Hasselblad FlexColor 4.0 Software Reference Manual Download

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Software Reference

FlexColor 4.0 for Camera Backs

by Hasselblad Imacon

Summary of Contents for FlexColor 4.0

Page 1: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs by Hasselblad Imacon ...

Page 2: ...or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual Hasselblad A S assumes no responsibility or liability for loss or damage incurred during or as a result of using Hasselblad software or products Hasselblad Imacon FlexColor Flextight FlexFrame and Ixpress are trademarks of Hasselblad A S Adobe and Adobe Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc Macintosh Mac OS ColorSyn...

Page 3: ... The File Menu 14 The Edit Menu 16 The Modify Menu 17 The View Menu 18 The Maintenance Menu 18 The Window Menu 19 The Main FlexColor Window 21 Introduction 21 Capture and Save Tools 21 Color and Exposure Analysis Tools 23 Corrections Controls 24 Size Controls 24 Zoom Controls 26 Orientation Controls 26 Other Controls 27 Overlay 28 The Preview 28 The Setup Window 29 Introduction 29 The FlexColor Se...

Page 4: ...eneral FlexColor Settings 52 FlexColor ICC Profiles 55 Generic ICC Output Profiles 55 Editing ColorSync Color Profiles 56 The Thumbnails Window 61 Introduction 61 Opening the Thumbnails Window 61 Selecting a Thumbnails Folder 62 Files and Formats 62 Saving Crop and Imaging Settings 62 Using the Thumbnails Window 63 Printing the Thumbnails 69 Ixpress Contents Window 71 Introduction 71 Using the Ixp...

Page 5: ...on 85 The Gradations Window 87 Introduction 87 Using the Sliders 88 Using the Gradations Color Picker 89 Using the Curve 89 Setting the Threshold for Lineart Captures 91 The Histogram Window 93 Introduction 93 The Histogram Display 94 The Histogram Color Pickers 96 Neutralizing Colors 98 Selective Color Correction 99 Introduction 99 Opening the Color Correction Window 99 Using the Color Correction...

Page 6: ...erence FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs Table of Contents 6 The Live Video Window 107 Introduction 107 Live Video Window Tools 108 The Tasks Window 111 Background save from 3f 111 Appendix 113 Keyboard Shortcuts 113 ...

Page 7: ...ettings with the Histogram window including color neutralization and control Advanced color control with the Color Correction window Sharpening images with the Texture window Software compatibility The FlexColor software works with the entire range of Ixpress and FlexFrame digital camera backs and all Flextight scanners except for the Flextight 4800 FlexColor under Mac OS and Windows The CD that c...

Page 8: ...ep captures we recommend at least 1 5 GB Ixpress 528C will not function with less than 2 GB Screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels with true colors 24 bits Mouse or other pointing device FireWire interface or SCSI Interface Minimum available hard disk space of 10 GB Macintosh Minimum Power PC processor Mac OS X ver 10 2 1 or later System RAM 512 MB or more recommended when performing micro step cap...

Page 9: ...d as a FireWire device that is the bus number in the device window will be 9 To be recognized by OS X devices connected to a standard SCSI adapter must be present when booting the Mac A SCSI device connected via a SCSI to FireWire adapter will be recognized when the adapter is plugged in The SCSI device itself must be turned on before connecting the adapter to FireWire or rebooting Software Refere...

Page 10: ...ws in a number of applications and always be able to re create the quality you need all this from the same 3f file Image Archiving Availability Because a 3f file preserves all of the details captured by your scanner or camera it is perfect for archiving Then for each new job you will work with the 3f image in FlexColor and export it to create a new TIFF file in which your settings are applied the ...

Page 11: ... press industry for exchanging meta information in news content including images The standard associates an object with its description within the same file You can embed all kinds of information in your images such as a caption the place you took it the date and even keywords and categories etc In FlexColor you are able to apply a number of IPTC tags to your 3f files See The Info Window on page 6...

