Setting up Photoshop and Lightroom for correct Piezography workflow.
One of the most unique qualities of the Piezography system is that the Piezography curves produce a printed result that has a modified Gamma 2.20 curve. This is what makes the most visual logic sense to a photographer. The contrast of a Piezography print is designed to mimic the Gamma 2.20 of a display system. And nearly all flat screen displays have a native Gamma of 2.20.
Gamma is the contrast correction that is required for a grayscale to look "logical" to the viewer. For scientific data - a Gamma of 1.0 is necessary but it looks "flat" to the human visual perceptual system. It should never be used for any photography related work, or for any linearization process for photography - lest the user be forced to compensate with contrast adjustments in PS to overcome their forced linearization.
Gamma 1.80 was used for many years as part of the standard observer environment. But, the LCD changed the standard with its inherit design. The standard still exists but is contrary to products now being sold to calibrate modern displays (other than the EIZO and SpectaView). Today - nearly everyone who is imaging - images at a Gamma of 2.20 unless they setup Photoshop or Lightroom in differing ways - or they force a display calibration to change this.
Piezography always produces Gamma 2.20 and that cannot be changed by the user. It requires however, an input file that is also at Gamma 2.20. Therefore, Piezography requires a workflow that is true to Gamma 2.20 so that images are previewed correctly. For OSX users, it is even more important to keep the Gamma 2.20 workflow or their images will be silently converted by Apple prior to printing and it interferes with producing the highest possible standard of output. It is important to follow our manual. Piezography is NOT compatible with the QTR Tutorials. Leave that for those who have to make their own curves, etc.
So here are the shortcuts to setting up PhotoShop and Lightroom.
Photoshop Settings:
Menu= Edit / Color Settings
In Color Settings I recommend that you set the RGB Working Space to Adobe RGB (1998) so that your RGB grayscales will display at Gamma 2.20 and can be saved with the Gamma 2.20 profile. Adobe RGB (1998) uses a gamma of 2.20. ProPhoto RGB does not. ProPhoto gamma is 1.80. ProPhoto RGB is IMHO a theoretical color space - too large to print. It's best purpose is as a working space for the future. Who knows if anyone will produce a printer that can exceed the gamut of today's pigments and dyes. Certainly if we move towards a display culture where printing is obsolete, ProPhoto RGB will be there ready. And if you tell your friends not to use ProPhoto, you will only be starting a war.
ProPhoto is better for your friends who do not print. Let them do as they wish. The short of it is, an image file can not contain more color values by changing its working space. ProPhoto does not increase the color values of a 24bit or 48bit file. All you are doing is re-describing the color in relation to human perceptible colors. Further IMHO, I suggest that you not display color that you can not print. It will only frustrate you! It is an age old argument that folks who print for a living and have to sit down in collaboration with photographers only know too well. Never show anyone color you can never print. They will want it. You can't print it. Adobe RGB 1998 is tough enough for most modern ink sets.
Anyways, converting images from one working space to another when in RGB is non-destructive.
The Grayscale Working Space should be set to Gray Gamma 2.2. Both the RGB and Grayscale Color Management Policies should be set to Convert to Working RGB and all of the Profile Mismatches should be checked. Conversion Options should be set to Adobe (ACE) and Relative Colorimetric. If any of this differs from your favorite Photoshop guru's, my intention is not about teaching you imaging techniques. My sole purpose it to teach you to be a better printer. Not a lot of attention is spent to expert printing these days.
By doing this, you have set up Photoshop to display images at the same contrast they will print when printed with Piezography.
Lightroom Settings:
Lightroom users should not print directly from LR to QTR unless they are using version 4 or higher. In which case, this is documented in the NEW Piezography manual.
Lightroom does not always use ProPhoto RGB as it's internal color space as is widely believed. In the Library module for example, it uses Adobe RGB color space to preview everything. The Develop module also displays in the Adobe RGB color space. The only way to escape working in Adobe RGB is to actually select a Soft Proof profile. So Lightroom is using a gamma of 2.2 to display all your images to you, unless you select a Soft Proof profile that differs from Gamma 2.2 or from Adobe RGB.
Lightroom uses ProPhoto RGB when you transfer an image to Photoshop via the Photo / Edit In menu item. But, you can override that by changing one of the Lightroom Preferences in the External Editing pane. Change Color Space from ProPhoto RGB to Adobe RGB (1998). By doing so, you will be able to edit your images in Photoshop.
And why would you want to edit in Photoshop when you could just edit in Lightroom? Ahhh! We need to talk. We need to talk about that in detail. But, its much easier to demonstrate during one of our printing workshops. We are starting our workshops again this Fall. We will send newsletters! Our first workshop is a bit eclectic. It combines learning how to make traditional wet plate collodion tin types and Piezography printmaking. Only room for six participants - and a wet plate camera and 12 plates will be supplied for each. Read more about this here. The scanning and reproduction of the tin types will be on the five large format printers of Cone Editions Press. A rare opportunity.
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 A new Piezography Digital Negative update in the works Prints K6 prints and digital negs without changing inks Tried and true. A new configuration of the Piezography Digital Negative has been beta tested with success for both silver prints and platinum prints. It's turnkey. The best bit about this setup is that you can proof for your platinum or silver printing by printing K6 prints.
What I have done is reconfigured the curves to allow any supported 8 ink printer to be used with Piezography K6 matte only - and the two optional negative shades 2.5 and 4.5. This includes the R2400, R2880, R3000, 3800/3880, 4800/4880, 7800/9800, 7880/9880, 7890/9890. The 4900/7900/9900 can also be configured this way with a matte/glossy option.
I will release this system with its new curves quite soon. Look for this later in July. |
