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The Fine Art Of Digital Printing

Download your free copy now!

 

Print your images to achieve new levels of mastery and personal expression.

 

Dano’s Glossary of Fine Art Terms 

 

Looking

 

6 Benefits Of Making Prints – Video

12 Things To Look For In Great Prints – Video

 

What Printing Can Do For You

What Printing Can Do For Your Images

How To Strike Up A Lively Conversation With Your Images

How To Map Out A Strategy To Develop Your Photographs | Coming

Save Time, Money, And Resources With These Checklists

7 Things To Look For In Great Prints & Great Artists Who Make Exceptions

9 Ways To Tell If Your Photographs Are Over Cooked

12 Classic Mistakes We’ve All Made Trying To Make Better Prints

How To Avoid 6 Printing Mistakes That’ll Make You Want To Curse

How To Key Your Images Expressively – Go High, Medium, Or Low

How To Avoid Making Viewers Squint At Your Prints To See Their Highlights

The Key To Lively Images –  Midtone Contrast – And How To Get It

How To Render Lively Shadows In Your Prints

 

Characteristics

 

Resolution  Free to Members
Learn how resolution can ensure fine detail and smooth transition.

Outgassing  Free to Members
Let your prints dry fully before framing them.

Metamerism
Metamerism is the tendency of an object to change its appearance under different light sources.

Bronzing 
Bronzing is an iridescent flash of color when viewing prints under varying angles of light.

Gloss Differential 
Gloss differential is an uneven reflectance of the surface of a print.

Banding  Free to Members
Eliminate mechanically introduced fine lines in your prints.

Longevity & Durability  Free to Members
How long do inkjet prints last? What should you do to protect them? Find out here.

 

Tools

 

Why Your Tools Matter When Printing
This big overview gives you the bottom line – and links for more depth.

Ink
Choose media wisely.

Paper / Substrate
Your choice of materials has a profound impact on your prints.

Paper Sizes – Standard   Free to Members

Paper Size – Custom   Free to Members

Make New Film | .99
Printing digital negatives with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 6 pages

Printer Profiles
How do you make a printer profile? When do you need to?

Printer Points of Control   Free to Members
You have a number of points of control with digital printers.

Printer Maintenance  Free to Members
A little maintenance can go a long way!

 

Epson

 

Epson Driver – Color 

Epson Driver – Advanced B&W Photo

Epson Driver – Double Color Management

Epson Driver – Ink Limit  Free to Members

Delete and Reload Printer Driver  Free to Members

Epson – Print / File Size Chart   Free to Members
The relationship between print size, file resolution and bit depth for Epson printers.

 

Presentation

 

Scale  Free to Members
Size matters. Consider the size of your prints with care.

Signing Prints
Use the best tools to ensure your signature lasts. 

Notation  Free to Members
The notations you make on your prints add value to them.

Mounting  Free to Members
Ensure that your prints are protected and beautifully displayed.

Matting  Free to Members
Make sure your images are protected and presented properly.

Framing  Free to Members
The frames you choose will enhance the quality of your artwork.

Exhibiting  Free to Members
Make your experience more successful by knowing what is required.

 

Masterworks In My Collection

 

The Importance Of Viewing Masterworks

Paul Caponigro – Apple, New York City, 1964

Ansel Adams – Clearing Winter Storm, 1944

Jerry Uelsmann, Nude, 1983

Joyce Tenneson – Kristin, Hands In The Air, 1998

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Photographers Celebrate The Print

 

Two Generations – Paul & John Paul Caponigro 

John Paul Caponigro 

Jeremy Cowart

Gregory Crewdson

Lois Greenfield 

Gerd Ludwig 

Steve McCurry

Mark Seliger 

John Sexton 

Tim Tadder 

Amy Toensing 

Stephen Wilkes 

.

Bambi Cantrell

John Paul Caponigro 

Douglas Dubler 

Greg Gorman 

Jay Maise

Steve McCurry

Jeff Schewe

 

John Sexton 

Kim Weston 

 

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How To Blur Your Images Creatively

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Explore ways to use blur in your images creatively.