Page 12: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs Introduction 12 ...

Page 13: ...nu Except for the Preferences entry the FlexColor menu functions are standard for all applications Preferences Opens the Preferences window which enables you to make general flash and shutter settings for your current camera model select an application for viewing final images and typing some default information for the 3f files See The Preferences Window on page 47 for more information Software R...

Page 14: ...until the rendering is finished though you can make other types of settings All setting are previewed using the full 16 bit color depth to display results Save Saves the image currently shown in the FlexColor window as a standard TIFF file All current crop mode color and image enhancement settings will be applied to the saved image Close Closes the currently selected window if possible Setup Opens...

Page 15: ... the right of the scanner or camera icon in the list ex 0 5 refers to the Bus no 0 and the SCSI address 5 Get Info Opens an Info window which contains various information about the currently selected image See The Info Window on page 65 for a detailed description Page Setup Print Enables you to print the contents of the Thumbnails window Make sure you have selected the view by clicking on an image...

Page 16: ... a text field then this command removes the text and saves it on a system wide virtual clipboard Copy Saves the selected text on the clipboard without removing it Paste Places a copy of the text on the clipboard at the insertion point Clear Removes all text from the clipboard Select All Selects all of the text contained in the field in which the insertion point is standing In the Thumbnails window...

Page 17: ... place in the background Processing tasks will not be interrupted by new image captures Batch Modify When using the Batch Modify function to add settings from current settings the cropping will be maintained in the added settings If the images in question have different sizes the cropping will be scaled accordingly Neutralization presets You have the ability to save and reuse named neutralization ...

Page 18: ... on your screen Enable this only when you are sure about the specific output device you are using If you are making a general purpose RGB capture then keep this feature unselected A small s to the right of the Color Info area in the main FlexColor window indicates that Soft Proof is enabled The Hide Tools item lets you hide all tool windows The Maintenance Menu The Maintenance menu is not availabl...

Page 19: ...manual Gradations window see page 87 Histogram window see page 93 Color Correction window see page 99 Texture window see page 101 Detail window see page 105 Exposure window see page 79 Thumbnails window see page 61 Color Info window see page 83 Live Video window see page 107 Tasks window see page 111 NOTE The Batch Scan entry is not available when you use FlexColor with a digital camera back Softw...

Page 20: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs FlexColor Menus 20 ...

Page 21: ...ctions available with FlexColor Capture and Save Tools Capture Captures an image using your current settings A preview of the image will be displayed in the main FlexColor window right away All settings are previewed using the full 16 bit color depth to display results Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Main FlexColor Window 21 Introduction ...

Page 22: ... Window on page 61 for more information Setup Use this pop up menu to choose between any of the currently available setups A small will appear to the right of the menu to indicate when you have made custom changes that affect the setup but have not been saved Type Use this pop up menu to choose the type of capture you want to make preview single shot multi shot or micro step This setting mirrors t...

Page 23: ...g to CMYK then CMYK pixel values are shown and no f stop value appears Use the Color Info window to read CMYK and f stop values simultaneously see below The Neutralize color picker helps you to obtain a neutral color balance in your image see Neutralizing Colors on page 98 for details Next to the information displays are two buttons which will open windows that give you even more information and c...

Page 24: ...s saved with the current setup Size Controls Width The measured width of the output image The units used are set on the General tab of the Setup window See General Tab on page 32 for more information Height The measured height of the output image The units used are set on the General tab of the Setup window See General Tab on page 32 for more information Zoom The level of magnification applied whe...

Page 25: ...u work with the digital camera you will typically know the target output dimensions and resolution If so first enter the dimensions in the Height and Width fields and choose the output resolution from the PPI pop up menu Then click on the lock icon so that it is closed this will lock your height and width settings You are now able to click and drag the crop area to define the composition of your i...

