ICC Profiles, Calibration, & Printing Course
Printing & Color Management
61 Video Lessons
self-paced online course
[?]
- 11+ Hours of Video Instruction
- 7 Live Demonstrations
- Unlimited Email Support
- Lifetime Course Access
- Satisfaction Guaranteed [?]
$370 Now $229
Add to Cart
"I am loving this course!
I am only at chapter 3, but have already learnt so much."
- Kevin | More Testimonials
Course Summary
Seeing your photos on paper is a sensation unlike any other. It's gratifying, it'll fill you with pride, and it's what your photos deserve! I want you to experience that feeling, which is why I've been preaching the message on my YouTube channel for so many years: print your work!
Now I want to give you the tools to make your own gallery-quality prints. From inkjet printing to lab printing, from ICC profiles to monitor calibration, from soft proofing to image sharpening, this course will teach you everything you need to know to get fantastic digital prints including, of course, from film scans.
This is the most thorough course I've ever made and I believe it's the only course you'll ever need on these topics. So, stop wasting that expensive ink trying to figure things out on your own and let me help you get better prints today!
Course Outline
- Section 1: Orientation
- This section covers some basic guidelines and advice to keep in mind so you can get the maximum benefit from the course. I'll also share how you can take advantage of student discounts at the ILFORD USA store!*
- Section 2: Color Fundamentals
- This section lays down the all-important fundamental concepts and terms that everything else depends on in the rest of the course. We'll talk about:
- The foundation of it all: the additive and subtractive primary colors
- Why us photographers work in RGB color channels
- Why inks are CMYK even though we work in RGB (this one's fascinating)
- What bit depth is and what to set it to at different points in your workflow
Section 3: Color Profiles Explained
- The way color management works on your computer is an interesting and complex system that we don't often take the time to fully understand. In this section of the course I'll break down every last detail about color profiles and what they do.
- How ICC profiles work and why we need them
- How ICC profiles communicate with each other and convert between color spaces
- Have you ever seen that horseshoe-shaped rainbow-colored graphic used to illustrate color spaces? It's called the CIE-xy chromaticity graph and we're going to look at where it came from (this one's really interesting)
- Different types of color profiles
- White point explained
Section 4: Working With Color Profiles
- You understand how color profiles work and what they do, now it's time to look at how to actually use them in your workflow. We'll dive into:
- How color profiles work with RAW files, film scans, and more
- How some common color spaces compare
- The big misconception about "working" color profiles, especially in Photoshop and Lightroom
- Settling the debate on Adobe RGB vs. ProPhoto RGB
- Which output color profiles you should use
Section 5: Monitors & Calibration
- All of this color management stuff is of no use without a calibrated, industry-standard workflow. So in this section we'll cover:
- Monitor specifications and recommendations
- Should you get an Adobe RGB "wide-gamut" monitor?
- Should you get a 4K monitor? (and why I chose QHD)
- What's the difference between monitor "calibration" and monitor "profiling"
- LIVE DEMO: How to calibrate your monitor to industry standards
- How to calibrate your workroom to industry standards
Section 6: Printers, Paper, & Ink
- Print types, printer options, printer settings, paper selection...it can all be a bit overwhelming. That's why I've devoted so much time to these topics in Section 6 of this course.
- Print types explained: continuous tone vs. non-continuous tone, c-type vs. inkjet
- Pros and cons of different print types and when to use each
- What makes a pigment print a "pigment" print
- Common inkjet print issues and how to remedy them
- All about inkjet printers, printer drivers, media types, AM1X files, and more!
- All about paper: the basics, types, terminology, how they alter the look of an image
- An extensive side-by-side comparison of a bunch of different papers
- Troubleshooting printer issues
Section 7: Taking Colors From Screen to Paper
- It's no small task translating the colors and tones of your digital image to ink on paper. ICC profiles play a big role in making that happen, but your training is what will ensure you get good, predictable results every time. In this section you'll learn:
- How to set up a calibrated print viewing station
- The ideal screen-to-paper workflow
- When and how to apply printer/paper profiles
- Perceptual vs. Relative: how rendering intent works
- The ins and outs of soft proofing, including gamut warnings
- LIVE DEMO: How to soft proof for print
- Should you make your own custom printer/paper profiles?
