Modern digital imaging tools are fantastic. When they work properly, and we understand how best to apply them, they can give us an amazing level of creative control over developing images just right. Unfortunately, controlling digital colour can be a frustrating game of details. Cameras, monitors and software all present colour differently, and their controls are inconsistent. One wrong setting can undermine colour accuracy.
Add printing to the mix with a myriad of printers, inks and papers, all of which are physical rather than digital, and matters can become even more complicated. The end result all too often is prints that don’t please and delight, but disappoint.
At Royce Howland Print Studio, we have spent literally years and many hundreds of hours mastering the technology and materials of digital colour and digital print. We’re adept at producing excellent expressive prints, but we can also apply our expertise to help you through your own digital colour control challenges.
One-on-one Consult Sessions
If you have some problems to solve or a new project, and want to step up your understanding and control of digital colour for print, we can arrange a one-on-one session here in the RHPS studio. Working with your list of specific issues and goals, we’ll address each one.
Topics we can cover include:
- Understanding the importance of colour spaces and profiles in digital colour reproduction, and knowing how and when to use them
- Understanding monitor profiling, why it’s important for printing, and how to do it
- Understanding the impact of software settings on digital colour accuracy, and learning how to configure software correctly
- Understanding the difference between monitors and paper, and how this affects going from screen to print
- Answering specific questions or issues about digital workflow
- Illustrating all of the learnings by making several test strip prints of your own image(s)
Colour House Calls
Often photographers and artists have their own working studio environment that may include various computers, monitors, software, printers, cameras and other equipment. While a one-on-one consult in the RHPS studio can be helpful in communicating a lot of information, sometimes there is no substitute for working directly in and with the clients’ own environment.
By booking a colour house call where we come to your work place, you can get access to all of the informative topics covered in the one-on-one consult session, plus the following:
- Reviewing your specific equipment, configuring it correctly and optionally making recommendations in any areas where it may not be supporting your creative goals
- Reviewing your software tools, configuring everything for accurate colour reproduction, and setting up preferences and presets where applicable
- Calibrating your monitors (if necessary), understanding specific calibration settings in your environment, and recommending how to calibrate going forward
- Creating custom profiles for your printer and papers (if applicable)
- Understanding any specific effects of your environment such as ambient lighting
Note: Colour house calls involve being away from the RHPS studio, so they usually need to be scheduled in advance to fit with our other production work. Also, travel logistics and expenses may be a factor. However, at times we have supported clients all over Alberta, so don’t hesitate to contact us to see what may be workable.
Digital Colour Control and Printing Workshops
Sometimes it’s possible to learn on your own, by doing things yourself. But perhaps there’s just a basic leg up that would help avoid a lot of time-consuming, frustrating trial and error. Small group digital colour and printing workshops have been part of our mission for several years, whether delivered directly to clients or in association with companies such as The Camera Store and Resolve Photo.
Currently, RHPS does not have any pre-scheduled workshop events. However if you’re interested in such a thing, please drop us a line and let us know. We’ll add your name to an interest list and contact you when events come about.
Also, if you’re a member of a small photography or artist group, and would like to arrange a presentation or workshop on digital colour control and printing, these can be arranged on a case-by-case basis. Contact us to discuss your interests and what we could provide for you.
Pricing
Digital colour consulting services price out as follows:
- $100/hr for one-on-one colour consults in the RHPS shop, based on an up-front cost estimate after discussing your needs. The cost includes making several test strip prints.
- $500/half day or $800/full day for colour house calls at your location. Includes all configuration of your environment, going through things step-by-step for your notes, access to RHPS portable calibration equipment and diagnostic tools, calibration of your monitors, and any custom profiles for your printer(s) and paper(s). Logistics and travel costs may apply. Time and cost are estimated in advance; house calls involving printer profiles usually take at least a full day.
- Contact us for pricing and availability for digital colour and printing workshops. We’ll create a quote that should be able to meet your group’s needs and budget.
Royce Howland Print Studio 