310- colour management

There are several different ways to get the colour of the image correct and to meet the client critera. The two elements are the Macbeth colour chart, which is placed in the image to be taken to give a colour reference, and the Pantone colour chart which will give the record of the item colour to be replicated in your photograph.

This image shows the Macbeth colour chart. Put this card in the picture to be taken and this gives a reference point to calibrate the image on the screen.

This image shows the Pantone colour range, and the technique to achieve the final result. An item has a colour reference, the colour sampler is taken from the area in the image, and this then can be used to correct the image.

Just a note here about Mono black and white prints and printing.

When you have gone to all the trouble to produce the perfect monochrome image you them want this to be replicated in yopur print. Photo printers use many different-coloured inks to produce colour images. The  printer blends these coloured inks in such a way that they produce shades of grey instead of colours, or at least try.However, variations in ink densities, the response of different papers to different ink colours, and any shortcomings in the printer driver software will combine to produce results which are at best variable, and can be unusable. even lighting can make a difference when viewing, due to phenomenon known as "metamerism", where different inks reflect light differently according to whether it's daylight, fluorescent light for example.

There are three principle solutions . first, you can attempt to calibrate the printer to remove any colour casts. secondly, you can use 'black only' ink replacements, from specialist companies, or thirdly, upgrade the printer that supports black and white printing explicitly. If alot of black and white printing is being done it may pay to invest in a "mono only" printer. In which case investment in grey ink will prove to produce better quality prints. This will save all the hassle of profiling the printer or investing in third party suppliers.

The choice of printer and solution will depend on the quantity of work being carried out.