One other BIG complaint is the horrible quality of the diagrams and the fact that they were all in black and white/greyscale. How can you try to explain color processing and printing using black and white diagrams?
Moreover, these systems are now affordable to the serious photographer. In the hands of knowledgeable and experienced photographers, these new inkjet printers can help create prints comparable to the highest quality darkroom prints on photographic paper.
This book provides the necessary foundation for fine art printing: The understanding of color management, profiling, paper and inks. It demonstrates how to set up the printing workflow as it guides the reader step-by-step through this process from an image file to an outstanding fine art print.
Documents are to be created in "batch process" mode.
All the examples are written in Java, but they can be easily adapted to .NET by developers using one of the .NET ports: iTextSharp (C#) or iText.NET (#J). While iText is a free Java library and the examples are written from the point of view of the Java developer, nine out of ten examples can be run by .NET developers with only minimal changes.
Customer Reviews:
Good book.......2007-05-28
This is nice book, though most of the contents can be found online (I believe it is linked from the author's website). I have created some complex PDF files using iText following the examples on the book and online tutorials. This is the book from iText creator, surely it worth a 5 starts.
Excellent book on a great open source software project..........2007-04-08
I've always figured that there should be some way to create PDF files without the manual effort of any 3rd party software client. Now I find out there is a way, and it's rather exciting... iText In Action by Bruno Lowagie covers the iText open source software project. It's a very well done reference manual that can also serve as a tutorial for a decent Java developer.
Contents:
Part 1 - Introduction: iText - when and why; PDF engine jump-start; PDF - why and when
Part 2 - Basic Building Blocks: Composing text elements; Inserting images; Constructing tables; Constructing columns
Part 3 - PDF Text and Graphics: Choosing the right font; Using fonts; Constructing and painting paths; Adding color and text; Drawing to Java Graphics2D
Part 4 - Interactive PDF: Browsing a PDF document; Automating PDF creation; Creating annotations and fields; Filling and signing AcroForms; iText in web applications; Under the hood
Appendixes: Class diagrams; Creating barcodes; Open parameters; Signing a PDF with a smart card; Dealing with exceptions; Pdf/X, Pdf/A, and tagged PDF; Resources; index
Lowagie starts off with a brief background of how iText came into being, along with a scenario of where the ability to programmatically create PDF files could dramatically change the way a college would run a department. Then after a short Hello World example that involves creating a simple document, he delves into all the different features and capabilities. The book at this point starts to change from tutorial to reference manual, but it's done in such a way that you could just keep working through the material in tutorial fashion with little effort (and good results). The example code in all the chapters are extensively annotated and explained, so you're not left to your own devices to try and figure out what the logic is trying to accomplish. In fact, I would say that the code annotation and commentary is some of the best I've seen in a book of this type. Great job...
The main target audience for this book is the Java developer, as the iText project is Java-based. There are .NET ports for J# and C#, and knowing how close those languages are to Java, this book should work pretty well for those development efforts with a little bit of thought and modification. Other languages should be able to use the iText toolkit if they have some way to call Java code modules from within their programs. As a Notes/Domino developer, I should be able to utilize all of this package in any Java agents I write, and the LS2J feature of LotusScript might also work well. After reading this book, I know I have some things I need to try...
If you have any sort of need involving the creation of PDF files from within your own system, iText is a great alternative to explore. And if that seems to be the way to go, I don't know of any better book to get than this one...
iText saved me!.......2006-12-16
In January 2006 I was assigned to build a system that would create lots of PDF reports, typically with hundreds of pages of tables, and with tables nested in other tables. I started with an an open-source tool called BIRT that is well-designed and powerful, but it didn't quite give me sufficient low-level control over some aspects of PDF creation. When I realized that BIRT wasn't going to work for me, I was behind schedule and in trouble. Then I discovered iText. (BIRT actually is built using iText jar files.) I found that iText gave me exactly what I needed: an easy-to-use yet powerful Java API for creating PDF files. The remainder of the project, using iText, went smoothly, and my boss was very happy with the results. But I sure wish that I'd had Bruno Lowagie's "iText in Action" book at the time! That would have shaved a few weeks off of the project and would have saved me from learning some things painfully, by trial and error. As the original developer of iText, Bruno Lowagie is uniquely qualified to write this book. He obviously put a huge amount of effort into it, reflecting his longstanding commitment to iText. He made every effort to explain things as clearly as possible, and to document the pitfalls as well as the attractive features. It is evidently a labor of love for him. The book is written to the high editorial standards of other Manning books, with clear organization, good typography and layout, and so on. I highly recommended iText itself, and also this book, to anyone who is using Java to work with PDF files.
