Best piece of advice for "New to COLOR"...

Sort of like a position statement:
I have been monitoring this forum since it started, having used FT for a bit more than a year now... and having been a dedicated daVinci/telecine colorist for 13 years...and an on-line editor for nearly 20 years before that.
Best piece of advice I can offer to new users of COLOR is:
(Drum Roll) Read the Manual! (Cymbal crash!)
NB: It's good. My compliments to the writer (who is known to the TIG).
So many queries have been posted here that are answered right there in print -- it depresses me to think that maybe Apple are quite right not to include it as a physical article, as so few apparently can afford to peruse it. Even available as a pdf than can be queried on the spot...
Count yourselves extremely fortunate, spoiled, in fact. There was NO MANUAL for Final Touch (to speak of) and less than a handful of people who actually knew what they were doing.
This is a very complex application dedicated to an enormously subtle and exacting task, and the number of ways that it can be used and abused is evidenced by the number of 'bugs' that are being complained about.
Color correction, or grading, is very unlike editing, to voice an opinion, having done both at length. Refer to that "Men Vs. Women" gag panel, where men are represented by an "on/off" switch and women are this ridiculously complicated array of knobs, wheels, dials, meters, multi-position switches, etc. On the other hand, though... I would have no use for "UNDO".... never had it in daVinci-land... don't miss it. But I use it extensively in Final Cut. There you go. Use the active memories, grade bins, room setting bins... There are just TOO MANY shadings of meaning that go into a grade that can be accomodated with DO/UNDO... and besides... BE DELIBERATE!
Happy to join the forum... Where possible I will answer queries with a "page number", and hope that it will be a better learning experience. But I accept that that will only apply to operations, and not colour grading itself. There is no manual for that, although there are books that discuss it. Easier to map human emotions on a quantitative basis. Even Goethe gave up on it.
Joe

I would
have no use for "UNDO".... never had it in
daVinci-land... don't miss it.
I'll use basemem or original mem as my undo on the 2k+. It's a sledge hammer and not nearly as graceful as command-z but it will work.
Regarding the writer of the manual, Alexis van Hurkman has published an excellent text on color enhancement/correction http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Pro-Training-Encyclopedia-Correction/dp/0321432312/r ef=pdbbs_sr1/104-2640225-5516717?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182436900&sr=8-1
I had the pleasure of meeting him at NAB and getting a personal demo of Color at one of the Apple pods.
Nice post, Joe, nice post.
Zeb

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Can I have "All spots to process" checked at all times, even for new spot colors?

When I check “All spots to process” in the pdf export settings and save my settings the settings remember that I've checked this option. But, if new spot color objects using new spot color swatches are added to the document (or another document) and I go into the pdf export settings the check mark has been changed into a dash (with the actual checkbox highlighted) – signifying that only some of of the spot colors will be changed to process colors during export. I absolutely fail to see how this could possibly be seen as a feature and not a bug … if the user has checked “ALL spots to process” wouldn't the user expect ALL spots to be converted to process colors, rather than just any spot colors that happened to be in the document that happened to be open when the user first checked that checkbox and saved that setting?
Am I missing something here? What's the point of even having that checkbox as part of your saved export settings if it doesn't include any other spot colors than those used when saving the settings?
What's the point of having settings if you can't trust them, and still need to manually "override" them every time?
I see that some users have taken to writing scripts that instead turn all spot colors in the swatch panel to process colors, and while I commend them for creating that workaround, I'm still pissed at Adobe for not getting the function right.
If this is a feature, who is it for? People who want to add just certain spot colors and turn those into process colors rather than turning all spot colors into process colors are surely better off doing that in the swatches panel, where they're in total control of what's what. And if they don't want to "permanently" change their spot colors to process colors, and prefer to (temporarily) convert them during exporting/printing only, they can do that in the ink manager. But when someone checks convert "All spots to process" couldn't we safely assume they really want ALL spot colors to be converted and not just some of them? I mean, the way that checkbox behaves now, it's like it's a button and not a checkbox. As in: hit the button "All spots to process" to switch all currently viewed spot colors to process colors in the ink manager, OR check the "All spots to process" checkbox to always convert ALL spot colors to process colors during exporting/printing.
Anyone got any light to shed on this?
And is there a way to actually get the advertised behavior, because if you have to run a script every time you export/print you might as well just manually select the checkbox every time instead, but either way it's just really unnecessary as far as I'm concerned … Adobe should get the feature right instead.
If you save a setting and recall it, it shouldn't be possible for that setting to change into something else (in this case changing a checkmark to a dash).
Clearly CMYK printing is the norm, so for most users it would make a lot of sense to have the "All spots to process" checked most of the time, and then you just go into the swatches panel or the ink manager and set things correctly for those print jobs that really do need spot colors.
I myself am not one of those who add spot colors to my swatches unless I'm really using them as spot colors, but I often work with magazines and folders featuring adverts made by whoever, and typically there's always at least one advert that features spot colors, and therefore it would be very nice if the "All spots to process" feature actually worked as advertised without any required actions from me.
We stopped sending ads back to the advertisers for adjustments a long time ago, unless we absolutely had to, because there were so many things wrong with so many ads that it was simply too much work to write back and explain everything to people who most of the time didn't even understand what we were talking about. We found that it was usually a LOT faster and easier to just adapt the ads ourselves, as long as it was something that could be worked out really quickly from within InDesign itself, which pretty much included most typical errors.
But with this feature I find Adobe is trying to make my job harder rather than easier, and it's pissing me off. Arrrghh… ;-)

