You discussed using an expensive Hasselblad vs. an iphone for photographing artwork- but how about something in between? I have a Fujifilm X-T2 camera and lenses, and copy stand that I could use to photograph artwork (watercolors). I'm also looking to buy a printer... I'm assuming I'm better off buying something like the XP 15000 or P700 and photographing the artwork than I would be buying a printer with a built in scanner -- am I correct? I've already used the Fujifilm camera, copy stand, and a lightbox to scan negatives using Negative Lab Pro software with really good results. Thanks for your great videos! Robert
It's all about the level you are working at. So a pigment ink P700 is in a whole different league to the xp-15000 The XT2 is fine - if there is not enough detail - take two shots and stitch in Photoshop (or similar) The key is to work in 100% manual mode with the camera - no auto anything. Take care with colour management and the processing of your RAW files. The scanners built in are generally for consumer home office use - see the [written] ET-8550 review though for a lot more about scanning and how with care - it might just do. www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper Thanks! Yes definitely want to use manual everything and RAW. Sorry for confusing the issue by mentioning the P700 --- I do like B&W photography and may eventually get the P700 for that. But for the watercolors I'm thinking the XP 15000. BTW someone from a well-known online photography dealer claimed on the phone that Epson dyes are better (more archival) than Canon dyes (he also didn't like Canon's software). I'm not so sure about that, but he seemed pretty knowledgeable. So I'm leaning more towards Epson over the Canon Pro-200 partly because of the weight and price difference as well. Thanks again!
I've no big preference in the Canon/Epson software - my feeling is that such preferences say more about the person expressing them ;-) I use photoshop and loathe lightroom for example ;-) As to the dye longevity - not that much in it at all with the newer Canon inks. Anyway, if genuine longevity matters, what are you doing looking at dyes? ;-) My preference here would be the et-8550 over the 15000 (especially the mixed ink set) - see the 8550 review.
Keith, its a mazing, any questions i ever have, I just go here and there you are, with most of the answers ! Now I was wondering if you have any experience with the Plustek A320e scanner, the only affordable A3 scanner that I have found (compared to the Epson counterpart). Its for scanning watercolors and oil paintings, combined with either vuescan or silverlight. I see hardly any reviews of it online, yet it seems fairly popular.
Thanks as always. I have many prints, slides, and negatives going back to the '70s that I'd like to digitize (as well as some paintings--mostly acrylic--and other 2D and 3D work as well). I have a P900 so I'm all set at that end of the process for the images I wish to print, but my concern is if my 2010-vintage Epson Perfection V33 scanner is up to the task (it can do 4800 DPI but are there other requirements?) at the other end of the process. I'm hoping that my Lumix G9 can sufficiently record images of the physical work, as my wife wouldn't be too keen on my purchasing a Hasselblad kit (donate the money!)...
Well, the scanner will work really well with vuescan software still - it's my go-to for driving just about any (new or old) scanner. It's not expensive and regularly updated. For the G9, consider multiple shots if need be and then stitching, if you need more detail? The real key is always in the lighting, and how you edit the files
Thank you so much Keith that's my bedtime reading sorted out as it's too dark now to compare prints anyway! I appreciate your prompt response. I've also Marrutt for their ICC printer profile as I can't afford too many proofs using the Canon paper at £150 for 25 sheets. If I get used to the printer and software using the cheaper Marrutt I will then hopefully need less time colour correcting with Canon paper as I know from your video each paper has its different ICC profiles 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Hi Keith, great video! Thank your for sharing 😊 I’m wanting to start selling prints of my artwork and have bout all the equipment needed..dslr camera, lights, colour checker passport etc. I paint in oils with palette knife and lots of texture and am trying to figure out how to light it. I have watched a lot of tutorials and no one mentions textured paintings and just says to light the artwork evenly…but that doesn’t show the texture. I’m just wondering if you have any tips on how I would go about lighting my work? Thank you. Polly
Thanks - art repro is one of the most technical areas of photography. I'd look at flat even lighting for the area, then add a point source at a relatively shallow angle to catch the texture. Set the detail light to give the view of the texture you want. I'd take two shots and layer them - this allows me to adjust how much 'texture' is in the image. Don't forget too that reflective highlights need not to be burnt out - That means that the base 'flat' image needs a flatter contrast, to be able to 'add' the texture to. Hope that helps - this is quite a technical area to do well.