Book Description
This book serves as a unique, comprehensive reference guide to digital printing for photography and fine art. It combines a thorough introduction to this expressive medium, instruction in the latest techniques, and a gallery of the best examples of digital art into a one-of-a-kind resource guide. Whether you are a photographer, traditional or digital artist, or printmaker, this book will help you master the techniques unique to the new world of digital printing.
Customer Reviews:
Very Misleading Title.......2007-09-03
Only 25 pages (Chapter 8) out of almost 400 total actually talk about making a print. The technique the author uses is highly based around the trial and error method. A Master printer, in my mind, should be able to hit it on the first print not after experimentation and a lot of testing. If that is not enough to lose interest in this author, there are some serious mistakes in those 25 pages as well. For instance page 268, there is a reference to the Print Space Profile--Same As Source. Anyone who knows how to print, knows that Same As Source is used ONLY to print a Target. I didn't see any reference in the book to a Target. I don't think the author knows what a Target is. This Book is a big disappointment for me. Take out Chapter 8 and come up with a different title.
For all photo printer users.......2007-06-20
This book will help any digital photographer/printer to learn about printing phtographs.
Aged commentary still somewhat useful.......2007-01-04
This book is getting mighty long in the tooth. It addresses inkjet printers from long before they became so good and useful. The approach to CMS, or color management systems, is superficial, and does not even address tools available when the book was written. It completely skips color spaces and the understanding of light and color.
However, it does give a broad beginning approach to understanding color printing. If you are just beginning to learn, this book is a good introduction covering many of the topics you will need an introduction to. Once past the introductory phase of learning, this book is of little value, being to basic in its handling of subjects to really be useful.
Take your digital printing to the next level.......2006-09-06
Mastering Digital Printing is a comprehensive manual/textbook for the professional photographer or artist who demands the knowledge to control every aspect of his/her final output, as well as the printmakers who assist them in this process. From printing techniques, file management, history, paper selection, every aspect of printing is here. The photos and bios of printers, artists, and photographers in their studios is helpful to see the layout of the workspace and creative ways of using the space available. This is the book you need to take your digital printing to the next level.
More about how to spec printing equipment than about making prints.......2006-04-20
This handsome volume badly disappointed me. I think the proper rating for the book is about one and a half stars, but I gave it two out of generosity.
If you don't have a printer and are looking to buy one, it gives a pretty good round-up of the choices, technologies, and papers. The problem with this kind of thing, of course, is that it is necessarily dated--so it can't really serve as a buyer's guide.
If you already have a printer--I have an Epson 4800--and a source of digital images, you won't find much information here about how to make great prints. The only section on the actual print making process shows the dialogs for one printer, probably the author's. Totally unhelpful unless you have that printer (and you've probably already figured out how those dialogs work if you have that printer).
The section on RIP software is way overview, and doesn't provide any decent guidance on how to proceed with it.
I'm not given to writing negative reviews, and I don't often return books (as I am with this one), but in the face of all the positive feedback for this book I feel compelled to provide my opinion. As I said, if you are looking to buy a printer, this might help you understand the basic technology issues (although the models have changed since the book was written). Otherwise, the only use I see for it is as a "gee whiz" coffee table book for would-be digital printers rather than a serious reference manual.
