book? Does the paper color matter much, and how long should I let my eyes adapt before judging the images?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
7
I asked Dan to answer your questions. Here is what he wrote:
"Anything prepared with color fidelity in mind is best viewed in a graphic arts viewing booth or, if none is available, sunlight or equivalent. That said, one shouldn't take a product printed on an offset press too seriously as there will be unavoidable slight variation between copies.
The poster stated that he looked at the book immediately after working on a tablet. This is a poor idea because any printed product will look dull when the eye has adjusted to the bright light of any type of computer screen. This is one of the points made in the book: I advocate making an extremely colorful version of every file and then deciding how to back off it. But the decision has to be reviewed afterward, because after the eye has been dazzled by something very bright, it is not suited to make fine artistic decisions.
I have no other reports of anyone not seeing the difference between versions (although admittedly some of the distinctions are subtle)."
Originally by user28381. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user28381
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For a color-critical printed book, view it under standardized neutral light if possible: a graphic-arts viewing booth is best, with daylight/sunlight as a good alternative. The exact paper shade matters less than the fact that offset-printed books will always show some minor variation between copies.
The biggest issue is visual adaptation. If you look at the book right after using a bright tablet or monitor, the printed images will usually seem dull because your eyes are adapted to a much brighter light source. Give your eyes a little time away from the screen before evaluating the examples.
So, to get the most from the book:
- avoid judging it immediately after screen use
- view it in neutral daylight or a color-correct viewing light
- keep expectations realistic, since offset print is not perfectly uniform
In short: don’t compare it straight off a glowing display, and use neutral, daylight-like illumination whenever possible.
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