Thank you so much for explaining that to me! I did not think of that way at all. Such a great help. Much appreciated. And yes I quite agree with you, art reproduction photos are quite technical to do properly and well. Thanks again 😊
Good clarity Keith, I doubt inexprienced people realise what a minefield accurate colour repro can be if one or two building blocks in the process fail in the desire for quality repro. Some paths can't be shortened, knowledge, experience, realistic aims, investment of time & money, patience and deep breathing because the sh-t will always hit the fan. You will fail & recover, learn where to ask advice in the twilight zone of caring about quality. A damp cloth, a pair of marigolds and a sense of humour and Bob's your uncle.
Hello Keith, thank you very much for once again a great video. Forgive my ignorance but I'm quite new at this. I got a v850 in the end (I shoot medium format film and my partner is the visual artist) and I did create a profile for it with the X1 software that came with it. I am a bit confused, at what point should I apply the calibration profile? At the moment I am using Silverfast. Should I put the profile directly in silverfast's preferences or should I assign it in photoshop? I have an Epson p900 and I use a paper for which I have a profile (Either Espon VFA, Hahnemuhle Bamboo or Awagami bamboo). So in theory I should be able to take a calibrated scan, see it on my uncalibrated (for now) display and without touching the colours at all, could I assume that the print colours would be close to that of the original? I have done the test and I am quite far off, especially the 'calibrated' scan (I applied the profile directly through Silverfast) It's really dull. I printed a few and so far, the one that is the closest (yet a bit more vivid than the original) is the 'uncalibrated' scan (the normal SfprofT v800 profile applied by Silverfast). Am I doing something wrong?
See my V850 review for more about this www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-v850-film-scanner-review/ If you've any questions, let me know at Northlight, although it was 2014 when I wrote that review (long before I did videos!) Oh and I'd use Vuescan for the software. The bundled silverfast stuff was not something I found remotely useful ;-)
Thank you that was very helpful. I photograph water colour prints for an amazing artist and the printing is done through a printing shop. However it’s a struggle to get those delicate light tones just right. Also I’m not sure how to resize a digital file to be printed at a large size eg 700mm x 500mm
For artwork, megapixels and lens quality count the most. That size is only ~50-60MP I'll always take a shot of a colorchecker target as well - potentially creating custom DNG profiles for the camera's raw images depending on the lighting. Upsizing with Gigapixel AI is simple is you're a bit short of detail
Great information. Would a Leica Monochrom like the latest M10M be a viable camera to reproduce black and white art work? I have used the pro Nikons one the past but never the M series which I use for street photography. TY
Thanks It would be OK, but the real effort usually goes into the lighting setup and editing. That and lens choice for minimal distortion. The M10M has no specific advantages, and since repro is often best done with a tethered camera, it does also depend on what tethering software it is supported with. Like a lot of things it depends on just how complex you need to go, and what the desired end result is. If you've already got one then fine, but it's not really a camera you would ever buy specifically for such work.
Thanks Keith right ok we have a print! It's not quite the same tonal range as the original photo can you link a video you may have covered that allows you to narrow the change between original photo and your print. I've watched the video on reproducing your artwork.
Ah you need to read the articles - this is far too much for a comment reply or video ;-) It will never match a photo on a screen... this is what colour management is about. Start with the original [written] 8550 review on the Northlight site - it has more about the artwork repro. www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ The videos are often only there to supplement the more detailed written content ;-)
OK, but don't use the term Giclee with me unless it is 100% a marketing term or a very old printer ;-) Better to email me at Northlight Images than these little text boxes...?