Book Description
Translating inspiration to the printed page has always been a challenge. The advent of desktop publishing granted new levels of power and control to the layout artist and graphic designer, but it hasn’t eliminated the traditional pitfalls. In fact, it’s introduced a few new ones. Sometimes managing the disparate elements of fonts, images, colors, and more, while dealing with the quirks of various layout applications makes even the bravest designer and production editor long for the hands-on days of moveable type. Creating a great layout on your monitor is only half the battle; how do you make it work on paper? Print production expert Claudia McCue takes on the challenge of putting ink to paper, offering clear, authoritative guidance to print professionals and anyone else who has been frustrated by the obstacles of getting electronic documents to print perfectly. In this book, you’ll learn how to
- Get the most out of page layout programs such as Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress, and decide which is right for your needs
- Use image applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Macromedia FreeHand to reproduce the most complicated raster and vector images flawlessly
- Understand how ink and paper work together, and learn how to prevent unwelcome surprises in tricky situations such as overprinting, trapping, and color registration
- Use Adobe Acrobat to distribute your document in a universally accessible format while preserving your layout
- Wrangle your fonts, and choose the best ones from among the huge array of available typefaces
- Preflight, or prepare your job for submission to a printer or service bureau
âClaudia offers a deadly combination of wit and wisdom. If you’re involved with print, buy this book!â
âDavid Blatner, co-author Real World InDesign CS2 and Real World Photoshop CS2
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, Helpful, Witty.......2007-08-13
If you are new to the desktop publishing business, this book has lots of answers and even brings up questions I didn't know to ask. Ms. McCue is to be commended on her writing style, as well. Buy this book!
An Excellent Buy.......2007-05-30
I have been a designer with an Ad Agency for 6 years. Where was this book when I was just getting started?
In today's design schools we are taught how do run the programs and how to make a good looking design but nobody teaches you how to build a proper file that won't drive your prepress guys in to screaming fits... until now. Learning how to do 1001 tricks in Photoshop/Illlustrator/Quark/InDesign/Freehand will do you no good unless the files you send to the printer will actually print. This is the book I wish I had read when I first started and I highly recommend it. This is money well spent. I use it to teach our newer employees on what to do and what not to do when sending files to the printer. It explains problems in an easy to understand manner.
The only flaw in this book... some things seemed to be repeated constantly.
Must Read for Every Designer.......2007-03-20
This was a great book and a tremendous resource for a designer. Author has engaging and straightforward writing style - didn't take long to read and will save numerous headaches at the printer.
I highly recommend this for anyone who produces digital media for print!
Real World Print Production by Claudia McCue.......2007-01-12
The book title says it all. Excellent book! I wish it had been published a year earlier - as it would have answered many questions. I bought this book without seeing any reviews since it was hot off the press. This is the best book I have found that really explained printing with software programs. I do not know of any other books on the market that fill this niche. It is a real gem. It explains many things that could only be learned from years of experience only the author has graciously provided her knowledge in book form. Topics discussed are: life cycle of a print job, fundamentals of printing, binding and finishing, preparing raster images, vector graphics, fonts, cross-platform issues (MAC vs PC), job submission, Photoshop production tips, Illustrator Production Tips, Freehand Production tips, InDesign Production Tips, QuarkXpress Production Tips, Acrobat Production tips, and print production resouces (14 chapters plus appendix). Great for a beginner to graphics arts like me ( 1 year self trained)to advanced user. I rate this book 10 stars!!!!!
Great intro to the print industry.......2007-01-11
I will be printing a book soon and Real World Print Production covered the print production process.
Book Description
"Clear, concise, lively, well-organized and opinionated."—Popular Photography and Imaging
In this thorough revision of his best-selling guide, Rick Sammon covers all the steps in the digital photographic process. The book teaches basic technical picture taking and the art of photography, plus introductory and advanced digital techniques.
Orchestrating over 1,000 images into easy-to-read lessons, Sammon uses an approach of "learning to see and seeing to learn" with pairs of images, software screen shots, and the best photographs from his own shooting assignments.
New for this edition, all the image editing tips feature the popular Adobe Photoshop® Elements®; file format discussions now include working with Camera RAW files; and more than 170 new color images have been added. 1000 color photographs.
