PROCESS CONTROL
To produce high-quality color prints consistently and with a minimum of waste, you need to match your process to a standard for density, color, and contrast each time you process paper. In addition to monitoring process parameters such as solution times, temperature, replenishment rates, solution concentrations, etc., you should regularly run control strips to ensure best results.
KODAK PROFESSIONAL Pro Strips Color Negative
Paper Control Strips / for Process RA-4 (CAT 129 8587) are designed specifically for use with KODAK PROFESSIONAL Papers and KODAK PROFESSIONAL Print and Display Materials in professional labs. These control strips are designed to detect process conditions that can degrade the quality of your finished prints. They are better able to track the papers that are processed in professional finishing laboratories.
For more information, see KODAK Publication No. CIS-202, Using KODAK PROFESSIONAL Pro Strips Color Negative Paper Control Strips / for Process RA-4.
SCANNER TOOLS
The KODAK Q-60 Color Input Targets are available on KODAK EKTACHROME Professional Film in both 35 mm and 4 x 5 inch formats and on KODAK EKTACOLOR Paper. Developed primarily for use by prepress houses in the printing industry, this target can also be used by professional photographers, desktop publishers, and in the emerging hybrid imaging area.
The target is designed for use in the commercial and desktop arenas as a comparative control tool to help customers calibrate their input product to the final output. This target maps the gamut of color space that KODAK EKTACHROME Film and EKTACOLOR Paper can reproduce.
When used properly, customers will be able to compare their output—whether it is separations for the printed page and four-color printing, or second-generation originals from a film recorder to the originals. This will help customers optimize the capabilities of their system for color reproduction of an extreme range of color gamut.
Scanner color characterization targets produced in accordance with ANSI IT8.7/1 (transmission) and IT8.7/2 (reflection) Standards (or ISO 12641) are available from Kodak.
The KODAK PROFESSIONAL Q-60 Color Input Target ⁄ Q-60R2 is manufactured on KODAK PROFESSIONAL ENDURA Paper, and is likewise identified by a watermark with a single grey dot under PAPER. This target can be used with both the newer ENDURA Papers and older papers. The older Q-60R1 target, which has the same two-dot watermark as the older papers, can be used with the newer papers.
ILLUMINATION FOR EVALUATION OF PRINTS
Evaluation of prints for color and density requires higher illumination levels than those used in normal display conditions. A good average condition is a light source with a color temperature of 5000 K ± 1000, a Color Rendering Index of 85 to 100, and an illuminance of at least 50 footcandles (538 lux). Fluorescent lamps such as cool white deluxe (made by several manufacturers) meet these conditions.
You can also use a mixture of incandescent and fluorescent lamps. For each pair of 40-watt cool white deluxe fluorescent lamps, use a 75-watt frosted, tungsten bulb.
Viewing conditions should meet ANSI Standard PH2.30-1989.
RETOUCHING
If possible, do any required retouching on color negatives before you make prints—especially if you plan to make more than one print from each negative. For information on retouching negatives, see KODAK Publication No. E-71, Retouching Color Negatives.
If the negative image is small, you can make corrections much more easily by applying dry or liquid dyes to small or large areas of the enlarged print. Although you’ll probably do most retouching with dyes, you may sometimes want to use black lead, colored pencils, or opaque. Because color prints have separate dye layers, you can’t use an etching knife to reduce density as you can with black-and-white materials. For information on retouching prints, see KODAK Publication No. E-70, Retouching Prints on KODAK EKTACOLOR and EKTACHROME Papers.
