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Color Chart
- Thread starter RonRon
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Tom Mann
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Dear RonRon, from what you said, it sounds like you have little experience with Photoshop, technically accurate product photography, color management, etc.
For example, do you realize that to have any hope of achieving even semi-accurate colors, you must have a complete color-managed workflow, starting with accurate color photography or scans of the samples, but also including hardware calibration of your monitor, and, if you are going to eventually print the final image as cards, you need to be very familiar with the CMYK color space, soft proofing, using specific printer profiles for the specific printing method, type of press, inks, and paper used, etc. If you are not, you could easily waste thousands of dollars of your company's money producing printed color charts with surprisingly inaccurate colors.
I hate to be a nay-sayer, but I feel that I should strongly caution you that such projects are always executed by a professional with long experience in such matters.
In one of your earlier posts, you mused about whether or not samples could be photographed.
Of course they can. You could do it with your smart phone with the samples illuminated by sickly green office fluorescent lights, or you could spend thousands of dollars and have a professional product photographer shoot super accurate pix of the samples ... or, you could do something in-between that will give you a reasonable level of color accuracy.
You & your organization really needs someone to guide you through this. It's not as simple as you think.
Sincerely,
Tom M
For example, do you realize that to have any hope of achieving even semi-accurate colors, you must have a complete color-managed workflow, starting with accurate color photography or scans of the samples, but also including hardware calibration of your monitor, and, if you are going to eventually print the final image as cards, you need to be very familiar with the CMYK color space, soft proofing, using specific printer profiles for the specific printing method, type of press, inks, and paper used, etc. If you are not, you could easily waste thousands of dollars of your company's money producing printed color charts with surprisingly inaccurate colors.
I hate to be a nay-sayer, but I feel that I should strongly caution you that such projects are always executed by a professional with long experience in such matters.
In one of your earlier posts, you mused about whether or not samples could be photographed.
Of course they can. You could do it with your smart phone with the samples illuminated by sickly green office fluorescent lights, or you could spend thousands of dollars and have a professional product photographer shoot super accurate pix of the samples ... or, you could do something in-between that will give you a reasonable level of color accuracy.
You & your organization really needs someone to guide you through this. It's not as simple as you think.
Sincerely,
Tom M
Tom Mann
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"... so I how can I find the colour hex codes ..."
Even if you have these, it still doesn't guarantee you an accurate reproduction because the hex codes tell you almost nothing about how shiny the sample is, an aspect of the material very, very important in nail polish.
Where are you located? Do you have a budget for this?
Tom
Even if you have these, it still doesn't guarantee you an accurate reproduction because the hex codes tell you almost nothing about how shiny the sample is, an aspect of the material very, very important in nail polish.
Where are you located? Do you have a budget for this?
Tom
Tom Mann
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:banghead: All I can say is "good luck".
For about the past 8 or 9 years, I have been turning out several images every month for a high quality, glossy publication of my employer with print runs of ten to twenty thousand, and all I can say is that even if you only need moderate accuracy, it just isn't as simple as you think.
As a simple example, at minimum, will your photographer acquaintance know to include a color standards chart (eg, the MacBeth color checker) with every exposure? Will he light the sample to show specular reflections or will he light it diffusely to emphasize color accuracy but sacrifice reflection information, etc.
T
For about the past 8 or 9 years, I have been turning out several images every month for a high quality, glossy publication of my employer with print runs of ten to twenty thousand, and all I can say is that even if you only need moderate accuracy, it just isn't as simple as you think.
As a simple example, at minimum, will your photographer acquaintance know to include a color standards chart (eg, the MacBeth color checker) with every exposure? Will he light the sample to show specular reflections or will he light it diffusely to emphasize color accuracy but sacrifice reflection information, etc.
T
Tom Mann I just want something similar to the image he doesn´t have to be extremely professional. I´m sorry if the company is starting and we can´t afford such professionals for this matter. It´s something that I will have to make on my own even if the result isn´t the expected, at least I will have something to work with.
Tom Mann
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Hi RonRon - I understand. I was just trying to establish reasonable expectations for the conditions under which you are operating. It may all turn out ok for you, and I hope it does, but there are very good reasons why an art director might pay a pro / specialty New York City product / catalog photographer $10k or so just to photograph a bunch of little samples when it might seem like anyone with a $500 DSLR would likely do an equally good job.
They essentially have bought themselves insurance that the results are going to be accurate, appropriate, lit well, done quickly, and won't have to be "adjusted" or re-shot.
If, in the future, you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Tom M
They essentially have bought themselves insurance that the results are going to be accurate, appropriate, lit well, done quickly, and won't have to be "adjusted" or re-shot.
If, in the future, you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Tom M
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