Smug tute on "pop"

jeffreaux2

I found a tute on smugmug a while back about "making your photos pop". It was pretty good, and had a section that I am really interested in finding again about setting up default white and black values in curves and setting up black and white points for files via the PS "threshold" tool.

If anyone can find it Id appreciate the link. I built a new pc and dont remember those numbers for curves.

jeffreaux2

jeffreaux2 wrote:

I found a tute on smugmug a while back about "making your photos pop". It was pretty good, and had a section that I am really interested in finding again about setting up default white and black values in curves and setting up black and white points for files via the PS "threshold" tool.

If anyone can find it Id appreciate the link. I built a new pc and dont remember those numbers for curves.

Nevermind....found it
http://dgrin.smugmug.com/gallery/2292454_mjGJs

pathfinder

Jeff, you can print a a grey step scale to identify how black and how white your printer and paper can actually print tones that you can actually see.

Make a black to white gradient in Photoshop and then posterize it with 125 steps - that results in 125 distinct grey tones that each represent 2 units from black or white - print it and see how many steps you can actually see in your print

With my Epson 3800 on Epson Premium Lustre, I can see detail down to about 4,4,4 and up to 250,250,250 - so I chose 5,5,5 and 248,248,248 for my default values for my black and white points you set in your color picker pallette. Dave's values of 7,7,7 and 247,247,247 are pretty good, but you may find you can do better for your images as I described above.

Matte paper may need slightly different values for a black and white point of course.

jeffreaux2

pathfinder wrote:

Jeff, you can print a a grey step scale to identify how black and how white your printer and paper can actually print tones that you can actually see.

Make a black to white gradient in Photoshop and then posterize it with 125 steps - that results in 125 distinct grey tones that each represent 2 units from black or white - print it and see how many steps you can actually see in your print

With my Epson 3800 on Epson Premium Lustre, I can see detail down to about 4,4,4 and up to 250,250,250 - so I chose 5,5,5 and 248,248,248 for my default values for my black and white points you set in your color picker pallette. Dave's values of 7,7,7 and 247,247,247 are pretty good, but you may find you can do better for your images as I described above.

I appreciate the info Pathfinder, but...

I don't print anything personally. I use EZPrints or MPix for most of what I shoot. If I want to get real fancy, I'll use BAY or WHCC. I'd like to someday get a large printer and do some of my own prints, but for now I have my hands full just creating and editing the images.

I recently built a new PC and am still trying to get my editing programs to default the way I am used to...on my old faithful single core rig. I just couldn't remember exactly how I went about setting a default black that wasn't....REALLY black!:D I've almost gotten PS where I want it....next will be Lightroom.

Also, I wanted the values set to work on this snapshot from yesterday....
http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=133664

Thanks again!

pathfinder

You could still have EZPrints print a step grey scale as I described so that you know what RGB values are the minimum and the maximum that you can identify on paper to allow you to choose the best white and black point settings.

jeffreaux2

pathfinder wrote:

You could still have EZPrints print a step grey scale as I described so that you know what RGB values are the minimum and the maximum that you can identify on paper to allow you to choose the best white and black point settings.

THATS a VERY good point!!!


SOLD!!!!



NOw....why didn't I think of THAT?:D

Thank you VERY much!

Wil Davis

Great tutorial! Can't figure out how I ever missed it; many thanks to those who put it together, and the OP for bringing it to my attention!

- Wil

ashby

Wil Davis wrote:

Great tutorial! Can't figure out how I ever missed it; many thanks to those who put it together, and the OP for bringing it to my attention!

- Wil

Now, how about someone doing the same magic in Lightroom (if it is even possible)?

pathfinder

One could create the stepped grey scale in PS and then import it into Lightroom.

Off the top of my head, I am not certain of a fast, easy way to create a known stepped grey scale in LR itself. Maybe someone else does, though.