After a few months of work the "beta" version of the "Soft-Proofing Calibration" script is finalized and ready for download and testing. The files are here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iTmi6VrmJT8jg3uFB0KRU6JqG-ho3l7O?usp=sharing
First of all I would like to thank to Mr. Kevin Bjorke, the autor of ChartThrob, for kindly making his script "freeware" and the code of the script public.
Understanding his code was of a vital importance in my efforts of making this script.
The "Soft-Proofing Calibration" script doesn't yet include the "Help" files, but it's quite self-explanatory.
It has 4 functional modules : 1- Make a Chart, 2- Scan and build the Curves, 3- Make the Layer Groups and 4- Make the Print Layer.
CAUTION
The results obtained using this script and the "Perceptual Approach" method of making the DN are as good as well calibrated are your scanner and your monitor! But this is the case with all the existent methods of making a DN, so there is nothing new here.
The script was extensively tested on a Windows 10 machine with a PS6 installed. I don't have PS-CC and don't intend to ever pay for one.
If the Adobe manual is correct the script should work on MAC and with CC as well, but I have no way to test it. I hope you'll help me to do it.
The script is, as promised, completely free of charge for all users, for domestic or business applications as well.
DISCLAIMER
I have payed very much attention in writing this script. I am makeing it public in a binary file for not permitting anybody to make changes and spread bogus copies.
No errors appeared while extensively testing it but, as usually, you'll use it on your own risk.
INSTALLATION
Just copy the provided "Soft-Proofing" folder and paste it in the "...Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop\Presets\Scripts\" folder (Photoshop should not be opened during this operation, otherwise it won't let you past anything into its active folders). Next time you'll open Photoshop you'll find the script under the "File -> Scripts" menu.
The "Soft-Proofing" folder contains the "Soft-Proofing Calibration.JSXBIN" executable file and a hidden "Graphics" folder (you can make it visible if you want) with all the images needed for the UI. The script needs the "Graphics" folder, otherwise it can't run. Don't modify the .png files inside it. The best practice is to let the "Graphics" folder invisible.
If you want to move the script in other location on your disk move the whole "Soft-Proofing" folder, otherwise it can't find the graphical files in the invisible "Graphics" folder (needed to draw the UI) and it will end in an error.
1. - MAKE A CHART
____
It actually makes 2 Charts, one with 16 big patches of gray and one with 100 smaller patches and both are later used in the Curves-building module.
If you are using, like me, more than 1 printer and more similarly-looking transparency films you have the option of imprinting their names on the chart, not to confuse them. Imprinting the exposure time on the chart is almost mandatory and much better than writing it with a pen on one side, as I used to do before. Giving the Chart a name may be useful, as well.
In the down-left side there is a zone that is practically a simplified bar-code helping the script to identify the type of chart it's scanning. Not very useful in this beta release but I have included this functionality in the hope that I'll find time to offer options for more types of Charts in the future, in the next releases of the script.
CAUTION : all around the Chart is included a black outline. It is very important to have a dark, thick outline around your printed Chart (I'll explain later why).
After the script draws the Chart you should use the "Print Layer" module to quickly prepare the negative for printing with your printer. For the best results print it as large as possible using "fit to page" in the printer dialog.
2. - SCAN AND BUILD THE CURVES
This is the most important and complex module of the script. First you need to scan your Chart printed using your Alternative Process. Then try to crop the scan in such a way that a dark border remains all-around the Chart, with no white zones . The script will use this dark border to make a perfect alignment and to crop the Chart with precision. It should have a width of 10-200 pixels for the best results.
The following are the functional stages of this module:
- Evaluates the type of Chart it is scanning based on the scanned image proportions.
- Evaluates the Charts horizontal/vertical alignment and rotates it to compensate. It can compensate for a max. angle of 2 degrees. That's more than enough for all the real-life situations when your scanned image has an improper horizontal/vertical alignment.
- After it is aligned the script crops and resizes it to the exact dimensions needed for scan.
- It verifies the bar-code to check if it is a proper type of Chart.
- If you chose to ask it to "show patches selection" it will show the regions where it will make the measurements. You can check them and If they are properly aligned it will begin the scanning process.
- It will scan both Charts and, based on the scanned values, it will build the 2 curves.
- it will evaluate the dark zones for solarization and the white areas for the paper color and process homogeneity and give you a brief report.
- If everything works as expected you'll have 2 adjustment layers with the 2 curves on top of the scanned-Chart layer. Save them on the disk in a folder named with the name of your process, toning option and paper (ex.: "Pall_Bergg" for the Palladium on Berrger combination).
3. - LAYER GROUPS
This module will make for you the layer groups for the best work-flow using the Perceptual Approach. It will turn the PS mode into 16bits/RGB and it will create 3 Layer groups, but only if it detects a "Background" layer with an image for winch you want to make a DN.
