User manual UMAX PCOLOR

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 profiles with our ColorSync Separator, as well as high level control with the PowerColor Conventional Separator. PowerColor and ColorSync (Macintosh) The Macintosh version of PowerColor is fully ICC compatible with the use of 16bits per channel input, output, and display profiles. Output profiles can be either RGB or CMYK, allowing for flexible color matching for a wide variety of output devices. Preface xi PowerColor includes the following features: · · · · · · Multiple, independent scan regions Color, range, and gradation control for individual scan regions Image manipulation tools, including rotation, cropping, and unsharp masking Flexibility in setting lpi, dpi, size, and scale for individual scan regions Scanning to commonly used file formats Use of standard ColorSync ICC profiles (Macintosh only) PowerColor Press PowerColor Press is a high-end CMYK separator based on a density-to-dot color engine. This software is intended for use by those who understand the concepts behind color separation and reproduction as they relate to offset printing. PowerColor Press offers sophisticated, advanced features for creating high-end color separations, including: · · · · · · · · Selective color correction Automatic adjustments for wanted and unwanted colors Two operation modes for general production and expert work Input/output three-color and four-color density range gradation control Cast correction with diffused highlight and shadow settings UCR/GCR gradation control User definable dot gain User definable gray balance xii PowerColor User Guide How to Use This Manual This manual explains how to install PowerColor and guides you through the functions of the software. It contains all the information you need to begin using PowerColor with your scanner. Once you have installed the software, this manual will help you understand the process and tools for scanning, color correction, and image manipulation. Typographical Conventions The following typographical conventions are used throughout this guide: Menus and menu options, dialog box selections, on-screen messages, and keyboard keys appear in bold: e.g. Manual Update, Preview, etc. Note: Notes provide useful information about the current topic. Related Documentation This guide assumes that you are familiar with the Macintosh or Microsoft Windows interface and operating system. For detailed information on your computer and its interface, refer to your computer's installation guide. For details on using your scanner, refer to the Umax Technologies, Inc. Installation and Operation Manual provided with your scanner. Preface xiii 1 Installation T his chapter describes the configuration requirements for PowerColor and guides you through the software installation process for both the Macintosh and Windows platforms. Configuration Requirements Before installing PowerColor, make sure your system meets the minimum configuration requirements indicated below. Host Computer In order to take full advantage of the PowerColor software, your host computer must meet the following minimum requirements: Macintosh · · · · · Macintosh® PowerPC 8100 computer or better with floating point coprocessor installed 24-bit color display adapter 17" or larger high-resolution monitor (1024 x 768 dpi) 64 MB RAM available (128 MB recommended) System 7.5 or higher Windows PC · · · · · Pentium class computer running at 266 megahertz or above 24-bit color display adapter 17" or larger high-resolution monitor (1024 x 768 dpi) 32 MB RAM available (64 MB recommended) Windows NT 4.x or Windows 95/98 Scanner PowerColor works with the UMAX Technologies, Inc. series of scanners. For details on connecting your scanner to your host computer, refer to your scanner's user guide. Chapter 1: Installation 1-1 Setting Up and Installing PowerColor on an Apple Macintosh This section gives instructions for installing PowerColor on an Apple Macintosh computer. For installation on a computer running Microsoft Windows, turn to page 1-6. Configuring Your Monitor for PowerColor PowerColor Needs to run in 24 or 32 bit color mode. To configure your monitor for PowerColor, follow the steps below: 1. 2. Open Control Panels in the Apple menu. Open the Monitors control panel and set your monitor to millions of colors (see Figure 1­1). Figure 1­1 Monitors control panel. ­Millions setting. 1-2 PowerColor User Guide Figure 1­2 PowerColor installer splash screen Installing the PowerColor Software To install the PowerColor software, proceed as follows: 1. 2. Insert the PowerColor CD into your CD-ROM drive and double-click on the Installer icon. Click on Continue... in the PowerColor installer splash screen. Chapter 1: Installation 1-3 3. Read and adhere to License Agreement. Click the agree button to continue. 4. Click the box next to Standard to install the Application and ColorSync Profiles. If you choose to install just one component, click on the arrow to the left of the box for separate component installation options. After selecting your installation options, click the install button to continue. 