Page 26: ...n page 113 for related keyboard shortcuts Orientation Controls Rotate Buttons If you choose to shoot with the camera back in portrait mode then your subjects will be rotated so that they appears sideways in relation to the FlexColor preview window If this annoys you the use the rotate buttons to rotate the image in 90 steps in either direction Both the preview and the final image will be rotated M...

Page 27: ...er occurs below the overlay button while the overlay is active The slider gives you full control of the overlay image transparency Grid Button Adds a grid over the preview and live video window The grid can be useful for aligning objects in your setup Holding down the option key while clicking the button opens the Grid options window Here you are able to define the number and color of the lines in...

Page 28: ...age 27 will turn the overlay on off The Preview FlexColor has been designed with the philosophy that when creating digital images it is best to judge image quality with your eyes not based on point measurements and color lookup tables This is why we have drawn so much attention to the screen calibration procedure in the tutorial and why we have integrated ICC color profiles to maintain the color a...

Page 29: ...type cmd U or select Setup from the File menu Many of the settings such as sharpness gradation and color correction are available individually through tool buttons in the main FlexColor window All settings you make using the individual tools are also applied to the Setup window and vice versa The Setup window is divided into several tab sheets to help you find the setting you want to make Software...

Page 30: ...d in each setup file Each time you make a capture select the closest setup from the Setup menu define the crop click on the Auto button and you are 98 to 100 of the way to a perfect image capture provided that you have neutralized the colors of your image see Neutralizing Colors on page 98 for details FlexColor is delivered with several generic setups to get you started quickly Use the Setup pop u...

Page 31: ... setup thereby removing it from the Setup pop up menus click on Delete NOTE The generic setups that ship with FlexColor are locked so that you can not accidentally modify rename or delete them If you want to modify a generic setup then select the setup from the Setup pop up menu make modifications then click on New to save your new setup with a new name Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera ...

Page 32: ... applications cannot read Grayscale creates grayscale images such as black and white photographs Grayscale files are smaller than color files so use this mode if your originals or final publications are in black and white To obtain a grayscale result FlexColor combines information from all three RGB color channels ICC profiles have no effect when you capture images using this mode Grayscale 16 bit...

Page 33: ... capture and applies full processing If you are capturing images of people animals flowing water or other moving objects or if you are capturing from a hand held camera then you must use single shot mode Single shot images are fully rendered and processed so they take slightly longer than previews but the results are of production quality Multi Shot makes four captures one for each color but with ...

Page 34: ...f ISO 50 or 100 If you are using an Ixpress camera back you will be able to select between ISO 200 and 400 as well This setting will also be reflected in the Exposure Window see page 79 Mirror If your original is a mirror image or if you want to create a mirrored image from the original then place a check in this box To keep the image as captured make sure this box is not checked Enhanced shadow d...

Page 35: ...indow available from the Window menu Changes made here in the Setup window will also change the settings in that window and vice versa See The Gradations Window on page 87 for more information about these settings Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Setup Window 35 Contrast Tab ...

Page 36: ...h color channel Normally you should leave them set to 100 each which applies sharpening equally to all channels In some cases you may be able to reduce the effect of noise by applying less sharpening to one channel typically the blue channel You can also use these settings to create special effects Apply Mark this check box to apply the unsharp mask filter to all images Remove the check to disable...

Page 37: ...er overview of all of the color correction settings for the current setup To activate the color correction mark the Apply check box To disable the color correction settings remove the mark from this box Click on the box to toggle the mark To modify the amount of any one color component in the image click on the button next to the target color along the top of the matrix Then use the up and down bu...

Page 38: ...lors Y 0 0 0 0 0 0 Neutral yellow A full explanation on all of the applications of this tool would be complex and beyond the scope of this manual If you would like to know more about color mapping please speak with your printer or consult the electronic prepress section of your local library or book store Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Setup Window 38 CC Color Correction Tab...