The Top 5 Reasons To Blur Your Images

Quick & Easy Depth Of Field Effects With Photoshop’s Depth Blur

How To Combine Focussed & Defocussed Images Using Photoshop

A Quick Visual Comparison Of All Of Photoshop’s Blur Filters

A Grand Overview Of Photoshop’s Blur Filters

Control Blur FX In Photoshop With Amazing Precision

Create Sophisticated Motion Blur Effects With Photoshop’s Path Blur Filter 

How To Create More Realistic Blur Effects By Adding A Little Noise

3 Color Tweaks To Improve Image Blur’s Depth Of Field 

2 Ways To Quickly Add Bokeh Flares To Your Images

Enhance Blur Effects With Selective Sharpening | Coming

 

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The Art Of Creative Sharpening

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Master the look and feel of detail in your images.

 

3 Things Sharpening Can Do For Your Images 

Sharpening Workflow

Capture Sharpening

Creative Sharpening 

Output Sharpening

Detail Frequency

Unsharp Mask 

High Pass Sharpening 

High Pass Contrast Or Sharpening – How To Choose An Optimal Setting

The Texture Slider 

The Differences Between Dehaze, Clarity, High Pass, Texture and Sharpening 

HDR For Detail Enhancement 

The Advantages Of Sharpening With Layers

 Hybrid & Multi-Pass Sharpening 

Controlling Halo & Line Independently

How To Avoid Or Quickly Fix Halos & Lines

How To Avoid Common Over-Sharpening Artifacts

Edge Masks 

 

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The Art Of Noise

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Control noise in your images with these techniques.

Detail Frequency 
Understanding this term will help you know how to reduce noise in your images.

How To Avoid Noise – 3 Types & 2 Kinds 
Identify the type and kind to find a cure.

5 Ways To Eliminate Noise At The Source 
Eliminate noise at the source.

3 Photographic Noise Reducers Compared
Learn how to choose between Adobe’s AI and Manual Noise Reducers Plus Noiseware.

How To Use Adobe’s AI Noise Reduction 
It’s the next best thing to not having noise.

Reduce Noise With Adobe Camera Raw And Lightroom 
Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom both offer easy-to-use noise reduction controls…

Reduce Color Noise with Photoshop 
You can easily reduce the color component of noise using Photoshop.

Reduce Noise With Photoshop Filters 
Despeckle, Dust & Scratches, Median and Reduce Noise…

Noiseware – The Best Plug-In 
Noise happens. When you have it, there’s a lot you can do about it.

Multiple Exposures 
Make many exposures and watch the noise disappear.

How To Use Noise Creatively
Use Noise to reduce banding and create texture fx.

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Atmospheric FX

Purchase the full ebook above.

Purchase individual chapters below.

 

Create compelling atmospheric effects in your images with Photoshop.

 

1. Language of Night | .99
Create night scenes with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 6 pages

2. Atmospheric Perspective .99
Simulate perspective with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 6 pages

3. Atmosphere .99
Create fog and haze with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 8 pages

4. Smoke .99
Generate smoke with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 5 pages

5. Snow/Rain .99
Simulate snow and rain with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 7 pages

6. Rainbow .99
Render rainbows with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 9 pages

7. Illumination .99
Produce the effect of light with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 7 pages

8. Stars |.99
Make stars with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 8 pages

9. Lightning .99
Introduce lightning with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 8 pages

10. Rays of Light .99
Depict rays of light with Adobe Photoshop (all versions) – 8 pages

11. Shadows |.99
Represent shadows with Adobe Photoshop (all versions)  – 10 pages

 

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The Art Of Selections & Masking

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Mastering selections and masking will help you take your images to the next level.

Local Adjustments In Lightroom and Camera Raw | Coming Soon

When To Use Lightroom’s Local Adjustment Tools | Coming Soon

Why Photoshop’s Local Adjustment Capabilities Are Superior To Lightroom’s | Coming Soon

Photoshop’s Marquee Tools 
Quick rectangular and elliptical selections.

Photoshop’s Lasso Selection Tools 
Go to drawing tools for irregular selections.

