Free Eye-One Pro and Monitor Calibration Software with Onyx ProductionHouse

Bundled promotional software and color calibration dealOnyx Graphics is offering a free X-Rite Eye-One Pro color management device with Monitor Calibration Software, a $995 value, when you order Onyx ProductionHouse.

This special promotion ends on April 30 and cannot be ordered online, so contact a LexJet customer specialist at 800-453-9538 for more information and to take advantage of the offer.

This custom promotional bundle includes ProductionHouse, the Eye-One color management spectrophotometer – with a case and tray – and X-Rite’s monitor calibration software tool. In Onyx’s software you can build your own spot color libraries, calibrate existing media, build your own custom media profiles, and more.

Click here to go to the product page for ProductionHouse Version X10, which also includes a number of how-to educational videos that show ProductionHouse in action.

X-Rite Improves ColorChecker White Balance Target for Photographers

White balance for digital camerasX-Rite recently improved the ColorChecker White Balance target card to enhance the tool’s effectiveness for white balancing a digital camera. X-Rite reports that when the card was first introduced in 2003, the conventional wisdom was that a target card needed to be white in order to set the white balance of a camera.

On its face, that makes sense, but X-Rite found through extensive testing with the latest major digital camera models that a more accurate color for the card is light gray. So, the lightness level of the color has been changed to match the same formula used in the ColorChecker Passport, which combines three photographic targets into one pocket-sized protective self-standing case.

The updated target is also more spectrally neutral than the prior white formula, which ensures there is no color bias while delivering better color rendition.

The ColorChecker Passport includes the Creative Enhancement Target, the Classic Target, the White Balance Target, Camera Calibration Software and the protective case. For more information about the ColorChecker Passport, click here, and for the ColorChecker White Balance, click here.

Canon imagePROGRAF iPF8000S Printer Setup Videos

Inkjet printer setup Canon wide format

When purchasing a new wide-format printer, a little extra help with setup never hurts. The manual that accompanies the Canon iPF8000S does a great job, but being able to see how everything comes together can be even more helpful.

The Canon iPF8000S Printer Setup videos include embedded below in the order shown include:

  • Stand Assembly
  • Paper Basket Assembly
  • Removing Packing Materials and Installing Printheads
  • Installing Ink, Loading Roll Paper and Calibrating the Printer

If you have any questions about setting up or using a Canon iPF8000S or other Canon imagePROGRAF Printers please contact a LexJet Account Specialist at 800-453-9538.

How to Soft Proof an Image in Photoshop

How to soft proof an image in PhotoshopSoft proofing an image in Photoshop is an important step that should be taken prior to printing. When using a properly calibrated monitor, soft proofing an image can give you a better idea of how an image will look when it is printed with specific Photoshop color settings like a rendering intent or an ICC profile.

After soft proofing, you can even go back and adjust an image based on the way that it is going to print, essentially optimizing the file for output. The end result is that what you see on your monitor through a soft proof is what you should get in the final print. This should help to reduce the ink and media waste that can result from printing multiple color tests.

The video also discusses choosing rendering intents. To find out more detailed information about rendering intents and how to choose the right one, click here. Then, click on the video below to find out how to soft proof an image in Photoshop…

Selecting a Monitor for Fine Art and Photographic Reproduction

LaCie's 700 Series uses RGB-LED Backlit, which allows the monitors to achieve a significantly larger color gamut. This is a crucial ingredient in photographic and fine art reproduction.

There are three major factors that a photographer or fine art reproducer should consider when selecting a monitor: Color gamut, bit depth and calibration ability. There are other things to consider as well, such as viewing angle, contrast range, refresh rate (if doing video work), and others, depending on your business model.

Color Gamut: The rule of thumb when it comes to color gamut is that bigger is better. You can find this information by checking the spec sheet of the monitor. It should provide you with percentage of sRGB, Adobe 1998, or NTSC (similar to Adobe 1998).

If you are a photographer whose workflow only exists in sRGB, then a monitor that hits 100% of this color gamut is the best. If you primarily work in Adobe 1998, then a monitor that displays 100% of this color space is recommended. If you are using ProPhoto as your color space, then the largest color gamut technology allows is your best option.

Bit Depth: The more bit depth a monitor has, the more accurate it will render your 16-bit files. A 10-bit monitor is the bare minimum with today’s technology, with 12 being a better option. Higher bit depth improves smoothness in transitions and gradients, whereas a lower bit depth might make them appear banded. You can also find this information in the spec sheet of a monitor.

Calibration Ability: It is imperative that you can adjust three parts of a monitor’s appearance. The first of these is brightness. You should be able to adjust how bright a monitor is according to the ambient light of your studio. 120 candelas per meter squared is a good LCD starting point. The second of these is contrast. This helps the monitor achieve a desired gamma setting. Today’s standard is Gamma 2.2, and I recommend this setting. The final calibration is white point. You must be able to adjust the individual red, green, and blue channels to create custom white points. A preset white point of 6500K may, in fact, be 6300K or 6800k. You cannot trust these preset options because they many not be accurate to begin with, and may shift over time.

A great monitor choice is LaCie’s 700 series. It uses a technology called RGB-LED – Backlit. Because it is RGB-LED, it can achieve significantly larger color gamuts than any other monitor available. The 724 (24 in.) and 730 (30 in.) can achieve 123% of Adobe 1998. Also, the bit depth is now 14 bit. This is the best option for the Adobe 1998 and ProPhoto color space user.

If you are interested in getting a new monitor, please feel free to contact a LexJet account specialist at 800-453-9538 and we can figure out the best solution for your needs. 

X-Rite Says Show Us Your Color Munki and Win Big!

Brand_CMPhotoIf you’ve had some fun monkeying around with your ColorMunki, X-Rite wants the world to know about it! From October through March, X-Rite will award monthly cash prizes to ColorMunki users who make funny, entertaining videos using a ColorMunki as a prominent character then post the videos on the X-Rite channel on YouTube.

 Every month, X-Rite will award cash prizes of $50, $150, and $500 to the creators of the videos that attract the most views.

ColorMunki Photo can be used to calibrate your monitor.
ColorMunki Photo can be used to calibrate your monitor.

All monthly winners will be eligible for the $2,500 grand prize that will be awarded at the end of the contest in March.

“Color Munki was designed to appeal to the most creative people on the planet—those who want to obtain accurate color from screen to print in the easiest way possible,” says Iris Mangelschots, X-Rite’s Sr. VP of sales and marketing. “We are looking forward to seeing a wide variety of funny Munki videos.

If you don’t own a ColorMunki yet, you can buy one from LexJet and get helpful, personalized advice on how to use it.  Developed with input from wedding, portrait, and event photographers, ColorMunki Photo is an innovative all-in-one color-measurement tool that allows you to get accurate color on your monitor and create custom profiles for whatever type of inkjet media you want to use on whatever model printer you use. You can also use ColorMunki to get accurate color on your projector, grab colors from your image library, and preview how the colors on your palette will look under different light sources.

ColorMunki can also be used to create profiles for whatever media and printer you choose to use to print photos.
ColorMunki can also be used to create profiles for whatever media and printer you use to print your photos.

For more information about the contest, visit www.ShowUsYourMunki.com