5. If you want to change the location in which PowerColor will be installed, follow these steps: Figure 1­3 Installation destination window · Click on the Install Location drop down menu. · Choose Select Folder in the drop down menu. · In the destination window that appears, select the destination disk and folder of your choice for PowerColor. Note: To install PowerColor, you must have at least 10 megabytes of free hard drive space. · Highlight the folder where PowerColor will reside and click on Install. 6. Follow the screen prompts to complete installation and exit the installer Installation of your PowerColor software is now complete. 1-4 PowerColor User Guide Note: If you are reinstalling or upgrading from a previous version of PowerColor, before launching the application, delete all PowerColor Preferences files (located in the Preferences folder within the System Folder). PowerColor will create a new preferences file the first time you launch it. Figure 1­4 PowerColor Get Info dialog box Assigning Memory to PowerColor To increase the amount of memory assigned to PowerColor, proceed as follows: 1. 2. Select the PowerColor application icon in the PowerColor folder and choose Get Info from the File menu ( +I). In the PowerColor Info dialog box that appears, under Memory Requirements make sure the Preferred size is set to at least 32 MB. If possible, increase the RAM for PowerColor to 64 MB. Close the PowerColor Info dialog box. 3. Chapter 1: Installation 1-5 Setting Up and Installing PowerColor on an Windows NT and Windows 95/98 This section gives instructions for installing PowerColor on a PC running Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or Windows NT. For installation on an Apple Macintosh, turn to page 1-2. Configuring your display for PowerColor PowerColor needs to run in 24 or 32 bit color depth. To configure your display settings for PowerColor, do the following: 1. Right click on a clear area of your Windows desktop. Choose Properties from the pop-up window that appears. 2. The Windows Display Properties window will appear. Choose the Settings Tab. 3. In the Color Palette section of the Settings window, choose 24 bit or 32 bit color. Installing PowerColor To install the PowerColor software, proceed as follows: 1. Insert the PowerColor CD into your drive and double-click on the Setup icon. 2. The PowerColor installer will launch. You will be asked to specify the location in which PowerColor should be installed. Use the standard Windows dialog box to specify a location, or use the default location of: c:\Program Files\PowerColor 3. After you have selected the install location, click OK to have the software installed to the specified directory. 1-6 PowerColor User Guide 2 Getting Acquainted P owerColor provides a powerful and flexible software interface between your Computer and UMAX Technologies, Inc. scanner. The software offers a wide array of professional scanning and image manipulation tools with all the convenience and user friendliness of the standard Macintosh or Microsoft Windows interface, including drop-down menus, multiple windows, point-and-click controls, and keyboard shortcuts. This chapter covers the following topics: · · · · · · · · · · Overview of the scanning process Launching PowerColor Setting Preferences Changing Screen Gamma Making an Overview Image Selection Tools Creating Regions Working with Regions Updating Images Saving and Recalling Settings For details on correcting scanned images, see Chapters 3­6. How to use the Queue Manager and scan images to disk is discussed in Chapter 7. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-1 Overview of the Scanning Process Preparing scans with PowerColor is a simple process with many tools for an efficient and organized workflow. Summarized below are the basic steps in the PowerColor process: 1. 2. 3. 4. Generate an overview scan of the entire scanning bed: Define regions as desired and add them to the Queue Manager. Select an image from the Queue Manager and perform the desired image corrections while verifying the results visually and numerically on-screen. Scan the final images to disk using the desired output and file formats. Launching PowerColor To launch the application, double-click on the PowerColor icon in the PowerColor folder, or, if using Windows, click on your Windows Start menu, then choose PowerColor from withn the UMAX program group. When the application opens, the menu bar, blank Overview window, Queue Manager, Control Bar and Toolbar are displayed (see Figure 2­1). These are the tools with which you can access all of PowerColor's commands and functions. Figure 2­1 PowerColor menus: Toolbar, Control Bar and Queue Manager 2-2 PowerColor User Guide Setting Preferences Before you begin scanning, check PowerColor's preferences to be sure the options you need will be available. Preferences are set in the Preferences window (see Figure 2­2). To open this window, select Preferences from the Edit menu. Figure 2­2a Preferences window, General components The components of the Preferences, General window, are defined as follows: · Application: The static fields in this section describe the software revision number and type of encryption (if any). This area is also used to toggle between the ColorSync and PowerColor Press by selecting the desired radio button. PowerColor Photo : This section allows you to set the mode of operation as well as the type of information to be displayed in the expert tone graph. PowerColor Press: This section allows you to set the type of separation tools to be used with PowerColor Press. Production mode provides an "all-in-one" color correction window suitable for most general scanning work. In Expert mode, all of PowerColor's sophisticated image correction features are available separately. Default Save Directory: Allows navigation to volumes mounted on workstation or available network or servers. Prompt Before Adding to Queue: toggles a prompt before file names are added to the queue for final scan. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-3 · · · · · Periodically Save Queue: allows you to designate whether PowerColor will automatically save the current queue at the interval specified in the Saving Interval Field. The components of the Other tab in the Preferences Window are defined as follows: Figure 2­2b Preferences window, Other components · Overview: This section controls how images are viewed on screen during the scanning and color correction process. The Resolution setting defines the desired resolution of the overview scan. The default value is 50 dpi. Higher resolutions provide greater detail in the image window, but also require considerably more RAM (as reflected in the non-editable Buffer Size field). If you have over 64 MB of RAM available for PowerColor, setting the resolution to 75 or 100 increases the default resolution in the region windows, which may save you from having to perform a preview scan for each region. The Preview Size setting defines the dimensions of the image window. The default size is 512 pixels. Units: sets the units of measure for the entire application. The default setting is Inches. Probe Size: sets the size of the area sampled by the probe. 1x1 samples a single pixel; 3x3 samples the eight pixels surrounding the cursor location; 5x5 samples the 24 pixels surrounding the cursor location. · · 2-4 PowerColor User Guide Interpolation: PowerColor provides the following interpolation modes: ­ Bi-Cubic: weighted average of a region of pixels around the target pixel (default mode). This type of interpolation provides high quality for continuous tone images when scaled to a resolution higher than that of the scanner. ­ Bi-linear: weighted average of adjacent pixels. This setting provides high quality with better performance than Bi-Cubic, but may cause unwanted patterns in some images. ­ Nearest neighbor: interpolation by pixel replication (should only be used for line art). ­ Maximum Optical Resolution: This feature allows PowerColor to set a maximum optical scanning resolution for certain film types. Any resolution above this value will be interpolated. This is very helpful when scanning noisy or grainy originals that need to be enlarged beyond the quality of the original. Note: The preferences you select, as well as all window positions and contents, are saved by PowerColor when the application is closed. The next time you launch PowerColor, they will be restored. Note: Changes made in the preference window do not require the PowerColor application to be restarted to take effect. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-5 Changing Screen Gamma PowerColor's Monitor Setup option in the Edit menu (see Figure 2­3) allows you to specify the gamma values of your monitor, as well as the CMY-to-RGB tables used by PowerColor Press to display the "blowback" of your CMYK output. By default, PowerColor assumes a monitor gamma value of 1.8. If you have changed your monitor's gamma, enter the new gamma value in the Monitor Setup window. PowerColor then adjusts its previews to look the same regardless of any monitor gamma (in the range of 0.2 to 5.0) Note: PowerColor does not adjust the gamma value of your monitor. It merely adjusts its previews to look the same regardless of different gamma settings. You can choose between the PowerColor default blowback tables, or you can Figure 2­3 Monitor Setup window select ColorSync and load your own monitor and output CMYK profile. Note: PowerColor only uses ICC tables for the monitor preview in Separator Mode. 2-6 PowerColor User Guide Making an Overview Before working with images, the contents of the scanning surface must be scanned into the Overview window. To do so, proceed as follows: 1. 2. Mount the original(s) on your scanner. Select the Scan Type in the toolbar as follows: · Transmissive: color or black-and-white transparencies. · Transmissive Negative: negative transparencies. · Reflective: color or black-and-white photographs or prints. 3. Click on the Preview button ( ) in the toolbar or the Preview button ( ) below the blank first image in the Queue Manager. Your scanner now produces a low-resolution overview scan of the entire scanning surface. Note: To stop an overview scan once the desired portion of the scanning surface has been scanned: on a Macintosh press + . (period), if using Windows, hit the Escape (ESC) key. Note: If you are scanning all the images in the Queue Manager using the same line screen, sampling, and scale values, set up the Overview with the desired values. All images subsequently added to the queue will reflect those changes. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-7 Image Selection Tools Once you have produced an Overview, PowerColor's image selection tools, located in the Control Bar, allows you to define and work with regions for detailed color correction work. This section describes how to use these tools. Note: For Macintosh users, enabling the Macintosh Balloon Help will cause the name and function of each button to be displayed as the cursor passes over it. Image Selection Tools Probe Region: The Probe (or Pointer) tool is used to select items and to move around the image to sample pixels. The tool deselects the Crop and Zoom tools. Zoom: Click on the image with the Zoom tool to enlarge the image for more precise examination of a region. If necessary, resize the image window to accommodate the new view. The magnification is shown at the bottom left-hand corner of the image window. To reduce the view again, hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Control key (Windows) while clicking on the image with the Zoom tool. Note: The point where the Zoom tool is clicked becomes the new center of the image in the window. Crop Region: Use the Crop tool to select a portion of the image, for example to cut out the clack edges of a film frame or tape used to hold images on the scanning surface. Auto Range: Automatically adjusts the tonal range, setting the highlight and shadow points. Pick Neutral Point: Uniquely selects multiple gray points in an image by holding down the Option key (Macintosh) or Control key (Windows) and clicking on quarter, mid, and three quarter tone values. Highlight Value Shadow Value: Automatic values for each image highlight and shadow range are made with both buttons selected (default setting). Deselecting either button will result in a new auto range without the deselected value. Edit/Undo, from Main Menu reverts to last values. Refresh: With automatic updating off, click on the Refresh key to update the active region with all changes since the last update. 2-8 PowerColor User Guide Figure 2­4 Region Window Regions The purpose of the region window is to define areas from the overview that will be scanned to image files, and to correct them in higher resolution than the overview. Each region window has the following components: · History : Each region can be cropped, rotated, and color corrected independently of all other regions. Each region also carries its own history list of all actions taken by the user on that region. You can scroll the history list by selecting the "H" icon at the bottom of the region window (Macintosh version) or on the Toolbar (Windows version). This list can be used to undo and redo to any point in the history. Duplicate: At any time during the correction process the active region can be duplicated for side by side comparison. This duplicate view is static except for its history list, which can be used to compare views at any correction step. · Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-9 Creating Regions There are two ways to create regions: from the cropped overview, or by opening a TIFF file from disk. 1. Creating a region from a TIFF file To create a region from a TIFF file on your hard drive, choose Open from the file menu and choose the desired TIFF file. The file will open into a new region window. 2. Creating a region from the Overview Once you have cropped the desired portion in the Overview, double click the selected area to assign it to a region. You can also click on the Add Region button ( ) from the Queue Manager. Images and Memory The amount of memory (RAM) required for a region varies depending on the Overview resolution (selected in the Preferences window) and the size of the region. You can create as many regions as the amount of RAM assigned to the PowerColor application allows. (The minimum and default application RAM is 32 MB, 64 MB of RAM is recommended.) If you exceed the amount of memory allocated to the application, the following warning dialog appears: Figure 2­4 Out of Memory warning If this dialog box appears, you can: 1. Quit the application and assign more RAM to PowerColor, (Macintosh only) 2. Final scan the regions you have already created, and/or 3. Delete unneeded regions. For more information on final scanning or deleting regions, see Chapter 7. 2-10 PowerColor User Guide Note: Macintosh users: To check the current memory setting for PowerColor on a Macintosh, Select About this Macintosh in the Apple menu. Region Names PowerColor names regions by default according to the order in which they are created. The default name assigned to a region is based on the following scheme: Region-X : scan#### where X = the region number in the order of its placement in the Queue Manager. #### = an arbitrary sequential number. Your regions may represent separate originals for different jobs, or different areas from within the same piece of art. When you prepare your final scans, it is helpful to follow a naming convention for your regions that makes sense in your production environment (for example, by job, client, date, etc.). To change the name of a selected region, press +S or select Save from the File menu. Note: For more information about naming regions, see Naming Final Scans in Chapter 7. