Photographers who are confused about – or have yet to come to grips with – workflow management for digital printing should probably consider attending some kind of course that shows them the basics of a colour workflow. The type of course they attend will depend on their level of expertise, practical needs and, naturally, budget. While a lot can be learned about colour workflows through books and online, there’s nothing quite like hands-on experience to teach you how to control colour reproduction at all stages of the process from image capture to output as a print.
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Photographers who are confused about – or have yet to come to grips with – workflow management for digital printing should probably consider attending some kind of course that shows them the basics of a colour workflow. The type of course they attend will depend on their level of expertise, practical needs and, naturally, budget. While a lot can be learned about colour workflows through books and online, there’s nothing quite like hands-on experience to teach you how to control colour reproduction at all stages of the process from image capture to output as a print. The Digital Print Makers Master Class run by Chromaticity Australia’s David Crowther through DES is targeted primarily at professional photographers and colour printers who work in a production environment. Attendees are assumed to have a reasonably high level of competence with Photoshop and a basic understanding of the underlying principles of colour management. The two-day course concentrates on device profiling using colorimeters and spectrophotometers, with the first day focusing mainly on theory and the second on practical application of the information learned on day one. Attendees’ knowledge is tested at three points: at the beginning of each of the two days and at the end of the course itself and all attendees are provided with a certificate on completing the course as well as the results (and corrected paper) for their last test. Topics covered on the first day include:
 The first day is largely devoted to theory and covers the technical background to ICC profiling.
 Presenter, David Crowther, explains how ICC transforms interchange data between monitors and printers.
 Participants work singly or in pairs on professional workstations.
The second day is devoted largely to creating ICC profiles for professional printers, with emphasis on monitor calibration using a colorimeter, printer driver profiling, profile evaluation and applying ICC profiles to digital image printing. All participants receive a generous set of class notes and assignment instructions which can be used as reference when they come to apply their knowledge to their own workplaces. A detailed guide to inkjet media and ICC profiles for using the papers sold by DES on a range of popular professional printers are also provided, along with instructions on the correct driver settings for each profile. Participants work with the latest professional equipment, including Windows and Mac computers, Quato LCD monitors and colour calibration equipment, Monaco colorimeters, GretagMacbeth and X-Rite spectrophotometers and printers from Canon and Epson. Monaco colour profiling software is also used. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are supplied and each day runs from around 9.00 am to after 5.00 pm.  David Crowther explains how to profile a monitor using a Monaco colorimeter.
 Producing a printer profile by reading test strips with an X-Rite spectrophotometer.
 Profile evaluation.
 Waiting for prints to emerge from an Epson professional printer.
At $1095 (ex GST) the Digital Print Makers Master Class is probably beyond the reach of amateur digital photographers. Many of the topics covered – and most of the equipment used – will fall outside the requirements of most serious hobbyists. You would also need to be located in Sydney to attend. In contrast, we feel this course would be a good investment for professional photographers and anybody who is involved in large-volume inkjet print production where the savings resulting from more effective use of equipment and materials would quickly recoup costs. The next Digital Print Makers Master Classes will be held on 9-10 August and 13-14 September. A three-day course on Advanced Colour Management will also be run between 6-9 September at the DES Digital Inkjet Studio in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes. For details, visit www.des-pl.com.au and click on “News & Events” or www.chromaticity.com.au and click on Seminars & Training. Information is also available by phone on (02) 9736 6720 or 1300 659 985.
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