Hi Keith, I have a canon pro 300 (I haven’t used it in a while so need to check it’s ok), but the reason I haven’t used it is because I struggle to print art work straight from photoshop. Although the image is centred in the program it doesn’t not print that way, and when printed ends up shifted to the top left a bit.. played around with settings, icc profiles etc to no avail. Are you able to help point me in the right direction, please? Thank you
Keith I am an artist (with a science background) I auctioned off an oil portrait of Volodymyr Zelensky to raise funds for Ukraine, but decided to offer prints as well to maximise the donation. My husband sat through lots of your videos (🙏🏻) plumbed for Canon Pro300, bought their eye watering expensive fine art smooth paper, downloaded the PPL software and I just get an error message #10006 saying paper not loaded in manual tray, but it is. Tried top feed, same message. Looked up error code on Canons site and it suggests cleaning the rollers, it's brand new! Btw I'm printing from an Apple Mac. So because I wanted to get these prints out I decided after consuming a big gin (only joking) that I will attempt to print from my iPad. It printed fine but the resulting print looked like he had been tangoed, much darker and orange coloured than the original photo of the painting. So I've sat watching more videos and nothing works. I have ended up using the basic edit functions in photos on my iPad, printing out a proof, going back in, editing again which of course is making the original photo appear nothing like the original photo and of course because I'm using the recommended paper for the printer, all these proofs are going to cost me a fortune. So any help on why the printer is registering as no paper in manual feed when trying to print from the Mac and also is there any way to get the print to look exactly like an original photo of the painting. At the moment it's a case of all the gear but no idea! Thanks 🙏🏻 any help will benefit the poor people of Ukraine if I can quickly get these prints sorted
iPad printing will always cause problems, so no surprise there With the 300 you need to select the right slot - see here th-cam.com/video/3F-IQCWRk_s/w-d-xo.html Hope that helps see also th-cam.com/video/eSTDS3QW5yk/w-d-xo.html
Since I never ever use lightroom, I couldn't say ;-) This video is not really meant as an advanced guide, so I'm not really covering high end camera profiling or any more advanced processes. The recording and rendition of artwork can be a very complex subject - the sort of stuff I only really cover in actual on-site training. I give most info away for free here and in my written articles, but not everything :-) :-)
@@KeithCooper yeah. I was mainly commenting to your viewers. I worked with a museum lab to learn a lot. Long story short Lightroom can never fully turn off all automatic curves. That's why blacks looks so much blacker on Lightroom than anything else. Anyway, just got my pro 300. Trying to figure out how to get Capture One print to send to the Canon professional software. Your videos in general have helped a great deal. Thank you
You discussed using an expensive Hasselblad vs. an iphone for photographing artwork- but how about something in between? I have a Fujifilm X-T2 camera and lenses, and copy stand that I could use to photograph artwork (watercolors). I'm also looking to buy a printer... I'm assuming I'm better off buying something like the XP 15000 or P700 and photographing the artwork than I would be buying a printer with a built in scanner -- am I correct?
I've already used the Fujifilm camera, copy stand, and a lightbox to scan negatives using Negative Lab Pro software with really good results.
Thanks for your great videos! Robert
It's all about the level you are working at.
So a pigment ink P700 is in a whole different league to the xp-15000
The XT2 is fine - if there is not enough detail - take two shots and stitch in Photoshop (or similar)
The key is to work in 100% manual mode with the camera - no auto anything.
Take care with colour management and the processing of your RAW files.
The scanners built in are generally for consumer home office use - see the [written] ET-8550 review though for a lot more about scanning and how with care - it might just do.
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
@@KeithCooper Thanks! Yes definitely want to use manual everything and RAW. Sorry for confusing the issue by mentioning the P700 --- I do like B&W photography and may eventually get the P700 for that. But for the watercolors I'm thinking the XP 15000. BTW someone from a well-known online photography dealer claimed on the phone that Epson dyes are better (more archival) than Canon dyes (he also didn't like Canon's software). I'm not so sure about that, but he seemed pretty knowledgeable. So I'm leaning more towards Epson over the Canon Pro-200 partly because of the weight and price difference as well. Thanks again!
I've no big preference in the Canon/Epson software - my feeling is that such preferences say more about the person expressing them ;-) I use photoshop and loathe lightroom for example ;-)
As to the dye longevity - not that much in it at all with the newer Canon inks.
Anyway, if genuine longevity matters, what are you doing looking at dyes? ;-)
My preference here would be the et-8550 over the 15000 (especially the mixed ink set) - see the 8550 review.
@@KeithCooper Thanks again, I'll check out your 8550 review!
Keith, its a mazing, any questions i ever have, I just go here and there you are, with most of the answers ! Now I was wondering if you have any experience with the Plustek A320e scanner, the only affordable A3 scanner that I have found (compared to the Epson counterpart). Its for scanning watercolors and oil paintings, combined with either vuescan or silverlight. I see hardly any reviews of it online, yet it seems fairly popular.
Thanks - but no...
I'll bet it works with Vuescan though ;-)
This falls into the category of stuff I'd happily look at, but can't afford to buy...