Page 39: ...hlight or shadow values to be tighter than the auto function normally chooses then use a positive setting here Positive settings will result in a relative increase in the contrast You are able to set negative values for the Auto settings This will make the automatic controls use less extreme settings for highlight and shadow than normal For example if the Auto for Highlight were set to 2 and you u...

Page 40: ...ak to your printer for advice about how to set these values The values in the three RGB columns control the maximum for highlight or minimum for shadow For RGB color 8 bit values 0 to 255 are shown for each color The Endpoints pop up menu determines how the values for the color columns will be assigned when the input values exceed the defined limits They work as follows Software Reference FlexColo...

Page 41: ... FlexColor is called ColorSyncTM Under Windows ICC technology is referred to as ICM which stands for Image Color Management and the tab for selecting ICC profiles in FlexColor is called ICM The Ixpress digital camera backs and most monitors and output devices include ICC profiles which will help to make sure that the colors in your original are maintained and that colors you see on your screen wil...

Page 42: ...ine help for your operating system For information about Apples ColorSyncTM technology check Apple s web site at http www colorsync apple com and or http www apple com Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Setup Window 42 ColorSync or ICM Tab ...

Page 43: ... default profile simply click the Change button located to the right of the input profile menu This will lead you to the ColorSync Utility application Here you simply select the Devices view which gives you a list of registered devices After selecting your camera or scanner in the list you can either assign a new default profile or switch back to factory default The standard settings installed all...

Page 44: ...represents the color space in which you work If you are using Adobe Photoshop you can choose the space used by Photoshop To see which space is used by Photoshop start Photoshop and choose Edit Color Settings The Color Settings window appears see the Getting Started manual for more information about using this window In this example the RGB working space is the ICC profile Adobe RGB 1998 If you cho...

Page 45: ...ing images in grayscale To do so simply check the required Embed and Convert options and if you have checked Convert you also need to select a grayscale output profile from the menu Please note that you do not need to select a different input profile when in grayscale mode as a suitable grayscale input profile is automatically generated based on the currently selected RGB input profile When select...

Page 46: ... an on screen representation of the colors expected from your output device It combines the output profile with the monitor profile selected for your system to create a simulation of the output colors See the Getting Started manual for instructions on how to set up a monitor profile for you system and for advice about using the Softproof feature Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs Th...

Page 47: ... not saved with the other settings in the setup files To open the window select Preferences from the FlexColor menu Scanner Tab For scanners only Camera Tab The Camera tab holds the following settings for your current device Model FlexColor must know which kind of camera body you are using so that it can control the camera correctly Choose your camera body from the Software Reference FlexColor 4 0...

Page 48: ...nt for each camera back model The delay is set automatically when you choose a camera body from the Model pop up menu However you must set this manually when you choose the Generic setting NOTE Even when working with a specific camera body you are able to adjust the shutter delay time manually if necessary The value is resettable by clicking the Default button Under normal circumstances you simply...

Page 49: ...be ready to flash again then enter the required minimum charge time in seconds in the Flash delay field Process and store full image when saving Check this if you want to avoid updating the 3f files with the processed info when saving from these In this case processing will only be done for the actual cropped area and your unprocessed 3f file will stay small and unprocessed Software Reference Flex...

Page 50: ...Color with a scanner device Default Info Prior to taking a number of captures where you want to add the same name and copyright information to all of the shots you can type this information in the Byline and Copyright fields Later when opening the Info window for one or more of the captures this information will show up in the corresponding fields here See The Info Window on page 65 for references...

Page 51: ...tead of specifying a specific output profile The standard settings will specify the default output profiles for all color spaces Therefore it s possible to change the specific output profile used by all standard settings simply by selecting another profile in the Output Profiles tab Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Preferences Window 51 Output Profiles Tab ...

Page 52: ...to after new crop checkbox provides an optional shortcut for using the auto function When this checkbox is marked each time you make a new crop FlexColor will immediately analyze the image contained in the crop area and set highlight and shadow values just as if you had clicked on the Auto button You can also control this function by holding down the option key as you define a new crop If the Auto...