- The top-most is the "Print" group - it will invert and apply your UV blocking color to your image. It should be made invisible until you want to print the DN.
- The middle group is the group that makes the image on the screen to look like the final print. It contains a Curves and a B&W Adjustment Layers. You'll load in the Curves Layer the curve produced by the script for your intended process/paper combination. You'll keep this group always visible till you want to print the DN and never modify it. For printing the DN you'll have to make the middle group invisible and the top-most group visible.
- The last group is the working group. You have here a duplicate of your image and another Curves Adjustment Layer where you should load the Basic Adjustment Curve saved together with the Soft-Proofing Curve in the same folder. This is basically a ChartThrob-like curve that will be your initial adjustment.
On top of the Basic Adjustment Curve Layer you can add as many Adjustments Layers as you need to make the image on the screen look the way you want the final print to be. You can use the whole power of Photoshop to make the image look perfect to your taste ( for instance you can use "Shadows and Highlights" on the copy of your initial image). Local adjustments can be done if necessary, too. Everything is permitted while working in this group. You can even start with a color image(to be able to adjust the sky, grass, etc separately, based on their colors). It will be automatically transformed into B&W in both the upper layers groups (that's why there is a B&W Adjustment Layer included in each of the upper groups).
While everything is permitted in the Adjustments group NO CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE IN THE "SOFT-PROOFING AND "PRINT" GROUPS. The best practice is to lock them immediately after loading the Curves.
All the changes you make will let the initial image (the "Background" Layer, made invisible) in the background unchanged, as a reference. It could be used later for other variants of editing/processing.
The "Printing" group WILL NOT MIRROR YOUR DN. You have to do it yourself (I have this option enabled in the printer dialog). You can chose not to make the "Print" group at all and use the "Print" module instead.
4. - PRINT LAYER
This module will create a layer containing a DN ready for printing made from the visible layers in your document.
You can use it to print images created with other scripts, as well. It will not affect at all the layers under it. After printing your DN you could delete the "Print" Layer and make it again whenever is necessary.
How it works: it creates a copy of the active document in the memory, flattens the copy of the document, applies the "B&W" and the "Invert" Adjustments to it, applies your UV blocking color, mirrors it, flattens the result again, copies the resulted image and pastes it into your document on top of the other layers. It is completely non-destructive and very easy to use.
Dan Pavel
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iTmi6VrmJT8jg3uFB0KRU6JqG-ho3l7O?usp=sharing
First of all I would like to thank to Mr. Kevin Bjorke, the autor of ChartThrob, for kindly making his script "freeware" and the code of the script public.
Understanding his code was of a vital importance in my efforts of making this script.
The "Soft-Proofing Calibration" script doesn't yet include the "Help" files, but it's quite self-explanatory.
It has 4 functional modules : 1- Make a Chart, 2- Scan and build the Curves, 3- Make the Layer Groups and 4- Make the Print Layer.
CAUTION
The results obtained using this script and the "Perceptual Approach" method of making the DN are as good as well calibrated are your scanner and your monitor! But this is the case with all the existent methods of making a DN, so there is nothing new here.
The script was extensively tested on a Windows 10 machine with a PS6 installed. I don't have PS-CC and don't intend to ever pay for one.
If the Adobe manual is correct the script should work on MAC and with CC as well, but I have no way to test it. I hope you'll help me to do it.
The script is, as promised, completely free of charge for all users, for domestic or business applications as well.
DISCLAIMER
I have payed very much attention in writing this script. I am makeing it public in a binary file for not permitting anybody to make changes and spread bogus copies.
No errors appeared while extensively testing it but, as usually, you'll use it on your own risk.
INSTALLATION
Just copy the provided "Soft-Proofing" folder and paste it in the "...Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop\Presets\Scripts\" folder (Photoshop should not be opened during this operation, otherwise it won't let you past anything into its active folders). Next time you'll open Photoshop you'll find the script under the "File -> Scripts" menu.
The "Soft-Proofing" folder contains the "Soft-Proofing Calibration.JSXBIN" executable file and a hidden "Graphics" folder (you can make it visible if you want) with all the images needed for the UI. The script needs the "Graphics" folder, otherwise it can't run. Don't modify the .png files inside it. The best practice is to let the "Graphics" folder invisible.
If you want to move the script in other location on your disk move the whole "Soft-Proofing" folder, otherwise it can't find the graphical files in the invisible "Graphics" folder (needed to draw the UI) and it will end in an error.
1. - MAKE A CHART
It actually makes 2 Charts, one with 16 big patches of gray and one with 100 smaller patches and both are later used in the Curves-building module.