Customer Reviews:
As good as they say, but let's correct a misquote..........2007-09-30
New photographers will appreciate the fact that most of Parts I, II, III and VII in this 445-page book, a total of more than 250 pages, is about photography subjects other than digital photography per se. These subjects include sharpness, autofocus, the rule of thirds, using flash, and so on. Understandably, though, experienced film photographers who want to move on to digital photography, or those who already have books on general photography, may see it differently. So I am in sympathy with reviewer "A Photographer, Planet Earth" when he complains "first they want to teach you a little basic photography..." then it's on to "Photoshop tricks".
Readers who want to focus on the "digital" in digital photograpy might want to look at "Complete Digital Photography" by Ben Long and "Digital Photography, Expert Techniques," by Ken Milburn.
Sammon's digital photography book deserves its good reviews, because his obvious enthusiasm for the medium transcends the book's faults, or perhaps what some would call its overly broad approach. There is only one error that Sammon's enthusiasm does not transcend. He misquotes one of the world's greatest photographers, the late Henri Cartier-Bresson, about his philosophy of image-making. Each of Sammon's chapters begins with an italicized quotation. So when you see, at the top of Lesson 15 on page 87, this comment attributed to Cartier-Bresson -- "To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event" -- you may think that is what Cartier-Bresson really said.
But that is not what he said. In the preface to his book "The Decisive Moment," Henri Cartier-Bresson wrote, "To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms that give that event its proper expression."
To get the first half of this quote right, and omit the second half entirely, is to miss the whole point, and in doing so to seriously misinform young people about Cartier-Bresson's actual philosophy. It is a philosophy that the photographer lived for many years as he wandered Europe on foot. The Frenchman's well known work actually does reveal a talent for organizing circles, ovals, arches, and other shapes so as to enhance the meaning of the photograph! What he did in recognizing the meaning of an event and *at the same time* organizing shapes and forms within the frame so as to express that meaning is incredible. Study his photos with his stated philosophy in mind and you will only marvel more. He didn't just teach it; he lived it.
Sammon is an admirer of Cartier-Bresson. That being the case, I hope that in the future he will be more careful how he quotes him.
I'll close with a compliment. Sammon has an enviable rapport with his subjects -- and these include people from all over the world. I admire this quality of Sammon and his book, and I think you will too.
Easy to Read & Understand.......2007-07-19
I've only recently begun shooting pictures digitally. I took a short class on Crime Scene Photography that scratched the surface, but I wanted to learn more. Rick Sammon writes in a very conversational way that makes his book fun to read and easy to understand. This book is great for the beginner and the advanced alike. There are countless tips on general photography as well as editing your photos in PhotoShop. This book is certainly worth the time to read and re-read. I keep it around now as a reference.
An enjoyable but not completely satisfying read........2007-06-12
I'm giving this book four stars based almost solely on Rick Sammon's enthusiasm. He is obviously a person who enjoys what he does and likes interacting with others. His writing was lively enough so I read the book in one afternoon. The bottom line problem with this guide is the same bottom line problem I'm finding in all digital photography guides I've encountered. The first thing they want to do is teach you a little basic photography knowledge and the next thing they do is tell you how to use Photoshop tricks to create "artful photos" that, in effect, minimizes the need for knowledge of basic photography. Photography is more than tricks and "secrets of the pros" and Photoshop is a fine tool for photographers to augment their work. Unfortunately, most digital photography teaching vehicles today emphasize the ghastly and tasteless manipulations in Photoshop and fail to emphasize learning basic camera technique. To Rick Sammon's credit, he does provide a measure of how to use tools available for in-camera control as opposed to relying solely on Photoshop corrections and manipulations in post production. But when the chapters on the various Photoshop tools and manipulations come into play, it's still a lot of ghastly and tasteless trickery that takes center stage.