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-11 Working with Regions Regions created using the Add Region button are placed into PowerColor's Queue Manager. The Queue Manager. is a highly flexible tool designed to organize your work with regions. Use the Queue Manager. to: · · · · · · · · Activate a region Preview regions Rearrange the order of the regions Scan regions to disk Add a region Delete a region or all regions View the progress of a scan Switch between detail view and full preview This section explains how to manipulate regions using the Queue Manager. Scanning to disk is discussed in Chapter 7. Activating Regions To activate a region, double-click on its image in the Queue Manager. The selected region is then framed in red, the region number is displayed in the Region field, and the image data is shown in the appropriate fields in the toolbar. A 1:1 view of the image is displayed in the image window. Color correction work can now be performed on the image. Note: Before making color corrections, make sure the region you want to work on is active. 2-12 PowerColor User Guide Adjusting the Queue Manager Window The Queue Manager window can be manipulated using standard Macintosh or Windows tools: · To close the window, click on the close box in the upper left-hand corner (to reopen it, select Queue Manager from the Window menu. or press +M on a Macintosh, or Control+M on a Windows PC). To expand the window to its full size, click on the window resize box. To resize the Queue Manager window to a custom size, click and drag the resize button in the bottom right-hand corner. on a Mac, or click and drag any corner on a Windows PC. To scroll through the images in the Queue Manager, use the standard scroll bar at the bottom of the window. To move the Queue Manager window to another location on screen, click and drag the title bar. · · · · Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-13 Manipulating Regions in the Queue Manager The regions in the Queue Manager can be rearranged or deleted any time, even while scanning is in progress. To rearrange the order of the regions in the Queue Manager, click and drag the region to the desired location in the queue. Note: The Overview can not be moved in this manner. To delete a region, use one of the following tools: Cut: To delete a single region from the queue, activate the region by double-clicking on it (a red frame appears around it) and click on the black Cut button in the Queue Manager to delete the region. Cut All: To delete all regions from the queue, click on the red Cut All button in the Queue Manager Saving the Queue To save the contents of the current queue manager choose Save Queue from the file menu. In the dialog box that appears assign a name for the queue, then click OK to have it saved to disk. This option is useful for preserving your work in the event of a crash, or for production environments in which drums need to be set up for later scanning. 2-14 PowerColor User Guide Previewing Regions Before manipulating and correcting regions, the image should generally be previewed. Note: Although previewing an image is not absolutely necessary, it improves the accuracy of the Probe values and provides a higher resolution image for image correction work. Without a preview scan your Probe values may not be accurate due to the dithering of the low resolution image. Preview: To preview a single region, click on the Preview button ( ) under the desired image in the Queue Manager. During scanning the region's Preview button appears red, green, and blue. Once the preview is complete, the button turns all red. Preview All: PowerColor's Preview All button allows you to batch preview all the regions in the Queue Manager with a single click. This can be done even if there are different types of originals in the scanning area (reflective, positive transparencies, or negative transparencies). Once you have defined and added multiple regions with the PowerColor tools, click on the Preview All button. The scanner then scans each region in succession. To preview only certain regions in the Queue Manager, click on the white Preview button under each desired image. The regions are then scanned in order. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-15 Dynamic Operations in the Queue Manager The Queue Manager is a multitasking tool. While a region is being previewed or final scanned, other regions can be added, deleted, or rearranged in the Queue Manager. Color correction work can also be performed on a region in the queue, whether or not scanning is in progress. The queue may also be interrupted during scanning using the Active/Pause icon on the right-hand side under the Overview in the Queue Manager. Clicking on this icon toggles the scanning process on ( ) or off ( ). Transforming Images To make your work with regions easier, PowerColor also includes the tools shown below to transform images. The tools can also be selected from the Transform menu. Note: The image transformation tools can only be used in a region, not in the Overview. Rotate Left: rotates the image in a region 90° counterclockwise. Rotate Right: rotates the image in a region 90° clockwise. Flip Horizontally: flips the image horizontally, along the vertical axis. Flip Vertically: flips the image vertically, along the horizontal axis. 2-16 PowerColor User Guide Viewing an Image in Detail PowerColor's Detail feature is used to scan a small area of a region at the final scan output resolution. This feature is helpful for examining an image in precise detail. To use the Detail feature, proceed as follows: 1. 2. 3. Activate the region in which you want to perform a detail scan by double-clicking on it in the Queue Manager. Select Detail in the Region menu or click on the Pick Detail Point button ( ) in the Control bar. The cursor becomes a cross-hair. Click on the center of the desired area of the image to be viewed in detail. The scanner now performs a detail scan of predefined dimensions around the point you selected using the scanning parameters indicated in the fields in the toolbar (size, scale, line screen, etc.). Once the detail scan is complete, you can switch between the detail view (as indicated in the title bar of the image window) and normal preview by toggling the Detail checkbox in the Queue Manager. Note: The purpose of the detail scan is to view a small area of interest at the final output resolution. Before performing a detail scan remember to setup the output parameters for the image in the geometry window. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-17 Updating Images Whenever you make changes in a prescanned image or scanning parameters, the image can be updated in the Region window so you can visually gauge the effect of the changes. Image updating is performed in two ways: automatically and manually. Updating Automatically If you want the image window to be updated automatically, choose Auto Update On from the Preferences menu. The image is then updated every time you make a change. To turn off automatic updating, choose Auto Update Off. Automatic updating is helpful in visually tracking changes incrementally. However, it can add production time due to the time needed to refresh the screen image after every adjustment. Updating Manually With automatic updating off, click on the Manual Update button ( ) in the toolbar (or in any window where it appears) to update the active region with all changes since the last update. You can also use the keyboard shortcut +K.. When the update is completed, the Command field at the top of the toolbar indicates Updating... Done. The manual update feature is particularly useful if you are a more experienced scanner operator and only need to check the image window from time to time. Note: If you are using the manual update feature, the image window's display is updated only when you click on the Manual Update button. 2-18 PowerColor User Guide Saving and Recalling Settings During your color correction work, you may decide to save the changes you have made for future applications. You may also wish to use other predefined settings, or even start over. PowerColor gives you the option of saving and recalling default or previously saved settings for one or all of the parameters you have changed, or resetting the parameters to those in the original prescan. To use this feature, select one of the options in the Settings menu, Save: This option allows you to save custom correction settings. After adjusting the settings you want to save, click on the Save button or select Save in the Settings menu. In the dialog window that appears Figure 2­5 Settings menu. (see Figure 2­6) check off the settings you want to save. In the standard file dialog that appears next, name the settings file and choose where it will be stored. The settings can now be recalled any time using the Recall feature (see below). Note: Only the settings you check off are saved. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-19 Figure 2­6 Settings window Recall: This option recalls a previously saved settings file. PowerColor comes with a number of preset files for your convenience, or you may recall a settings file you created. After you select Recall, a standard file dialog appears for you to select the settings file to be recalled. Save Default: Use this option to store your own custom default settings. Note: The Save Default option overwrites PowerColor's default settings. Once PowerColor's defaults have been overwritten, they cannot be recalled. If you use certain settings regularly, save those settings in a separate file and recall them as needed. See Save and Recall above for more information about these options. When you select Save Default, a dialog window similar to the one shown in Figure 2­6 appears where you can check off the settings to be saved as defaults. Note: Only the settings you check off are saved as defaults. 