But It's not a preference it's a shortcut
It's a bad joke, is what it is. ;-)
So, why in your opinion should it be presented the way it is? I keep saying in it's current functionality it shouldn't be presented the way it is (and that: if it is, it shouldn't work the way it does). If it's not a preference or even a proper checkbox, why present it that way?
If you put it right next to the table at the top of the window (so that it's directly associated with that information, rather than information right above it) and just called the checkbox “Spot(s) to process” and had it only visually reflect the content of the sleected spot colors in the table, then I'd see your point with likening it to the “Hyphenate” checkbox.
If a story has two selected paragraphs that uses two different hyphenation settings then the checkbox should present the way it does now, but if you hit the checkbox so that both paragraphs now use hyphenation and create a third paragraph inbetween the two previous ones it better inherit that setting and not turn off hyphenation for the new paragraph (unless of course there's a defined next paragraph style that switches to a style with hyphenation turned off). And if that checkbox said “Hyphenate all paragraphs” instead, then I would expect it to do just that, and not just the selected ones, and not just the current paragraphs but quite literally all paragraphs even newly created ones – otherwise it doesn't do what it says it does, and simply shouldn't be labeled that way.
And seriously bad interface design aside, you'd have to rename “All spots to process” to “Switch all currently displayed spot swatches listed in the table above to process” to actually describe what that checkbox does. So even if you're a fan of the current functionality, as opposed to one that actually lets the user set and forget a setting like that, and think it's better that users manually check it repeatedly (which I'm not saying that you are, but you're not giving me any feedback suggesting you even see my point of view with any of this, so what do I know?), then why wouldn't you still support an interface that visually matches/signals that functionality better? If it's a “Select all” checkbox supplementing a table containing a column of checkboxes, then present it that way. Don't put it at the bottom of the window next to another checkbox that works just like a regular checkbox and label it “All spots to process” – because that way you are signalling a different behavior.
Seriously, if I was to do design using the same mentality that Adobe uses when designing their user interfaces it wouldn't be long before I lost all clients. There's a lot to be said for de facto monopolies, I suppose. Oh no, there's nothing wrong with the design, just as long as you accept it on it's own terms and don't compare it to anything relevant, and just as long as you give people enough time to understand and accept it … and surrender to it.
For real … I wouldn't win one single pitch that way.
Today's threads have in many ways been a thorough reminder of the following quote from the second link I provided:
Is there an Internet rule yet stating that even the most obviously indefensible mistake will eventually be defended by someone somewhere? Awful marketing efforts get explained as genius viral campaigns, broken features become solutions.
And whether or not you're able to see my point of view or not is really besides the point too.
The real point was, and remains to be:
That for those who receive lots of ads or other external files that may or may not contain spot colors it would be far more useful to be able to set a checkbox to always convert all spots to process when exporting, than the current functionality is (and I'm not suggesting eliminating the current functionality, just change so it's presented like what it really is, and then just let that separate checkbox do what it says) … causing unnecessary manual action on the user's behalf shouldn't be the business of Adobe – preventing it should.
And here's further reading on the subject of bad Adobe interface design for those who might feel so inclined. ;-)
Cheers!