The higher quality, professional and advanced amateur digital cameras that are available today are so sophisticated, it's difficult to really screw up your pictures if you have a basic grasp of photography and how to use the camera's features. Despite this, a lot of people are screwing up their pictures in post production by relying on photo editing software. Sammon's examples in the Photoshop Elements portions of this book point this out very clearly. The "before Photoshop" photos are often preferable to the "after Photoshop" photos. I'm not speaking of basic operations such as minor color corrections, cropping, sharpening, etc. I'm speaking of the use of filters and borders and the cut-and-paste collages that Sammon often refers to as "artistic" which are, in fact, perfect examples of over-processed pseudo-art.
I'm not really picking on Rick Sammon here. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I've enjoyed Sammon's writing and photography in other publications as well. It's just that we really don't need more people playing around with their computers to create the photographic equivalent of black velvet paintings.
A must read Digital Photography book for everyone.......2007-06-08
I bought this book about 3 months ago . This book as well as its earlier edition changes my concept about digital photography. One thing that I am missing in the 2nd edition is the absence of Adobe photoshop CS2 treatment. I think that would be more attractive option. The approach of Rick Sammon is wonderful. He covers picture for almost all the remote corners of the world, specifically Asian and South American countries. I strongly suggest this book for everyone involved in digital photography.
Enjoyable / Informative Book.......2007-06-08
I attended a seminar by Rick Sammon just a few weeks ago and had to get his book. I'm new in digital photography and his approach is straight forward and entertaining while being very informative. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Most of us know him as one member of the band Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, but what you may not know is that at the same time Graham Nash was rocking the world, he was also pursuing a parallel career in photography and digital imaging. Nash Editionsâthe world’s premier fine-art digital printmaking studio, which Graham co-founded with R. Mac Holbertârepresents the pinnacle of those efforts. This book uses thought-provoking essays and glorious artwork to sum up not only Nash Editions’ achievements but also the state of fine-art digital printmaking. After a brief history of printmaking, you’ll reach the heart of the book: an essay by Holbert on the genesis of Nash Editions and fine-art digital printing (which details the studio's interactions with major artists like David Hockney); an essay by MoMA consultant Henry Wilhelm (which includes a technical comparison of traditionally and digitally prepared prints); and commentary from Nash Editions artists. The book’s more than 100 illustrations include Nash Editions artwork, photos of artists in the studio, images of the machines used in digital printing, and illustrations of the proofing process.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiration Through Examples and History .......2007-06-16
With respect to the nature of this book's content and message Eric Burrows' review title hit the nail on the bean: "Not how to do it but how it happened". Don't buy this book with the expectation of learning technical tricks for printing. Rather, "Nash Editions; Photography and the Art of Digital Printing" is a retrospective look at the pathfinding inkjet printing work of Mac Holbert and Graham Nash. The book actually consists of several essays by various authors, including Mr. Archival Permanence himself, Henry Wilhelm.
I found this book to be a fascinating stroll down the relatively short (to-date) path of fine art inkjet printing. But I also found it strangely inspiring. After spending a couple of hours with this book I felt compelled to devote even more effort to my own printing.
A must have book, but ..........2007-06-14
Nash Editions deserves all credit for kick starting the fine-art/inkjet revolution but I'm not sure this book adds much to what is already well known. For sure there's lot of great images herein, but the presentation is a bit sloppy. We hear the same story over again from multiple participants and (in my copy at least) the more interesting narration from Holbert ends mid sentence. If you're interested in the history of the inkjet, this is a book you'll have to have but the lack of care/thought in its presentation does seem a little like exploitation.
High expectations.......2007-05-06
Just a few years ago the terms "art" and "inkjet print" weren't tolerated in communal context. Now, as with many media evolutions, sensibilities have to a large degree changed. One of the forces instrumental in altering the art community's entrenched mindset against the inkjet process has been a small digital fine-art inkjet photography studio by the name of Nash Editions. Through the collaborative pioneering of a handful of deep-pocketed, influential, and very determined artistic entrepreneurs, Nash Editions helped develop, refine, and establish broad acceptance for the digital fine-art inkjet printing. This is their story.
At first blush this lavishly printed (and expensive) book promises a consuming elegance that sweeps you away. It has star power too, with one of the leading personalities none other than Graham Nash of Crosby, Still & Nash fame. It also includes rich and very personal histories of the birth and labored growth of the digital printing service company, of permanence in various photographic media, and of photography itself as a medium of expression. The book also includes images by a broad selection of visual artists spread throughout in an eclectic smorgasbord.
