Auto vs True Color for B&W, Toned and Colorized Photos

largelylivin · February 22, 2007

I had just finished standardizing my gallery settings including using TRUE Color. Of course, it was then that I ran across the various communications about the virtous Auto Color.

Before I react too strongly maybe I should ask. :dunno For B&W, toned, and colorized photographs, is there still a strong opinion that Auto is the Best way to go. I haven't seen this documented anywhere, I guess EVERYONE only prints color these days, but in my own limited experience with a small range of printers I have found that these types of photos can get screwy results when Auto Color is used. On my Epson equipment I always TURN-OFF all auto color and color enhancement features.

This seems to be 'intuitively' true, but then that's just in my own mind. :rofl

Does anybody have experience to share?

YES> I will ultimately order proofs, but this could save an iteration or two.

marlinspike · February 22, 2007

I'll say this much. I recently made an order of regular ol' color prints. The first batch, which was true color, had some issues, so they reissued them with auto color. Luckily the ones that had issues were now fine, but the other prints (they reprinted the entire order with auto) definitley had some color issues. So, I think the best advice is that if you know what you're doing (in terms of both digital processing and color calibration of your monitor), your best bet is to use true color and just be careful.

Andy · February 22, 2007

marlinspike wrote:

So, I think the best advice is that if you know what you're doing

keep in mind that 90% of those prints that are returned (which is a VERY small number to begin with) are from True Color orders. And the #1 reason these are returned is for being too-dark.

Andy · February 22, 2007

largelylivin wrote:

Does anybody have experience to share?

Yes, several million prints' worth

YES> I will ultimately order proofs, but this could save an iteration or two.

shoot me a gallery link, right here, and I'll review and let you know!

marlinspike · February 23, 2007

Andy wrote:

keep in mind that 90% of those prints that are returned (which is a VERY small number to begin with) are from True Color orders. And the #1 reason these are returned is for being too-dark.

Every dark skinned African American person became a green skinned African American person with the auto color.

Andy · February 28, 2007

marlinspike wrote:

Every dark skinned African American person became a green skinned African American person with the auto color.

Spike, this is not real helpful.

If you are speaking about an order, give me an order number please so I can investigate.

Give a link, show us an example, give the settings, and version of I2E you used, etc.

We have near zero returns on our Auto Color, and this includes shots of African Americans.

Thanks!

marlinspike · February 28, 2007

Andy wrote:

Spike, this is not real helpful.

If you are speaking about an order, give me an order number please so I can investigate.

Give a link, show us an example, give the settings, and version of I2E you used, etc.

We have near zero returns on our Auto Color, and this includes shots of African Americans.

Thanks!

It was the reorder you made for me on that basketball order I made (well a customer made but had sent to me) where 4 photos had issues. You reordered them all in auto, and the 4 that had issues the first time around were good, but most of the rest of them were way green. No worries since I don't need those ones (I just went through and took the good ones from the old order and shuffled in 4 of the ones from the reorder), but I'm just saying, I rather just be very very careful than use Auto.

Auto vs True Color for B&W, Toned and Colorized Photos

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