Photoshop’s Magic Wand & Quick Selection Tools 
Let Photoshop do the work for you.

Two Keys To Combine All Of Photoshop’s Tools 
Easily add or subtract from selections.

Viewing Masks 
You can see a mask in a number of ways.

Mask Key Commands
Key commands make masking and selections faster and easier.

Painting The Simplest & Most Useful Masks In Photoshop 

Photoshop’s Quick Mask Combines All Selection And Brush Tools

Eight Useful Tips For Brushing Masks In Photoshop 

How To Make Masking Easier With Photoshop 

Gradient Masks

Fine Tuning Gradients 
Fine tune your gradients with masking techniques.

Masking Hue 

Masking Saturation 

Masking Luminosity 

Contour Masks 

Edge Masks

Combining Masks | Coming Soon

Frame (11/10) | .99
Make your images stronger by locally adjusting the frame.

Points (11/10) | .99
Make your images stronger by locally adjusting points.

Lines (11/10) | .99
Make your images stronger by locally adjusting lines.

Planes (11/10) | .99
Make your images stronger by locally adjusting planes.

 

Video – Photoshop Masking Key Commands

Video – Photoshop Making 2 Masks For 1 Layer

Video – Photoshop Feathering Selections  & Masks

Video – Photoshop Combining Gradient Masks 

 

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The Art Of Workflow

 

An optimum workflow will ensure you produce the best quality images possible.

 

1. Fine Art Workflow | Download
Create the highest quality master file with this fine art printing workflow.

2. Creating a Master File | Download
How to perform global, local corrections and soft proof your files.

3. File Editing Strategy | Download
How to adjust an image file.

4. Preflight Checklist | Download
Designed to help you avoid common mistakes before committing to final output.

5. Flexibility | Download
Keep your options open and preserve the flexibilty of your files.

6. Size | Download
Measuring your digital Image

7. Use Screenshots For Notes In Photoshop
Adopt a non-destructive workflow. When you can’t, take notes.

8. 5 Reasons You Still Need Photoshop

1  Fine Retouching, 2  Precise Masking, 3   Advanced Color Adjustment, 4  Creative Sharpening, 5  Plug-Ins

 

Mastering Color Management

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Use color management to make better files and insure others see them in their best light.

 

How To Do It

 

7 Simple Steps to Good Color Management
Take these simple steps to get consistent high-quality color.

Step 1 – Use ICC Profiles 
Assign ICC profiles to make color consistent and predictable.

Step 2 – Profile Your Monitor
Calibrate your monitor with hardware.

Step 3 – Set Adobe Color Settings
Set good Photoshop Color Settings in seconds.

Step 4 – Profile Your Printer
Better printer profiles help make better prints.

Step 5 – Softproof Before You Proof
Preview how your print will look before printing it.

Step 6 – Check The Correct Boxes In Your Printer Driver
Set good color management policies in your printer driver.

Step 7 – Control Your Viewing Environment
Use good quality light in neutral environments to evaluate your images.

 

Things To Watch For

 

16-Bit
Thousands of shades of gray reduce posterization.

Choose A Wide-Gamut Editing Space
Choose a wide-gamut editing space to make the best prints possible.

Editing Spaces Compared
From small to large, standard RGB editing spaces including sRGB, Adobe RGB (1998), and ProPhoto.

Rendering Intents Compared 
Perceptual, Relative Colorimetric, Absolute Colorimetric, Saturation.

What to Do with Color Management Dialogs 
Know what to do with the color management dialog boxes you encounter.

The Difference Between Converting Versus Assigning With Color Profiles 
Understand the difference between assigning and converting to a profile.

Where to Put ICC Profiles 
ICC profiles need to be filed in the correct location on your computer.

 

Tools

 

When And Why To Print Test Files 
Find out more about what to test.

Make Camera Profiles With X-Rite’s Color Checker Passport
X-Rites’ Color Checker Passport can be used to quickly deliver more accurate color in a variety of ways.

Managing Camera Profiles 
If you make camera profiles customized for your camera, sooner or later you’re going to want to rename or delete a few.