But there are a few elements that detract somewhat from the book's rich objectives. With several authors contributing, certain parts of the story get repeated - several times in fact - and the tone at times begins to sound slightly obsequious and self-lauding, to the point that one is led to the impression that Nash Editions (the company) was pretty much the sole entity that dragged digital printing from practically nothing in the early 1990s to it's high level of sophistication and acceptance today. While Nash Editions can certainly claim historic "firsts" in several categories within the digital printing revolution, a thoughtful person might wonder if there weren't just a few other significant contemporaries working toward the same goals. And on a purely technical note, one of the sections of the book ends in the middle of a paragraph, leaving the reader guessing as to the intended conclusion; perhaps a little tighter editing would have been helpful.
So, should you buy this book? Yes, if you're a photographic artist interested in the history of the digital printing process or the concept and science of photographic media permanence. And of course it will serve too as visual stimulation and a contemporary two-dimensional artwork study; one can learn a great deal by looking carefully at other artist's work.
Not how to do it but how it happened.......2007-03-31
Although I knew roughly of Graham Nash's involvement in the early days of digital printing I did not know the detail. Having been fooling around with digital printing about as long as Nash, but without his money or expertise, I found the book fascinating. This book will not tell you how to get the best print, but it does tell the story of the people who had the vision and knowledge to start it all off. A good read with some good essays by photographers who were involved. I think that it is a worthwhile addition to my photographic library. An eye opener to those who just push the button and a good print comes out.
A beautiful work..........2007-01-15
Most of the time when you view photography, you think about the image and composition, not the process of how the image is put on paper. In Nash Editions: Photography and the Art of Digital Printing by Nash Editions, you'll think more about the printing process than usual. And there's some really stunning photography, to boot!
Contents:
Introduction - Graham Nash
The History of Nash Editions - R. Mac Holbert
The Four Stages of Photography - Richard Benson
A History of Permanence in Traditional and Digital Color Photography: The Role of Nash Editions - Henry Wilhelm
Selected Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index
This book consists of four essays centered around the process of image creation on paper. Nash Editions focuses on the creation of high-end digital image printing, and as such has learned a lot about the process and history of how photos are transferred to paper. From the chemical-heavy techniques of the early days of photography to the digital printing processes of today, you'll gain insights into issues such as color fidelity and permanence. I now know why all those pictures of the sixties faded out so badly... The more visually stunning part of the book consists of the large number of images throughout the book. From black-and-white landscapes to portraits to abstract compilations, each page turn gives the reader another treat to ponder and enjoy. Very beautiful compositions... If this were a hardbound book, it'd be a classic "coffee-table" book. As a paperback, it doesn't have quite the same outward impact as other books similar to this. But it definitely holds its own in terms of content.
This is a book that any serious photographer would enjoy owning...
Book Description
Increasing use of digital signals for transmitting data in television, photography and printing means the reproduction of pictorial colour in the 21
st century continues to drive innovation in its development.
Hunt’s classic text The Reproduction of Colour has been fully revised and updated for the sixth edition to provide a comprehensive introduction to colour imaging and colour reproduction. New illustrations, diagrams and photographs ensure that both students and practising engineers using colour images can gain a full understanding of the theory and practical applications behind the phenomena they encounter.
Key features:
- Describes the fundamental principles of colour reproduction for photography, television, printing and electronic imaging.
- Provides detailed coverage of the physics of light and the property of colorants.
- Includes new chapters on digital printing and digital imaging, which discuss colour reproduction on HDTV and desktop publishing.
- Presents expanded coverage of the evaluation of colour appearance.
The Reproduction of Colour is already used as a basis for lectures in universities and specialist institutions and continues to be an essential resource for scientists, engineers and developers needing to appreciate the technologies of colour perception.
Reviews of the Fifth Edition:
"The book is beautifully written and superbly presented. It is a credit to both author and publisher, and deserves to be on the shelves of anyone who has any concern with the reproduction of colour."
