Table of Contents Preface Introduction ........................................................................................................xi PowerColor ColorSync Separator ........................................................................xi PowerColor Press Edition ..................................................................................xii How to Use This Manual ..................................................................................xiii Typographical Conventions ..............................................................................xiii Related Documentation ....................................................................................xiii Chapter 1: Installation Configuration Requirements ............................................................................1-1 Host Computer ............................................................................................1-1 Scanner ........................................................................................................1-1 Setting Up and Installing PowerColor..............................................................1-2 Installing on an Apple Macintosh..............................................................1-2 Configuring Your Monitor for PowerColor............................................1-2 Installing the PowerColor Software ......................................................1-3 Assigning Memory to PowerColor..........................................................1-5 Installing on a Windows PC........................................................................1-6 Configuring Your Display ......................................................................1-6 Installing the PowerColor Software ......................................................1-6 Table of Contents iii Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted Overview of the Scanning Process ....................................................................2-2 Launching PowerColor ....................................................................................2-2 Setting Preferences ............................................................................................2-3 Changing Screen Gamma ................................................................................2-6 Making an Overview..........................................................................................2-7 Image Selection Tools ......................................................................................2-8 Creating Regions ..............................................................................................2-9 Images and Memory..................................................................................2-10 Region Names............................................................................................2-11 Working with Regions ....................................................................................2-12 Activating Regions ....................................................................................2-12 Adjusting the Queue Manager Window ....................................................2-13 Manipulating Regions in the Queue Manager ........................................2-14 Saving the Queues ....................................................................................2-14 Previewing Regions....................................................................................2-15 Dynamic Operations in the Queue Manager............................................2-16 Transforming Images ................................................................................2-16 Viewing an Image in Detail ......................................................................2-17 Updating Images ............................................................................................2-18 Updating Automatically ............................................................................2-18 Updating Manually....................................................................................2-18 Saving and Recalling Settings ........................................................................2-19 iv PowerColor User Guide Chapter 3: Correcting Images with PowerColor Photo/RGB Mode Using the RGB Probe ........................................................................................3-2 RGB Probe Window Configurations............................................................3-2 Setting Highlight and Shadow..........................................................................3-4 Using the Gray Eyedropper..........................................................................3-7 Adjusting Tonal Range in Basic Mode ............................................................3-8 Adjusting Tonal Range in Expert Mode..........................................................3-10 Using the RGB Controls ..................................................................................3-12 Adjusting Colors ........................................................................................3-12 Correcting Colors..................................................................................3-13 Manipulating the Histograms ............................................................3-14 Using the ColorSync Profiles ..........................................................................3-15 Storing ColorSync Profiles ..................................................................3-15 Using Profiles ......................................................................................3-16 Table of Contents v Chapter 4: Correcting Images with PowerColor Press/CMYK: Production Mode Understanding the CMYK Probe........................................................................4-1 Probe Location ............................................................................................4-1 Displaying Density Values............................................................................4-2 Displaying Color Plates................................................................................4-2 CMYK Values Before and After Corrections..................................................4-2 Selecting Fixed Reference Points ................................................................4-3 Using Production Color Controls......................................................................4-4 Production Mode Workflow ........................................................................4-4 Setting Highlight and Shadow Points ..............................................................4-6 Setting Dot Limits..............................................................................................4-9 Setting an Image's Tone..................................................................................4-10 Adjusting Color in Tone Regions ........................................................4-10 Correcting Color Casts..........................................................................4-10 Setting Multiple Gray Points................................................................4-11 Making Selective Color Corrections ................................................................4-12 Selecting Colors to be Corrected ..........................................................4-12 Using the Sliders to Correct Individual Colors....................................4-13 vi PowerColor User Guide Chapter 5: Correcting Images with PowerColor Press/CMYK: Expert Mode Calibrating PowerColor Press ..........................................................................5-1 Understanding Calibration..........................................................................5-1 Preparing the Target for Output..................................................................5-2 Setting Up the Gray Balance ............................................................................5-5 Editing the Gray Balance Table ..................................................................5-6 Controlling Dot Gain ........................................................................................5-7 Setting Dot Gain ..........................................................................................5-7 Using Tone Controls ........................................................................................5-10 Removing Color Casts..........................................................................5-10 Tone Curves ..........................................................................................5-11 Using the Gray Eyedropper ..................................................................5-12 Setting Highlight and Shadow Points ............................................................5-13 Automatically ......................................................................................5-13 Manually ..............................................................................................5-13 Using Gradation Controls ..............................................................................5-16 Understanding Gradation..........................................................................5-17 Working with Gradation Curves................................................................5-20 Using Negative Slope Detection ................................................................5-21 Working with the Gradation Table............................................................5-22 Determining Black Generation ................................................................5-23 Table of Contents vii Chapter 6: Unsharp Masking Applying Unsharp Masking ..............................................................................6-1 Controlling USM in Tonal Regions ............................................................6-2 Manually Adjusting the Region Control Bars ......................................6-4 Controlling Edges between Tonal Regions............................................6-4 Using the Unsharp Masking Curve ............................................................6-5 Applying Descreening ........................................................................................6-6 Descreening options ....................................................................................6-6 Customizing the Descreening Function......................................................6-7 Chapter 7: Scanning Images to Disk Reviewing Scan Settings ..................................................................................7-1 Checking Toolbar Parameters ....................................................................7-2 Scan Type................................................................................................7-3 Scan Mode ..............................................................................................7-3 Line Screen ............................................................................................7-4 Sampling ................................................................................................7-4 Using the Resolution Lock Tool ............................................................7-4 File Size ..................................................................................................7-4 Width and Height ..................................................................................7-4 Scale........................................................................................................7-5 Naming Final Scans ....................................................................................7-5 Performing Final Scans ....................................................................................7-6 Scanning Images Individually....................................................................7-6 Batch Scanning All Images ........................................................................7-6 Pausing or Stopping the Scanning Process................................................7-6 Chapter 8: Tips and Tricks Tips and Tricks ..................................................................................................8-1 viii PowerColor User Guide Preface Introduction PowerColor is a powerful scanning software package for the UMAX Technologies, Inc. scanner. With its many flexible features, PowerColor enables you to perform complex color corrections and to make professional RGB or CMYK color separations from your scanned images quickly and easily. Because it manipulates 16-bits per channel color data directly on the host computer, PowerColor gives you the opportunity to preview changes during the initial scanning process without additional prescanning. PowerColor also provides instant CMYK feedback on your image transformations, so you can see the results of your changes immediately. For performing CMYK separations, PowerColor offers the ease and automation of ICC profil ...