Helpful advice for new high definition camcorder owner

I recently purchased a new camcorder to record games for our high school basketball team. (Canon vixia HF R10) I have been playing around with the settings to find the best setting for recording fast moving action. Any advice on settings?

classact wrote:
I recently purchased a new camcorder to record games for our high school basketball team. (Canon vixia HF R10) I have been playing around with the settings to find the best setting for recording fast moving action. Any advice on settings?
Really for a camcorder there isn't anything special. Only things I can think of are:
1) Make sure you do not use any modes (such as "night mode") that can potentially drop the framerate below normal.
2) You probably have the option of 24p and 30p framerate modes - choose 30p for sports.
That's basically it for video.
For still pictures, it's all about the fastest shutter speed, but for video - not important as long as your shutter speed doesn't go so slow as to reduce the framerate.
*disclaimer* I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of Best Buy, Geek Squad, nor of any of their affiliate, parent, or subsidiary companies.

Best iphone car mount for new VW beetle

trying to figure out what is the best solution for iphone car mount

ProClips is expensive and yuo need to buy two different parts. I am not driving a brand new car and when I change cars this is a big investment in something that wil only work with VW beetle.
BUT I found the PERFECT SOLUTION aqnd wanted to share with all.
This car mount is adjustable and will work well with the iphone in a case too. It has a low profle and easily removed from car to car too.
It is mountable on windshield or on the dash and that is where I mounted it right in between my two air vents and just above radio on my beetle. From here it is easily viewiable and accessable tor my charger & for plugging into car speaker system.
Best thing is the price......under $20 with shipping. Okay, what is it.....IOTTIE.
You can view some utube videos of this thing too if you want. I love mine!

Need logical setup advice for new iTunes on external HDD and new laptop

New to Win7, would like to know the best way to re-create from scratch my 5+ year old iTunes library on a new external hard drive without simply copying the previous iTunes folder structure over. I guess that I would like to add all the music, video, movie and iPhone app files to a new library. What is the best method to do this so that iTunes can organize all of the new data from scratch correctly? What about reauthorizing apps and media I purchased through iTunes? anything special to do to reintroduce this data to a new iTunes?
(to clarify - I intend to install the iTunes program on my local C drive in programs on the laptop and all data on the external drive) Thanks...

Steve M. wrote:
I know I should have redundant backups and should probably have a second external HD and eventually will.
Yes, that's best.
But for now, if I partition (I'm assuming I should) a new 1 TB external HD, how big should I make the TM partition vs. the SD partition at this point assuming I have under 100 GB on my internal Mac HD? Is this a feasible way of doing things here in the near term.
Your best bet is to make your TM partition 2-3 times the size of the amount of data you anticipate backing-up. Put it first on the drive; that way, later on you can delete the partition below it, expand the TM partition, and make a new, smaller partition for SD (or use the whole drive). See #1, #3, #5 and #6 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of this forum, for details.
By the way, any recommendations on which peripheral HDs to consider? I was very surprised on a recent visit to my local Apple Store that they have a large stock of WD My Studio drives. I mentioned to an Apple sales person that I had always heard WDs were kind of a no-no among Mac users but she assured me the current crop of them were much improved. Any comment on that??
Most any drive will work with Macs, and Time Machine.
If you're going to put a "bootable clone" on it, be sure it's a bootable drive. Most PPC Macs can boot only from FireWire; most Intels can boot from F/W or USB. But some Western Digitals won't boot a Mac. Their list of which ones should and +should not+ boot: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/stdadp.php?pfaqid=1787. But note the disclaimer that they don't support it +*at all.+*.
In addition, many of them have a built-in sleep mode that cannot be disabled, and sometimes interferes with Time Machine backups: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/stdadp.php?pfaqid=1376

Best hard drive replacement for new macbook 2.16ghz

What brand/specs is the factory 120gb hard drive installed in the new macbooks? Mine has a 120gb from the factory but I don't know the brand, configuration nor what would be the best upgrade.

Hi corkscrew,
Click on blue apple on top left corner > about the mac > and click more info on that window.
After it open another window (system profiler) > click Serial-ATA at the left portion, and it will open the info of your HD.
And it will open info similar to this:
Intel ICH7-M AHCI:
Vendor: Intel
Product: ICH7-M AHCI
Speed: 1.5 Gigabit
Description: AHCI Version 1.10 Supported
ST910021AS:
Capacity: 93.16 GB
Model: ST910021AS
Revision: 3.04
Serial Number: 1MH00DM9
Native Command Queuing: Yes
Queue Depth: 32
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk0
Copy the model number and search that on google or other search engine, and it will provide you link to the HD info.
If you don't need fast HD and need bigger capacity, upgrade with one like 200GB or 250GB with 5400 rpm (macbook default factory HD rpm), or if you need faster HD, try to get the 7200 rpm, I recommend the 160gb HD internal SATA 2.5" form factor 7200 rpm like one from Seagate.
But whichever you choose, check their sites and compare the price/GB and warranty length period.
Good Luck.