From The Journal of Photographic Science, Vol. 43 1995
"Using his ability as a teacher, Dr Hunt has made potentially very difficult topics quite readable…he brings the insight that leads the reader to a greater depth of understanding."
From Color Research and Application, Vol. 23 1998
The Society for Imaging Science and Technology is an international society that aims to advance the science and practices of image assessment. A major objective of the Wiley-IS&T series will be to explain the latest scientific and technological developments in the field of imaging at a professional level. The broad scope of the series will focus on imaging in all its aspects, with particular emphasis on digital printing, electronic imaging, photofinishing, image preservation, image assessment, image archiving, pre-press technologies and hybrid imaging systems.
Customer Reviews:
The best book on color photogaphy I have ever read.......2007-04-29
In my opinion, this is the best book on color photography that I have read. Of course, it covers other topics, but it devotes a substantial amount of text, graphs and formulas to that topic. In recent months, I have acquired a fair number of books on the subject of photography and color theory, some of them very formula-intensive and some descriptive and math-primitive; but this one stands head and shoulder above the rest in its effort to describe the fundamental principles.
I bought this book primarily because I wanted to learn whether it is possible, and if it is, how to predict the RGB density values of negative film versus the CYM density of the photo enlarging filter. I believe that I have found my answers in this book. Yet I was also quite pleasantly surprised to learn a lot more about color photography and reproduction. As I was reading this book, many things to which I had had unanswered questions from reading those other books have fallen in their logical place.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in color photography and who wants to learn not only the practical aspects of it (i.e. the result and the practice) but also the "why" of it (i.e. its scientific and experimental fundamentals). You do, though, have to have some knowledge of linear algebra and chemistry, although I would not call this book math-intensive.
The definitive reference on the reproduction of color........1997-09-17
The author has an impressive array of initials after his name; he is, amongst other things, a Doctor of Science, a Member of the Imperial College, an Associate of the Royal College of Science, and a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society as well as a Visiting Professor of Physiological Optics and of Colour Science, and a former Assistant Director of Research at Kodak. He has also been Chairman of the Colorimetry Committee of the International Commision on Illumination, and Chairman of the International Colour Association.
First published in 1957 and now in its much enhanced 5th edition, The Reproduction of Colour is the most comprehensive single resource available. Two quotes from the preface to the 5th edition describe what it is about:
"The object (is to present) the fundamental principles of colour reproduction, whether by photography, television, or printing in the hopes that all those engaged in producing, selling, buying, or using colour pictures will be able to see the nature of the problems they encounter. Those who want a general statement on colour reproduction will find it in the first part, and those who want a more detailed discussion of any one application in which they are particularly interested (will find it) in the later parts."
and
"The reproduction of colour involves physiology, psychology, physics, chemistry, and technology. presents complexities, (and) involves a wide variety of enterprises".
Even though there are individuals skilled in processing and printing their own color film, and DTP bureaux had taken over some of the work of traditional printing houses, color reproduction was, until not so long ago, the province of technicians in the photographic, printing, and television industries, Now we have crossed the threshold of a new era in which a massive technology transfer is taking place, putting effective control over color into the hands of a much wider range of users. Even home users now have available to them very powerful tools that enable production of images that are, to the ordinary eye, indistinguishable from quality photographic prints.
That brings with it a need to understand the technology of color reproduction, and the definitive text is Dr Hunt's book. I have rated it 10/10 because of the remarkably wide range of disciplines covered and its astounding technical depth.
Without it most of the information presented would have to be gleaned from numerous other books, professional journals, and published papers. Further, one does not have to have a scientific background to gain some understanding of what is involved in the reproduction of color. The fields covered television, photography, and printing are becoming less discrete with the application of digital technology; those who use computerized systems for the reproduction of color images will find relevant information spread throughout most parts of this book.
It is not a popular account, a color-for-cretins guide, or a how-to manual. This is a technical resource written in a style that makes it readable without diluting its professional integrity. Not all readers will need, or even want, to know the chemical structure of cyclic methylene magneta couplers, but may want information about the effects of signal processing on color reproduction. In what other recently published text would one find a comparison table of film speeds that includes the Weston system?