@@KeithCooper they should sned you one, it would boost their sales (if it cut the mustard of course)
Thanks as always. I have many prints, slides, and negatives going back to the '70s that I'd like to digitize (as well as some paintings--mostly acrylic--and other 2D and 3D work as well). I have a P900 so I'm all set at that end of the process for the images I wish to print, but my concern is if my 2010-vintage Epson Perfection V33 scanner is up to the task (it can do 4800 DPI but are there other requirements?) at the other end of the process. I'm hoping that my Lumix G9 can sufficiently record images of the physical work, as my wife wouldn't be too keen on my purchasing a Hasselblad kit (donate the money!)...
Well, the scanner will work really well with vuescan software still - it's my go-to for driving just about any (new or old) scanner. It's not expensive and regularly updated.
For the G9, consider multiple shots if need be and then stitching, if you need more detail?
The real key is always in the lighting, and how you edit the files
Thank you so much Keith that's my bedtime reading sorted out as it's too dark now to compare prints anyway! I appreciate your prompt response. I've also Marrutt for their ICC printer profile as I can't afford too many proofs using the Canon paper at £150 for 25 sheets. If I get used to the printer and software using the cheaper Marrutt I will then hopefully need less time colour correcting with Canon paper as I know from your video each paper has its different ICC profiles 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Keith, great video! Thank your for sharing 😊 I’m wanting to start selling prints of my artwork and have bout all the equipment needed..dslr camera, lights, colour checker passport etc. I paint in oils with palette knife and lots of texture and am trying to figure out how to light it. I have watched a lot of tutorials and no one mentions textured paintings and just says to light the artwork evenly…but that doesn’t show the texture. I’m just wondering if you have any tips on how I would go about lighting my work? Thank you. Polly
Thanks - art repro is one of the most technical areas of photography.
I'd look at flat even lighting for the area, then add a point source at a relatively shallow angle to catch the texture. Set the detail light to give the view of the texture you want.
I'd take two shots and layer them - this allows me to adjust how much 'texture' is in the image.
Don't forget too that reflective highlights need not to be burnt out - That means that the base 'flat' image needs a flatter contrast, to be able to 'add' the texture to.
Hope that helps - this is quite a technical area to do well.
Thank you so much for explaining that to me! I did not think of that way at all. Such a great help. Much appreciated. And yes I quite agree with you, art reproduction photos are quite technical to do properly and well. Thanks again 😊
Great Presentation & Info (:
Glad it was helpful!
Good clarity Keith, I doubt inexprienced people realise what a minefield accurate colour repro can be if one or two building blocks in the process fail in the desire for quality repro. Some paths can't be shortened, knowledge, experience, realistic aims, investment of time & money, patience and deep breathing because the sh-t will always hit the fan. You will fail & recover, learn where to ask advice in the twilight zone of caring about quality. A damp cloth, a pair of marigolds and a sense of humour and Bob's your uncle.
yes indeed!
Hello Keith, thank you very much for once again a great video. Forgive my ignorance but I'm quite new at this. I got a v850 in the end (I shoot medium format film and my partner is the visual artist) and I did create a profile for it with the X1 software that came with it. I am a bit confused, at what point should I apply the calibration profile?
At the moment I am using Silverfast. Should I put the profile directly in silverfast's preferences or should I assign it in photoshop? I have an Epson p900 and I use a paper for which I have a profile (Either Espon VFA, Hahnemuhle Bamboo or Awagami bamboo). So in theory I should be able to take a calibrated scan, see it on my uncalibrated (for now) display and without touching the colours at all, could I assume that the print colours would be close to that of the original?
I have done the test and I am quite far off, especially the 'calibrated' scan (I applied the profile directly through Silverfast) It's really dull. I printed a few and so far, the one that is the closest (yet a bit more vivid than the original) is the 'uncalibrated' scan (the normal SfprofT v800 profile applied by Silverfast). Am I doing something wrong?
See my V850 review for more about this
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-v850-film-scanner-review/
If you've any questions, let me know at Northlight, although it was 2014 when I wrote that review (long before I did videos!)
Oh and I'd use Vuescan for the software. The bundled silverfast stuff was not something I found remotely useful ;-)
Thank you that was very helpful. I photograph water colour prints for an amazing artist and the printing is done through a printing shop. However it’s a struggle to get those delicate light tones just right. Also I’m not sure how to resize a digital file to be printed at a large size eg 700mm x 500mm
For artwork, megapixels and lens quality count the most. That size is only ~50-60MP
I'll always take a shot of a colorchecker target as well - potentially creating custom DNG profiles for the camera's raw images depending on the lighting.
