Digital Help

Changes, Changes, Changes!
Q. In the Shutterbug article about the Konica Minolta magicolor 2350 EN laser printer (May 2005 issue), you mentioned that you used the Print With Preview window in Photoshop Versions 7.0, CS, and Elements 3.0. I have Elements 3.0 and I don't have a Print With Preview option. I am using an iMac G5, OS 10.3.8. Am I missing something?
Janelle Morte

A. Sorry, I should have said that the Print dialog in Elements 3.0 is in fact a slightly simplified version of the Print With Preview dialog in the full versions of Photoshop. It does allow printing by choosing the particular printer/paper profile for a "profile to profile" print workflow, and then turning off any printer color adjustment, the "no color adjustment" in the Epson print driver dialog. Actually, with all printers, printing from Photoshop and Elements, you achieve a print reproduction that most closely matches what the image is on screen by following a "profile to profile" workflow.

Copying Artwork Digitally
Q. I am a free-lancer artist who has been photographing my work with an old Minolta 35mm SLR camera. My work tends to be on the smaller side. The largest piece I have is an 18x24 painting. I want to start using a digital camera for this purpose. After surfing countless websites I am throwing my hands up in disgust! I have even e-mailed manufacturers such as Canon, Fuji, and Konica Minolta to no avail. Could you suggest the type of digital camera I should be looking for? The ones I have located so far seem to be in line with what I need but are rather expensive. They are SLRs with manual focus override, but I couldn't find one for less then $900. If I should expect to pay that much, then that's fine, but if not what would you suggest?
Bill Alberico

A. To do accurate, good-quality digital photocopies of paintings with a camera, I think you should consider only the SLR digital models. The least expensive I would recommend is the Canon EOS Digital Rebel. And ideally, if your use of the camera is limited to copying, a macro close-up lens would also be an advantage.
However, for close to the same kind of money, if most of the art pieces you need to copy are 12x17" or less, you might be better served by a flat-bed scanner like the least expensive large format 9700 model made by Microtek. You could stretch the scan image size to 17x24" by making two scans and stitching them together--it's an easy technique that is an accurate copy.

When Is The Higher 48-Bit Color Depth An Advantage, And When Is It A Waste?
Q. Settled my printer woes by getting a 7600 and using Bill Atkinson's profiles. Calibrated my monitor with a Pantone Spyder. Now it comes down to my master scans of my 21/4 negatives with my Epson 4870 with SilverFast Ai. At 4800dpi and a 24-48 color bit depth it opens in Photoshop as a 320MB 8-bit file. Any reason to open as a 16-bit file? Prints can go to 40x80 or larger. I started with 3200dpi but I do see a difference at 4800dpi in complete detail. I do all my corrections with this master file then duplicate, size, sharpen, and print it. Why not go to maximum bit depth?
Gregory Molesworth

A. Once your image file is fully color corrected, edited, and ready to print, nothing is gained by keeping it in 48-bit mode. You just waste storage space. However, some like to keep a raw, unedited image file in 48-bit mode archived in case a different editing interpretation might be needed for a different output purpose.

Choosing A Photo Inkjet Printer
Q. I recently purchased the Canon EOS Digital Rebel and now I'm considering a wide format printer. I had decided on the new Epson R1800 prior to talking to the salesperson. It was suggested that I consider the Canon i9900 because of its removable ink carriage. This was suggested because the Epson had a tendency to clog and wasted a lot of ink in the cleaning process.
I haven't heard anything about the longevity of Canon inks. I do know that their paper selection is limited compared to Epson. And, too, Epson uses the UltraChrome ink that "I have heard" put Epson out front in the print longevity arena. One never knows the salesperson's agenda. Please help.
B. Robinson

A. Although it is technically correct that the Canon has a removable ink carriage, in practical usage terms it does not provide a significant advantage. Print head ink clogging can be a problem with every printer, a problem that can be largely avoided by a little user discipline. Always turn a printer off when it's not being used to make prints. And, never let a printer sit without any printing activity for more than a few days, if possible (vacations are an exception).
The Canon i9900 is a printer I tested and reviewed in Shutterbug about a year ago. It is an excellent performing printer. However, it does use dye-base inks that are more susceptible to fading than the Epson pigment-based inks. And you are correct, Canon offers a very limited selection of printing paper made specifically for their printer.
Possibly your salesperson obtains a higher commission percentage if he sells a Canon printer compared to an Epson.