Color printing is our bread and butter. The artists we work with rely on our eyes, brains, and color interpretation day in and day out. We end up learning what specific clients want color-wise beginning with a scan or raw file, and ending on paper. Eventually we can see how our clients see and visualize the image the way they want it. It isn’t always the most direct “I want things to be red” kind of communication; it takes some time. This empathetic approach is at the core of what we do and is what we mean by deep artistic communication.
We control our color environment at Black Point in many ways. Mostly we use EyeOne spectrophotometers and their accompanying software including SpectralVisionPro, ProfileMaker 5, and i1Profiler. We utilize monitors capable of displaying millions of RGB values and a full 256 levels of gray at any white balance.
We view prints under two environments: 5000k/500lux (daylight) Solux lights, and diffused 3200k/390lux (gallery) Par38 Floods. We keep our monitors and print environments calibrated monthly. We also have a deep knowledge of inkjet coated papers. Paper white values, optical brighteners, texture, etc, are critical factors in color quality.
The trick with color-correction lies in controlling the variables as much as one can and then interpreting the small insistent physical differences between monitor, and print, and viewing wall. These subtleties must be internalized over time and with practice. Over the years we’ve gained an almost innate internal calibration created by working with thousands upon thousands of remotely different images.
We work easily with both camera raw file formats and massive drum scans. We know the different worlds well and can move between them easily. Please check our Price List for specific hourly rates regarding visualization and interpretation of images.