Advice for new Razr owners

My dog got hold of my Droid X, so I replaced it with a Razr, which won out over the iPhone 4s becase of 4G and screen size. First day, I found that my connection, whether 4G, 3G, roaming, whatever, would spontaneously drop out. No rhyme or reason behind it. Verizon tech support tried to be helpful, but the tech sounded like she was grabbing at straws. She's sending me a SIM card.
However, yesterday evening I went to Motorola's website and downloaded the latest software update, 6.11.748.XT912. This update is supposed to provide:
Phone
Improved 4G data connectivity
Eliminated false SIM error messages
Improved performance for transition between 3G and 4G connections
Improved maintenance of network connection upon completion of a voice call
Enhanced Wi-Fi performance
Camera
Enhanced camera performance
Phone Stability
Resolved general stability issues in menu access. Browser, Phone Dialer, video playback and music player reducing Force Close errors and lockups.
Other
Improved readability for Lapdock™ email, SMS and social networking user interface menu items
Updated group message notifications
IF YOU HAVE NOT INSTALLED THIS UPDATE, DO IT NOW! My Razr is now working flawlessly, and (aside from battery life) I can say I love it. The Razr now has the highest sensitivity of any phone I've owned, and that's a lot. I've been with Verizon a LONG time, beginning when it was Metro Mobile CTS. I live in the country, 60 miles south of any major city, and I can now travel between the two without losing a signal!
The RAZR ROCKS! (except for the battery life, like I said, but that's what car chargers are for )

try turning off 4g and just leave the 3g on.there an app for that.and of course make sure data is enabled.you area may not have a good 4g connection.

Best anti glare screen for new ipad

I do a lot of reading on my ipad, especially at night and I notice it has been affecting my eyes and I am experiencing eyestrain, I purchased some gunnar computer glasses to help deflect the screen glare but so far no cigar. Any suggestions on a good anti glare screen that I can use ?

Hi Menel,
Thanks for the reply!
Does your PowerSupport Anti-Glare affect the nice Retina display? Does it still look good?
Is it easy to apply? ( Bubble Free ? )
The ones I have loooking at are:
GreatShield "EZseal Plus" 100% Bubble Free Guaranteed Anti-Glare (Matte) Screen Protector Film Mask
myGear Products Boarder Anti-Glare Bubble Free Screen Protector
Thanks

HT204053 Is it possible to have two (or more) different icloud mail accounts (not alias) under the same apple id? If not what is you best advice for all family members to have their own e-mail and still share the purchases under the same apple id. Thanks

Is it possible to have two (or more) different icloud mail accounts (not alias) under the same apple id? If not what is you best advice for all family members to have their own e-mail and still share the purchases under the same apple id. Thanks

mannyace wrote:
Thanks for the response.
So I basically won't run into any trouble? I
There should be no issues. Its designed to work like that. You don't change Apple IDs just because you get a new device.
mannyace wrote:
Thanks for the response.
Is there any chance that the phones can fall out of sync?
Unlikely. But nothing is impossible. Though I don;t see how that would happen. As long as both are signed into the Same Apple ID / iCloud Account they will be N'Sync. (Bad Joke)
mannyace wrote:
Thanks for the response.
If I get a message or buy an app or take a photo on the iPhone 5, how do I get those things onto the iPhone 6?
If you buy an App, you have 2 ways to get it to the iPhone6: If Automatic Downloads is enabled in Settings->iTunes & App Store, it will automatically download to the iPhone 6 when you buy it on the 5 and vice versa if you buy it on the 6, it will download to the 5.
Alternatively, you can simply go to the App Store App->Updates->Purchased and look for the App there and download it. Purchased Apps will not require payment again. i.e They'll be free to download to the iPhone 6 once purchased.
SMS Messages will sync over using Continuity as long as they are on the same Wifi network. Otherwise, restoring the iPhone 5 backup to the iPhone 6 will transfer all messages received up until the backup was made onto the iPhone 6.
Images, can be transferred either through Photo Stream
My Photo Stream FAQ - Apple Support
Or any Cloud service you want such as Dropbox, or One Drive.
mannyace wrote:
Also, something i forgot to ask initially: Should I update the iPhone 5 to iOS 8 first or does that not matter?
If you want the Continuity features as explained above you need to update the iPhone 5 to iOS 8. Otherwise its not all that important.