2-20 PowerColor User Guide Recall Default: This option brings up a dialog window similar to the one shown in Figure 2­6 where you can select the specific default settings to be recalled by clicking on the appropriate checkboxes. Click on OK to recall the settings. Linearize: This option will reset tone and gradation curves to linear values. For other settings it will remove any correction made to the tool. For example, gray balance would become equal percentages for all inks. Reset to Factory Defaults: This option will reload the original defaults that may have been saved over at some time. Note: In some cases, PowerColor grays out settings in the Recall Default and Reset dialog windows. The grayed out items are values which have not been saved. Chapter 2: Getting Acquainted 2-21 3 Correcting Images with PowerColor Photo/RGB Mode P · · · owerColor offers many powerful features that allow you to correct your prescanned images before the final scan is made. For those who prefer to work in RGB color space, PowerColor provides fast and efficient tools to make image corrections. This chapter explains how to use the RGB tools and covers the following topics: Using the RGB Probe Using the RGB Controls in Basic Mode Using the RGB Controls in Expert Mode The Photo mode is selected in the Preferences window (see Setting Preferences in Chapter 2 for more information). For information on working in the CMYK color space with PowerColor, refer to Chapters 4 and 5. For details on using PowerColor's descreening and unsharp masking features , see Chapter 6. Chapter 3: Correcting Images in the RGB Color Space 3-1 Using the RGB Probe The most important tool in correcting images is the Probe. This window tracks your corrections by displaying the RGB values. To view the RGB Probe, select Probe in the Window drop down menu (Or press +P on a Macintosh, Control+P if using Windows). As you pass your cursor over the Overview or a region window, the Probe shows the values for the pixel(s) at the current cursor position. The RGB Probe window is a static display. Its appearance depends on the Scan Mode you select in the Control Bar (see next section). However, the Probe always shows the X/Y coordinates of the current cursor position (Probe Location) and the original and output optical density values (Densities) for the selected pixel(s). RGB Probe Window Configurations When scanning in RGB mode, the RGB Probe displays the RGB reflectance values (RGB Pixel Values) for the selected pixel(s) (see Figure 3­1). Figure 3­1 RGB Probe in RGB mode 3-2 PowerColor User Guide If the image is in a grayscale scan mode (one of the Gray options), the RGB Probe shows the reflectance value (Pixel) and dot percentage (Dot) for the selected pixel both before and after correction (see Figure 3­2). Figure 3­2 RGB Probe in Gray mode When scanning line art (the Scan Mode is set to one of the Line options), the Line Art Pixel Value field in the RGB Probe shows whether the selected pixel is black (0) or white (1) both before and after correction (see Figure 3­3). Figure 3­3 RGB Probe in Line mode Note: When probing images in line art or grayscale mode, set the Probe Size in the Preferences window to 1x1 to avoid false readings. Chapter 3: Correcting Images in the RGB Color Space 3-3 Setting Highlight and Shadow The most important aspect of setting up a scan is defining where to place the highlight and shadow point. PowerColor has an automatic as well as a manual means for accomplishing this task. Note: There are two types of highlights: "Specular" highlights are areas that contain no color, while "diffused" highlights contain a minimum amount of color. All densities less than the diffused highlight slope to white at a 45º angle. When setting Highlight and Shadow points, PowerColor uses the values within the Diffused Highlight and Shadow area of the Tone and Cast window. Setting the Input Range automatically with Auto Range In the Control bar you will find the Auto Range Icon. By selecting this tool, an Auto Range will be performed on the active region. The Highlight and Shadow point will be set to the RGB values shown in the Diffused Highlight and Shadow fields at the bottom of the Tone and Cast Window. Also, these points will be marked in your image by sticky densitometers. How Auto Range determines Highlight and Shadow points After the software has evaluated the image data it will make a series of decisions as to where it will set the Highlight and Shadow point. · Auto Range looks only at the densities of the image data that falls within the current Region Crop. This is important to know because if you leave film edge or an area beyond the image edge in your crop, the software will include that data in its decision. The Highlight and Shadow points will not be set at the extreme minimum and maximum, but at a percentage inside of the min and max. The reason for this is to avoid setting the points on dust or scratches on the film. Due to the use of a catch light, data is never clipped, regardless of where the highlight and shadow is set. (We will explain this later on with a discussion of the Diffused Highlight.) PowerColor searches for densities that are closest to neutral (equal). · · · 3-4 PowerColor User Guide