Setting up your work environment in Photoshop

One aspect of color management that people often overlook is setting up a good working environment for digital image editing. You may wave your hand impatiently and say, “Yeah, yeah, I just want to get to the important stuff.” This is the important stuff. Don’t worry. Setting up a good work environment won’t cost you anything. Just do these

things:

-->Do always keep your computer desktop a neutral gray. I know having dancing bears and family photos in the background is tempting, but these elements don’t contribute to a good viewing environment. Colors and patterns behind your images influence the way that you view those images. Creating a neutral, gray desktop is the closest you can get to mounting your work on gray, black, or white mat board (and not neon green or paisley) the way professional graphic designers and photographers do.

-->Do keep your lighting as consistent as possible. Avoid working on or viewing images in full, bright afternoon sun and then again under a single desk lamp late at night. Keep the level and intensity as consistent as possible, and be sure to look at your source material, along with the images you’re working on, under the same intensity of light.

Likewise, view on-screen images and your printed output under the same lighting, thereby establishing a consistent benchmark to use in your Photoshop editing sessions. Variations in lighting can cause you to perceive color differently and can then lead to color shifts in your output. And whatever you do, please, no disco balls.

If your desk is next to a window, you may want to invest in a monitor hood or visor to cut down on screen glare and reflections. They run around $15 to $100. And if you find you really want an optimum lighting situation, you can look into a couple of additional devices. Task lamps provide consistent full spectrum light and enable you to see color with more accuracy and clarity. They run $50 to $200 and even help to cut down on eyestrain. A light box (or light booth or color viewing booth) offers various lighting environments, from fluorescent to daylight. Professional grade light boxes adhere to lighting standards developed by ISO (International Standards Organization). They allow you to view images in a consistent and controlled environment. Depending on the make and the model, the cost of a light box ranges from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.

-->Do keep the walls of your work environment as neutral as your monitor desktop. You don’t have to paint your office gray, but try to avoid lots of colorful posters and artwork in your direct line of vision (around and behind your monitor).

-->Speaking of monitors, if you are using an LCD (flat screen) monitor, rather than a real estate hogging CRT monitor, do be sure you are sitting directly in front of it, because color shifts quite a bit on LCDs if you are viewing it at even a slight angle. So no slumping in your chair!

-->And because you shouldn’t slump, for many reasons, do make sure you have a comfortable desk and chair. I mean, let’s be honest, if your back or neck is screaming with pain while you are trying to edit an image, you won’t last long. Invest in a chair with good support. If you experience wrist or hand strain, check out those squishy gel pads for your mouse and keyboard. It is amazing how much those little buggers can help.

-->For print work, do keep a swatch book (or two) handy, such as those from Pantone or Trumatch, to choose your colors. Don’t make a decision based on what you see onscreen. These books give you a true representation of how color looks when printed on paper.

I recommend getting a swatch book that shows both spot (premixed inks of a single color) and process colors (colors made by mixing the four process colors — Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black [CMYK]).

Be prepared for a healthy monetary investment when you buy a swatch book. These little buggers can cost anywhere from $75 to $200 and need to be replaced over time as the colors can fade. Keep them in a dark location to extend their life span. You can purchase swatch books from some larger art supply stores or order them online. You can purchase Pantone books from www.pantone.com. Do a search for others such as Trumatch, Focoltone, and Toyo.

-->If you buy imaging or printing services, do spend some time finding the best service bureau and printer in your area and develop a good working relationship. Most likely, you’ll run into a digital color expert or two hanging around. You should also stick with that vendor for all your products — scans, prints, Kodak Photo CDs, slides, and so on. You’ll know what to expect in terms of color and quality, and you’ll get better customer service by being a regular.

-->Do take some time to test your workflow (production methods) and your computer system. Scan images using multiple settings, print images using multiple settings, and view your images using different browsers on different monitors and different platforms. Get to know the strengths and limitations and quirks of every piece of your equipment. Experiment with Photoshop. I know, I know, you have a life. But trust me, it will be an investment with great returns.