A new Book: Color Management for Digital Photographers

Ted Padova and Don Mason have published a new book: Color Management for Digital Photographers for Dummies (ISBN 978-0-470-04892-4).
As the back cover of the manual states "This book is packed with examples to guide you through understanding color basics, correcting brightness and contrast, getting the exact tone and hue, and creating perfect prints - in full color, of course!" (with the tools available in PSE 4 and 5).
I had the luck to benefit from the excellent experience and the gracious help of Don Mason for a color/brightness adjustment problem in a Dafodill photo that I did not know how to solve on my own. I look forward to learn much more from this book.
Probably other PSE users could also be interested in this book.

Yes, I've tried all of the options: Printer manages color, PSE manages color. All are the same dark prints.
On another conversation on this forum, I read the following. Very discouraging to think that Adobe knows of this problem but won't give me any tech support because too much time has lapsed.
I don't know what "plugs" are--sounds like this user figured out a way around it.
Any advice?
Thanks!
Fran
Re: Color mismatch EpsonR800 and Elements 6
Adobe has admitted that there is a color management issue with PSE 6 for Mac. I have an Epson R1900 and I am now getting acceptable color-managed prints by allowing the Epson Printer driver to manage color management (ie; color management in PSE 6 turned off). The Epson Photoshop Plug In also works well with PSE6 and ICC profiles; however, I have yet to solve 2 problems with this particular plug in: (1) How to get the program to capture 3rd party ICC profiles and (2) how to print borderless prints. If anyone has seen a user guide for this particular plug in, I would be grateful to know how to download it.

What is the best skin for new Macbook Air 13"?

What is the best skin for new Macbook Air 13"?
I have a new Air and want to protect it from scratches and such.
Thanks in advance

Sorry, I don't like "skins". They inhibit the heat transfer necessary to keep your MBA cool. Get a soft or hard case to store it when not in use. I like Speck products.
Just take care of it. Battle scars make it uniquely yours.

Can I set a "default color" for new layers?

I find myself constantly changing the color of new layers back to my favorite: Magenta. Is there a way to just make this the default new layer color?
I understand the reasoning of using different colors for each layer, but so many standard colors do not preview well, with the artwork, I find them useless. I'd just as soon use one color.

I have a hotkey for an action creating a new layer but unfortunately the layer color option cannot be recorded in the action. What I do is create a bunch of layers I would eventually need, select all of them in the Layers panel and double click on the selection to open the options dialog where I can change the layer color for all at once.

Best way to start a new catalog for 2009 ?

Hi,
What's the best way to start a new catalog for the new year, with all the keywords and all the presets of the modules (without having to export all the folders) of previous catalog 2008 ?
Thanks,
Dominique

Well there is a cost too in not being able to find all your images in a single step, and inconsistencies soon develop - eg a keyword is plural in one catalogue, singular in another. Speed or stability issues are not simply related to catalogue size, and I've seen decently-performing catalogues 50% bigger than yours (as well as slow ones of a few hundred images). Have you optimized the catalogue recently?
But if you think it's a good idea to fragment control of your picture collection.... Presets will be carried over to a new catalogue as they belong to the machine (unless you have the save with catalogue preference turned on). Keywords can be moved via the Metadata > Export and Import Keywords command. If you have lots of collections and smart collections, then maybe make a copy of your existing catalogue and then remove all the items from it - making sure you don't trash them of course.
John

New MBP - Best way to care for battery?

Not sure if this is necessary anymore, but I am receiving my new MBP in the mail later today. What is the best way to care for the battery? Should I plug the MBP into the wall for an amount of time before turning it on, or at least wait until it is fully charged before turning it on for the first time? Is anything like that even necessary anymore?
Thanks,
Keith

Here's what Apple recommends:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
Best use is frequently and lightly. Be sure to calibrate your battery every two months or so:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284
Hope this helps...

Best Wishes to Everyone For a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Best Wishes to Everyone For
a Healthy and Happy New Year!

We know that you mean well, Anne, and we do appreciate it, but posts like these are typically not permitted, just because they're off-topic.
However, Thank You very much, and you have a Happy New Year as well.

Best piece of advice for "New to COLOR"...

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