- Should you get RIP software?
- You asked for it, you got it. This section covers all my techniques for digitally sharpening my photos before sending them to paper.
- How to get the sharpest prints possible
- How to sharpen film scans, both low- and high-resolution
- Tips for getting better results when sharpening at different print sizes
- How many times should you sharpen an image?
- AI sharpening techniques vs. my tried-and-true methods
- LIVE DEMO: Using Smart Sharpen for print
- LIVE DEMO: Applying localized sharpening
- PPI vs. DPI, resizing your image for print, and more!
Section 9: Bringing It All Together
- In the final section of the course I'll share 3 in-depth live demonstrations bringing together everything that you've learned.
- LIVE DEMO: Making some easy little luster prints for passing around
- LIVE DEMO: Making a beautiful, framed B&W triptych on baryta paper
- LIVE DEMO: Making a big limited edition print from a 6x17 film scan
*ILFORD student discounts are only valid on USA orders placed at the ILFORD USA online store.
Who's This Course For?
All Skill Levels
This course is for all skill and experience levels. It doesn't matter how much printing you've done or how knowledgeable you already are on these topics, this course will teach you everything you need to know to get the best prints possible, whether on your own printer or from a professional lab.
If you are interested in any of the following, then this course is for you:
- How to properly use ICC profiles in your workflow
- How to get better colors in your prints both at home and at a lab
- How to get tack-sharp prints using digital sharpening tools
- How to get sharper film scans using digital sharpening tools
- How to fully calibrate your workflow to industry standards
- Extensive explanations and examples of paper options
- Best practices for soft proofing and profile rendering
NOTE: This course does not cover darkroom printing. This is a course about all things digital printing. That includes inkjet printing and c-type printing from any digital image, including film scans.
If you’re still unsure whether this course is right for you, email me at .
Requirements
You don't need to have your own printer for this course.
If you plan to only ever get prints done at a lab, this course will still be hugely beneficial for getting the best results possible. The majority of the information covered applies to lab-printing as well as home-printing and I talk specifically about how to get better results in both situations.
If you don't have a printer but are thinking of getting one at some point, I recommend taking the course first. You'll learn lots of valuable information about printer technology and options so that you can pick out the best printer for your needs.
This course is fully applicable to any Canon or Epson inkjet photo printer.
I use a Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-1100 17" printer (at B&H | at Amazon) and so the course is full of live demos on and details about that printer, but I made sure to discuss other printer offerings from both Canon and Epson.
You don't need to have a specific monitor, calibrator, software, paper...
In addition to printers, I talk extensively about computer monitors, calibrators, software, print viewing lights, paper, and much more! I provide clear recommendations on what equipment to invest in along with direct links to the items I discuss. No need to get anything ahead of time.
What's Included
This online printing course is composed of:
- 61 Video Lessons
- Over 11 hours in all
- 7 in-depth live demonstrations (over 2 hours)
- Equipment recommendations & links
- Unlimited email support from Nick Carver
- Lifetime course access
- Student discounts at the ILFORD USA Store*
All lessons will be available to you from day 1 so you can study as fast or slow as you wish. To learn more about how the course works, visit this information page.
Throughout the course, you will have unlimited email support with a direct address to me, Nick Carver. Emails are typically answered within 2 business days depending on my volume of emails. Phone and/or online chat support is also available for an additional charge.
*ILFORD student discounts are only valid on USA orders placed at the ILFORD USA online store.
61 Video Lessons
self-paced online course
[?]
- 11+ Hours of Video Instruction
- 7 Live Demonstrations
- Unlimited Email Support
- Lifetime Course Access
- Satisfaction Guaranteed [?]
$370 Now $229
Add to Cart
