New User - Loads of questions

[nazmul]

Hi All,

I have done some searches for the relevant topics and questions that i am about to ask and have not really found what i am looking for.

I'm hoping that some of you guys will give some answers to my basic questions.

1) Monitor calibration

Is there a techique or a softwre that i need to purchase to calibirate my tft screen?

2) Printing of photos

I recently got some photos printed by a lab and my photos printed were poor and no where near the picture that i saw on my desktop monitor.

The lab advised me to use thier icc profile.

How do you setup your photos for print?
Do you get the desired results or similar to what you view on screen?
Do use an adobe 1998 colour space? Is this necessary?

3) RAW Files

I know this topic has been discussed many times on the forum, but i could not find a thread that answers may questions and clarifies my understanding.

Why is RAW files better?
3a) Unprocessed files with no compression, hence no data of original photo is lost

3b) If i use PS CS to convert the RAW files, what format should i use for the best picture quality?

3c) if i convert the files to a particular format am i not then going to loose picture quality to compression?

4) Printing at home

Do you know of any high end dye sub printers that can produce excellent photographs or would one use a high end inkjet printer?

Please accept my apologies if the questions that i have raised have asked before, just could not find them on the forums.

I have a Canon EOS 10D with the latest Photoshop package CS,

Your advise, oppinion will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Nazmul

[scottbergerphoto]

The questions that you are asking are good questions and the answers could fill a book or two. Lucky for you they have all been answered in detail already on this forum! :D Load your printer full of paper, click on Search on the above right and put in each topic. You'll get lots of stuff to read. I have two looseleafs full.
Enjoy,
Scott

[cgratti]

3) RAW Files

3b) If i use PS CS to convert the RAW files, what format should i use for the best picture quality?

3c) if i convert the files to a particular format am i not then going to loose picture quality to compression?



When you convert the files use TIFF, no compression, therefore no loss.

Someone else must answer the rest.... Also, check out the Epson 2200 inkjet photo printer, its awesome, and about $600US.

[martcol]

Nazmul

You haven't really had much response to your questions and maybe that's because there ws too much in one post as well as the fact that many of the questions you raise have had a lot of exposure on this and other forums.

I have been going at this thing for nearly 2 years now and although I have improved in lots of ways still don't have the technical ability to answer your questions.

Stay with the forum, it is a great place to learn and there are some real knowlegeable people here. Try searching again on your topics and then come back with bite-size questions. Keep going!

Martin

[Roger_Cavanagh]

Nazmul,

Your questions are too big to get short and easy answers. I have articles and links on my site that address many of the issues you raise:

www.rogercavanagh.com

Regards,

[Pekka]

Hi All,

I have done some searches for the relevant topics and questions that i am about to ask and have not really found what i am looking for.

I'm hoping that some of you guys will give some answers to my basic questions.

1) Monitor calibration

Is there a techique or a softwre that i need to purchase to calibirate my tft screen?

See e.g. http://www.colorvision.com/sol_beginners.shtml

2) Printing of photos

I recently got some photos printed by a lab and my photos printed were poor and no where near the picture that i saw on my desktop monitor.

The lab advised me to use thier icc profile.

How do you setup your photos for print?
Do you get the desired results or similar to what you view on screen?
Do use an adobe 1998 colour space? Is this necessary?

Edit the photo so that it looks good on (preferably calibrated) screen. You will need to sharpen with USM or some other sharpening tool (sometimes more than you feel comfortable with when viewed on screen). Then as the last step before saving the photo, CONVERT the photo to print lab's ICC profile.

3) RAW Files

I know this topic has been discussed many times on the forum, but i could not find a thread that answers may questions and clarifies my understanding.

Why is RAW files better?
3a) Unprocessed files with no compression, hence no data of original photo is lost

Your choice of sharpening, your choice of color space, your choice of file format, your choice of bit resolution, your choice of noise reduction, your choice of interpolation, you choice of exposure correction - all done later, not at shooting time. Raw means more post work but also more flexibility and control over quality.

3b) If i use PS CS to convert the RAW files, what format should i use for the best picture quality?

TIFF, PSD, PNG, BMP - every uncompressed format goes. I prefer PSD.


3c) if i convert the files to a particular format am i not then going to loose picture quality to compression?

You loose quality only with formats which offer compression capability. Also, if you want to store originals in 16-bits per channel format you'll need a fileformat which can store 16 bits.

4) Printing at home

Do you know of any high end dye sub printers that can produce excellent photographs or would one use a high end inkjet printer?

Current top inkjets, producing excellent results are Epson 2100/2200 and Canon 9100 (i). Canon is much faster - perhaps has better colors,too. But Epson inks are more durable which is why many prefer it if you sell prints.

[nazmul]

Hi,

Id like to thank you all for your informative responses.

I have already had some of the questions answered, with great links to relevant websites.

If others are still willing to post comments you are welcome.


Nazmul