If you are using, like me, more than 1 printer and more similarly-looking transparency films you have the option of imprinting their names on the chart, not to confuse them. Imprinting the exposure time on the chart is almost mandatory and much better than writing it with a pen on one side, as I used to do before. Giving the Chart a name may be useful, as well.
In the down-left side there is a zone that is practically a simplified bar-code helping the script to identify the type of chart it's scanning. Not very useful in this beta release but I have included this functionality in the hope that I'll find time to offer options for more types of Charts in the future, in the next releases of the script.
CAUTION : all around the Chart is included a black outline. It is very important to have a dark, thick outline around your printed Chart (I'll explain later why).
After the script draws the Chart you should use the "Print Layer" module to quickly prepare the negative for printing with your printer. For the best results print it as large as possible using "fit to page" in the printer dialog.
2. - SCAN AND BUILD THE CURVES
This is the most important and complex module of the script. First you need to scan your Chart printed using your Alternative Process. Then try to crop the scan in such a way that a dark border remains all-around the Chart, with no white zones . The script will use this dark border to make a perfect alignment and to crop the Chart with precision. It should have a width of 10-200 pixels for the best results.
The following are the functional stages of this module:
- Evaluates the type of Chart it is scanning based on the scanned image proportions.
- Evaluates the Charts horizontal/vertical alignment and rotates it to compensate. It can compensate for a max. angle of 2 degrees. That's more than enough for all the real-life situations when your scanned image has an improper horizontal/vertical alignment.
- After it is aligned the script crops and resizes it to the exact dimensions needed for scan.
- It verifies the bar-code to check if it is a proper type of Chart.
- If you chose to ask it to "show patches selection" it will show the regions where it will make the measurements. You can check them and If they are properly aligned it will begin the scanning process.
- It will scan both Charts and, based on the scanned values, it will build the 2 curves.
- it will evaluate the dark zones for solarization and the white areas for the paper color and process homogeneity and give you a brief report.
- If everything works as expected you'll have 2 adjustment layers with the 2 curves on top of the scanned-Chart layer. Save them on the disk in a folder named with the name of your process, toning option and paper (ex.: "Pall_Bergg" for the Palladium on Berrger combination).
3. - LAYER GROUPS
This module will make for you the layer groups for the best work-flow using the Perceptual Approach. It will turn the PS mode into 16bits/RGB and it will create 3 Layer groups, but only if it detects a "Background" layer with an image for winch you want to make a DN.
- The top-most is the "Print" group - it will invert and apply your UV blocking color to your image. It should be made invisible until you want to print the DN.
- The middle group is the group that makes the image on the screen to look like the final print. It contains a Curves and a B&W Adjustment Layers. You'll load in the Curves Layer the curve produced by the script for your intended process/paper combination. You'll keep this group always visible till you want to print the DN and never modify it. For printing the DN you'll have to make the middle group invisible and the top-most group visible.
- The last group is the working group. You have here a duplicate of your image and another Curves Adjustment Layer where you should load the Basic Adjustment Curve saved together with the Soft-Proofing Curve in the same folder. This is basically a ChartThrob-like curve that will be your initial adjustment.
On top of the Basic Adjustment Curve Layer you can add as many Adjustments Layers as you need to make the image on the screen look the way you want the final print to be. You can use the whole power of Photoshop to make the image look perfect to your taste ( for instance you can use "Shadows and Highlights" on the copy of your initial image). Local adjustments can be done if necessary, too. Everything is permitted while working in this group. You can even start with a color image(to be able to adjust the sky, grass, etc separately, based on their colors). It will be automatically transformed into B&W in both the upper layers groups (that's why there is a B&W Adjustment Layer included in each of the upper groups).
While everything is permitted in the Adjustments group NO CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE IN THE "SOFT-PROOFING AND "PRINT" GROUPS. The best practice is to lock them immediately after loading the Curves.
All the changes you make will let the initial image (the "Background" Layer, made invisible) in the background unchanged, as a reference. It could be used later for other variants of editing/processing.
The "Printing" group WILL NOT MIRROR YOUR DN. You have to do it yourself (I have this option enabled in the printer dialog). You can chose not to make the "Print" group at all and use the "Print" module instead.
4. - PRINT LAYER
This module will create a layer containing a DN ready for printing made from the visible layers in your document.
You can use it to print images created with other scripts, as well. It will not affect at all the layers under it. After printing your DN you could delete the "Print" Layer and make it again whenever is necessary.
How it works: it creates a copy of the active document in the memory, flattens the copy of the document, applies the "B&W" and the "Invert" Adjustments to it, applies your UV blocking color, mirrors it, flattens the result again, copies the resulted image and pastes it into your document on top of the other layers. It is completely non-destructive and very easy to use.
Dan Pavel
Last edited:
I like the idea of separate modules and it will certainly make things easier for additions/updates as you noted.