Thursday, May 7, 2009

Imaging Workflow Analysis Case Study: Ross-Simons


Here's an interesting story of applying processing standards to streamline production:

Ross-Simons, one of the country's most successful fine jewelry retailers, faced a staggering challenge. They support 14 retail locations, an online store (named a “Top 500” site by Internet Retailer Magazine in 2005), and a quarterly catalog, first mailed in 1981, that now tops 60 million catalogs mailed all over the world every year.

With all of this size and scale, they are selling the highest quality jewelry. Color, size, cut and polish are all critical to the customer, and Ross-Simons needs their photography to show it all, accurately.

While some companies can have in-house photo studios, the sheer number of products in the Ross-Simons catalog and limited time-frame means that multiple photographers all over the country are all working on various stages of the projects. Jay Dunn, as VP of Creative, was seeing a huge degree of variation in the photography coming in from the studios. Considering each studio was using different cameras and different practices in processing and delivering the files, it's no wonder. In an industry where the difference between a fine gem and an average stone can be a few points of color, the images had to be spot-on, regardless of their source.

“In our last catalog run we spent over 600 hours for post-production Photoshop time in color adjusting file standardization and retouching. We really felt that we could cut that in half if we could somehow standardize the Color Management and processing…It’s not that we’re unhappy with the photographers’ work. In fact, we feel we’re partially to blame. We just have never been able to tell them what we want." - Jay Dunn, VP of Creative at Ross-Simons

Jay had worked with Michael Oh and the Tech Superpowers team for help deploying a new hi-res design workflow in Jay's previous position at Brookstone, but this time the project was even more complex, and an entire series of catalogs depended on results.

Huge Challenges


This was a huge problem that had many challenges. The first one was simply to isolate each of the factors that was causing variations in output.

First, the photographers used different cameras - a Leaf Aptus75, a Valeo 22, a Sinar 54, and even a Nikon D200, with software that was just as varied. Since there were over six different makes and models of cameras, lenses and lighting, Ted Dillard, head of TSP Imaging Services, had to synchronize the color rendering of each camera to match the others. In this case, it wasn’t so much an attempt to match the cameras to any "industry standard", more that they needed to match each other.

Second, Dillard and the Ross-Simons teams recognized that the problem wasn't simply the photographers: a complete end-to-end, or "Capture-to-Press" solution, was needed. So collaboration and agreed standards were key. In this case, the best way to make sure that this was reasonable and understood was to bring all of the vendors together - 24 people in all - at Tech Superpowers to review process, standards, and best practices in a full-day meeting... to form a consensus.

Third, once this consensus was reached, Ross-Simons needed to give the entire team a set of guidelines - from exposure, capture and processing settings to scaling, sizing and color management standards - right out to prepress and proofing, including a communication "loop" from the press back to the photographers. Ted was able to create a capture, RAW-processing and color management workflow that worked from end to end, and establish lines of communication to reinforce, and correct, the process, during the process.

"Ross Simons' problem was very common, but we had an unusual opportunity to create a new solution. Rather than apply a fix after the fact, by trying to profile the cameras - a notoriously inaccurate and ineffective approach - we elected to go to the RAW files and standardize the processing at the capture level. Each studio had a set of guidelines for file delivery, as well as individualized processing settings to assure one camera would look like the next, regardless of the make, model, lens or lighting used." – Ted Dillard, Imaging Services Manager

Huge Results

Using our experience and training in RAW file processing as well as our considerable experience with the individual digital camera systems, TSPIS was able to minimize the differences in color, contrast, and look between all of the cameras, and a standard of file quality and specifications between all the studios.

"When I reached out to Tech Superpowers, what I needed was the insight of a professional photographer, fused with the knowledge of the digital and technological advances, to create a cost-effective, efficient, multi-user, multi-city, photography and asset management workflow.

They far surpassed any expectations I had… [and] engineered a strategy that allowed photographers and color houses in seven different cities to align to standards and protocol that created speed-to-market and cost advantages worth large dollars to our organization." – Jay Dunn


Given the cost of a trained Photoshop artist, cutting 300 hours for each one of four catalog runs per year... well, that's a solution that you can take to the bank.

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Friday, September 26, 2008

File delivery standards- proposal

There is always a lot of discussion about file delivery in commercial photography - how to prep files, how to deliver files, what format, color space, bit depth, it goes on.

What follows is a list I've complied for developing a strategy. These are based on the closest thing to an industry standard I can get to, and constant discussion with everyone from photographers right to the guy on press.

After you get your own house in order, the first step? Talk to the client. Of course, right? We are in the communication business, after all...

The second biggest issue, in my opinion, is to determine if you want to "Early Bind" or "Late Bind". That is, do you want to dedicate the file to a specific purpose when you deliver it, or do you want to deliver the most data and allow the file to be "purposed" by the production guys. Again, communication.

Here, for what it's worth, is my guideline. (ducks, runs away...)

Step 1: Workstation setup and standards

Good color-accurate calibrated display
General purpose calibration settings: 6500K, 2.2 Gamma, Luminance ~120
Standardized Color Settings in Photoshop- NA Prepress Defaults

Step 2: Communication with client


Determine client use and preferences for file delivery
Negotiate fees for preparation to those requests
Establish reasonable client expectations for color accuracy and proofing processes

Step 3: Determine processing "mode", ie, "Early Binding" or "Late Binding".


Early Binding- Files are processed for specific use as specified by client.
Examples: Offset printing, web/multimedia, fine reproduction
Late Binding- Files are processed to accommodate reasonable forseeable usage, allowing editing in post for specific applications.

Suggested procedures: (all presuming "unless otherwise requested by client")

Early Binding:
  • Communication with Prepress or web developers is a prerequisite.
  • Obtain profile for proofing device
  • Adjust RGB to fit within proofing gamut and convert to CMYK under strict parameters of prepress requirements.
  • Include RGB files with CMYK as well as a "readme" explaining parameters of conversion.
    (RGB can be "backwards converted", that is, converted to RGB from the CMYK to assure displayed colors can be printed.)
  • Files are delivered at final size with USM applied as per the prepress request.
  • TIFF format, JPEG only if compression needed (FTP or email, Level 10 or above)
  • SWOP certified proofs accompany image files, signed by client.
  • Inclusion of "Limits of Liability" in contract, or with "readme" on disk.

    Late Binding:
  • Files are adjusted and "soft proofed" to keep within gamut for forseeable usage
  • Files are delivered in AdobeRGB in 8-bit
  • TIFF format, JPEG only if compression needed (FTP or email, Level 10 or above)
  • Files are delivered in native resolution.
  • Files are "pre-sharpened", but not "final-sharpened".
  • Where applicable files are delivered with sample "Colorchecker target" image prepped to the same standards.
  • Guidelines and instructions are included with files in "readme" attachment.

    I think these guidelines are general enough to give a good strategy, a roadmap, for any photographer, but specific enough to be of value... Responsible handling of files, in any case, demands an understanding of the issues, and a thoughtful approach to how to best protect yourself as well as your client, in fulfilling the assignment.

    Ultimately the goal is a good job, a happy client, and more work, right?

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