Graph Profiles With Chromix Colorthink
Colorthink graphs ICC profiles for visual comparison and contrast.

Use Full Spectrum Or HIgh CRI Viewing Light
Choose full-spectrum lighting with appropriate brightness and temperature.

 

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Explore The Power Of Color Psychology

The Art Of Color Adjustment

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The power of color offers you extraordinary creative capabilities and you’ve never had more control than today.

 

Strategies

 

Infinite Variations
The possibilities are almost limitless. Explore your options before you commit to a solution.

Use Presets To Find Variations Quickly
Speed your workflow and visualize many possibilities for your images.

Why Achieving Neutrality In Your Images Is So Important
Make your color more believable, saturated, and three-dimensional.

4 Ways To Achieve Neutrality
How you achieve neutrality sets the foundation for future color moves.

How To Key Your Images Expressively – Go High, Medium, Or Low
Set the mood for your images with tonality.

The Key To Lively Images –  Midtone Contrast – And How To Get It

6 Ways To Get Better Shadow & Highlight Detail
Increase separation in the darkest and lightest values.

5 Tools You Can Use To Make The Most Of Shadows & Highlights Without HDR
You can extend the dynamic range of your images without bracketing exposures.

How To Avoid Making Viewers Squint At Your Images To See Their Highlights
Preserving detail and setting brightness are important first steps.

How To Render Lively Shadows

3 Qualities Of Light You Can Use To Make Your Images Glow

How To Use Simultaneous Contrast To Make Colors Even More Lively

9 Ways To Tell If Your Images Are Overcooked

How To Make Day Look Like Night In Your Images

How To Enhance The Illusion Of Space With Atmospheric Perspective

Deciding Where To Make Your Images Glow And How To Do It  | Coming Soon

 

Raw

 

What In The World Are Raw Files?
Dive in to the strange and wonderful world of Raw files.

Why You Should Shoot Raw
Get highest quality images from your digital camera.

Why You Should Profile Your Camera
Improve the clarity and saturation of the color your digital camera creates.

How To Get More Than The Maximum A Slider Allows
Get 150%,  200%, 500% or more out of sliders.

5 Reasons You Still Need Photoshop
1  Fine Retouching, 2  Precise Masking, 3   Advanced Color Adjustment, 4  Creative Sharpening, 5  Plug-Ins

 

Tools

 

How To Evaluate Color Adjustment Tools
Identify the go-to, exotic, and redundant tools.

Blend Modes
Make all of Photoshop’s color adjustment tools more precise.

Curves
It’s the most precise tool for adjusting luminosity and hue.

High Pass Contrast
Make your photographs appear more three-dimensional.

High Pass Contrast Or Sharpening – How To Choose An Optimal Setting
Choose between planar contrast or edge sharpening.

Curves, Clarity, Dehaze, High Pass, Texture and Sharpening Compared
How do you choose between so many ways to control luminosity contrast?

Curing Dehaze Color Artifacts
Try this quick fix to eliminate Dehaze color artifacts.

Hue/Saturation & Vibrance & HSL Compared
They’re the most powerful tools for adjusting saturation.

White Balance, Photo Filter, Color Overlays, and Curves Compared
How do you choose between so many ways to control color temperature?

Selective Color
It makes very precise changes like no other tool.

Use LAB Color Mode To Increase Hue Contrast
Use LAB mode for greater hue separation.

Blending Channels
Use the information in one channel to improve another.

Adobe Camera Raw Filter
Using ACR on layers lets you use Photoshop’s precise masking with it.

Color Lookup
Color grading can give many images a similar look or individuals a unique one.

Color Grading
Make the color in your images more expressive with this easy split toning solution.

Gradient Maps
Add new color into specific ranges of luminosity.

Match Color
Transfer color from one image to another.

Synthetic Profiles
Make big changes non-destructively by redefining color values.

Before You Mask Use The Tool’s Selectivity | Coming Soon
The results are faster and sometimes better.

What You Can Do With Raw That You Can’t With Photoshop Unless … | Coming Soon
Adjust Raw files and individual layers with the most robust color adjustment feature.

 

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