Upsizing with Gigapixel AI is simple is you're a bit short of detail
Great information. Would a Leica Monochrom like the latest M10M be a viable camera to reproduce black and white art work? I have used the pro Nikons one the past but never the M series which I use for street photography. TY
Thanks
It would be OK, but the real effort usually goes into the lighting setup and editing. That and lens choice for minimal distortion.
The M10M has no specific advantages, and since repro is often best done with a tethered camera, it does also depend on what tethering software it is supported with.
Like a lot of things it depends on just how complex you need to go, and what the desired end result is. If you've already got one then fine, but it's not really a camera you would ever buy specifically for such work.
Thanks Keith right ok we have a print! It's not quite the same tonal range as the original photo can you link a video you may have covered that allows you to narrow the change between original photo and your print. I've watched the video on reproducing your artwork.
Ah you need to read the articles - this is far too much for a comment reply or video ;-)
It will never match a photo on a screen... this is what colour management is about.
Start with the original [written] 8550 review on the Northlight site - it has more about the artwork repro.
www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/
The videos are often only there to supplement the more detailed written content ;-)
I just bought a shop with all of its machines included, and it has a old glicee set-up included. I would love to pick your brain a bit if possible.
OK, but don't use the term Giclee with me unless it is 100% a marketing term or a very old printer ;-)
Better to email me at Northlight Images than these little text boxes...?
Hi Keith, I have a canon pro 300 (I haven’t used it in a while so need to check it’s ok), but the reason I haven’t used it is because I struggle to print art work straight from photoshop. Although the image is centred in the program it doesn’t not print that way, and when printed ends up shifted to the top left a bit.. played around with settings, icc profiles etc to no avail. Are you able to help point me in the right direction, please? Thank you
Try the Canon PPL plugin? It has quite precise positioning
Keith I am an artist (with a science background) I auctioned off an oil portrait of Volodymyr Zelensky to raise funds for Ukraine, but decided to offer prints as well to maximise the donation. My husband sat through lots of your videos (🙏🏻) plumbed for Canon Pro300, bought their eye watering expensive fine art smooth paper, downloaded the PPL software and I just get an error message #10006 saying paper not loaded in manual tray, but it is. Tried top feed, same message. Looked up error code on Canons site and it suggests cleaning the rollers, it's brand new! Btw I'm printing from an Apple Mac.
So because I wanted to get these prints out I decided after consuming a big gin (only joking) that I will attempt to print from my iPad. It printed fine but the resulting print looked like he had been tangoed, much darker and orange coloured than the original photo of the painting. So I've sat watching more videos and nothing works. I have ended up using the basic edit functions in photos on my iPad, printing out a proof, going back in, editing again which of course is making the original photo appear nothing like the original photo and of course because I'm using the recommended paper for the printer, all these proofs are going to cost me a fortune.
So any help on why the printer is registering as no paper in manual feed when trying to print from the Mac and also is there any way to get the print to look exactly like an original photo of the painting. At the moment it's a case of all the gear but no idea! Thanks 🙏🏻 any help will benefit the poor people of Ukraine if I can quickly get these prints sorted
iPad printing will always cause problems, so no surprise there
With the 300 you need to select the right slot - see here
th-cam.com/video/3F-IQCWRk_s/w-d-xo.html
Hope that helps
see also
th-cam.com/video/eSTDS3QW5yk/w-d-xo.html
Speaking from experience, lightroom cannot do fully true colors. I have to use capture one for reproduction. I can explain why if anyone cares
Since I never ever use lightroom, I couldn't say ;-)
This video is not really meant as an advanced guide, so I'm not really covering high end camera profiling or any more advanced processes. The recording and rendition of artwork can be a very complex subject - the sort of stuff I only really cover in actual on-site training. I give most info away for free here and in my written articles, but not everything :-) :-)
@@KeithCooper yeah. I was mainly commenting to your viewers. I worked with a museum lab to learn a lot. Long story short Lightroom can never fully turn off all automatic curves. That's why blacks looks so much blacker on Lightroom than anything else.
Anyway, just got my pro 300. Trying to figure out how to get Capture One print to send to the Canon professional software.
Your videos in general have helped a great deal. Thank you
Thanks - glad to help!