The Reproduction of Colour should be in any library with holdings on technical subjects; professionals in DTP, printing, photolabs, television, and digital imaging should have it; and anyone teaching or studying graphic arts, computer science, photography, printing, or subjects related to television technology should be aware of this edition. A check of some large libraries suggests that librarians may think earlier editions are good enough, but new developments demand this latest edition. Teachers of science in sub-tertiary institutions may well find this a useful text for its practical application of science to topical real-life problems.
The book is divided into parts: Fundamentals, Color Photography, Color Television, Color Printing, and Evaluating Color Appearance. Each chapter opens with an introduction that provides a succinct overview of the topic.
Reviewed by Major Keary [majkeary@netspace.net.au]
Book Description
This popular book presents creative darkroom techniques in a step-by-step format. It includes multiple printing, montage, toning, reticulation, infrared film, high contrast, combination coloring, dye transfer, liquid emulsions, Sabattier, and much more. Darkroom Dynamics has the information and photographs to expand the the reader's awareness of the sophisticated images which are possible in photography today.
Darkroom Dynamics has been written to be easily comprehensible to the novice
photographer attempting experimental photography for the first time. It serves not only as a forum for the serious display of experimental and manipulated photographs but also as a comprehensive source on how to make these images.
Presents creative darkroom techniques in an easy to follow format.
Simple enough for the novice photographer to understand.
Shows experimental and manipulated photographs and describes how to make them.
Customer Reviews:
Great book of creative dakroom techniques.......2000-09-21
This book is packed full of step-by-step instructions for alternative creative darkroom techniques. The instructions are easy to follow and the photo illustrations are well placed to enhance the readers understanding. Each technique is presented by a photographer who is an expert in its application, so the information comes across comprehensive yet it is still easy to understand. This is a great book. I am glad to have it as a part of my personal photo library. It will be well used.
Books:
- Professional Practice for Interior Designers, 3rd Edition
- Reflections: Twenty-One Cinematographers At Work
- Robert Capa: A Biog
- Rock n' Blues Harmonica: A World of Harp Knowledge, Songs, Stories, Lessons, Riffs, Techniques and Audio Index for a New Generation of Harp Players (Includes ... book and 74 minute stereo CD Jamming Buddy)
- Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt
- Shotokan's Secret: The Hidden Truth Behind Karate's Fighting Origins
- SIGN with your BABY Complete Learning Kit: US DVD Version, Book, Training Video (DVD), Quick Reference Guide
- Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy
- Suffer the Little Children: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery
- The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Revised Edition: Featuring More Than 1,200 Kitchen-tested Recipes, 1,500 Photographs And No-nonsense Equipment And Ingredient Ratings
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Rogue Warrior
- History: Fiction or Science
- Dreams Of My Russian Summers: A Novel
- Dog Friendly Gardens, Garden Friendly Dogs
- Exploring Black and White Photography
- Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape
- History: Fiction or Science
- Restoring the Tallgrass Prairie: An Illustrated Manual for Iowa and the Upper Midwest
- Elizabeth Regina, the age of triumph, 1588-1603
- The Life And Heroic Deeds Of Admiral Dewey
Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Baby-3
| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
| Animals
| Arts & Music
| Books on Cassette
| Books on CD
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Computers
| Educational
| History & Historical Fiction
| Issues
| Literature
| Obsessions
| People & Places
| Popular Characters
| Reference & Nonfiction
| Religions
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Series
| Sports & Activities
Pocket Guide to Digital Printing (Pocket Guide Series)
Official Adobe Print Publishing Guide, Second Edition: The Essential Resource for Design, Production, and Prepress (2nd Edition) (Publishing Guide (AP))
Pocket Pal: The Handy Little Book of Graphic Arts Production
Getting it Right in Print: Digital Prepress for Graphic Designers
Forms, Folds, and Sizes: All the Details Graphic Designers Need to Know but Can Never Find