Page 53: ...nd Auto Tab on page 39 For more information about cropping see The Main FlexColor Window on page 21 Show units in cm Check this box if you want the Height and Width values in the main FlexColor window to be displayed in cm If this box is not checked the values will be displayed in inches Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Preferences Window 53 General FlexColor Settings ...

Page 54: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Preferences Window 54 ...

Page 55: ...ust have before any black is added at all If you are not sure which profile to use ask your printer if there is a limit on the maximum ink percentage and be sure to choose a profile that limits the percentage appropriately In the majority of cases the Imacon 330 Skel K 75 30 profile will provide the best results Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs FlexColor ICC Profiles 55 Generic IC...

Page 56: ... of generic output profiles each of which is designed to create good results under a different set of conditions These generic profiles will deliver adequate to excellent results If after testing an output profile and speaking with your service bureau you find that you would like to fine tune an output profile then follow the procedure below The settings available for editing the output profiles a...

Page 57: ...e not able to create a completely different profile using the editor The menu lists all of the profiles currently installed in the ColorSyncTM Profiles folder in the Preferences folder of your System Folder 4 Click on the Edit button The Output Profile window appears 5 We recommend that you save your edited profile using a new name so click on the Save as button Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 fo...

Page 58: ...tput For example if your prints look too yellow in the highlights then you could turn down the Y value for 0 and or 5 values In many cases this is all the level of detail you will need 7 The Dot Gain Compensation setting compensates for the default dot gain setting of the existing profile The setting is relative and can be positive or negative Generally this value varies from printer to printer Fi...

Page 59: ...ore gray levels These settings include the same four levels that you were able to adjust using the standard part of the Output Profile window 10 When you are done making settings in the window click on the Save button to apply the settings to your new profile Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs FlexColor ICC Profiles 59 Editing ColorSync Color Profiles ...

Page 60: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs FlexColor ICC Profiles 60 ...

Page 61: ...he Thumbnails window to review your work load images into the main FlexColor window and to save images as standard TIFF files Opening the Thumbnails Window To open the Thumbnails window type cmd 8 or click on the Thumbnails button in the main FlexColor window or select Thumbnails from the Window menu Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Thumbnails Window 61 Introduction ...

Page 62: ...ge enhancement settings in effect when capturing an image will be saved with the 3f file in the current folder If you make new settings with the various tools of FlexColor while a capture is loaded into the main FlexColor window your new settings will not be saved unless you click on Save in the main FlexColor window When you do this FlexColor will create a TIFF file of the current image in which ...

Page 63: ...f you wish to reverse the sorting order click the Descending Ascending button to the right of the pop up Also it is possible to sort the captures by their approval status by checking the and approval checkbox Size Use this pop up menu to choose how large you would like the icons to appear in the Thumbnails window Crop mask button Masks off the area outside the current cropping if any for each imag...

Page 64: ...ollowing values 1 for single shot and the preview shot 4 for multi shot 16 for micro step Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Thumbnails Window 64 Using the Thumbnails Window Progress bar Capture type Image currently previewed Approval mark Image name Crop mask Selected thumbnail highlighted ...

Page 65: ...ious or next image respectively Working with Selected Images The Thumbnails window includes the following controls which operate on the images you have highlighted Please note that if you ctrl click on a thumbnail you will get a contextual menu containing most of the functions described below Get Info Opens the Info window that holds various information about the image such as size resolution expo...

Page 66: ...utton the Batch Save window appears asking if you would like to save using the Individual settings cropping saved with each file or to apply the Current settings cropping as seen in the current preview of the main FlexColor window to all captures Choose either of the settings and then use the Mode pop up menu to select one of the following save options Normal to save the selected images as TIFF fi...

Page 67: ...se a specific saved setup Rename To rename the selected images type a name and the number from which the images should be renumbered Change IPTC info The Byline and Copyright information is only updated if you actually enter new data in these fields For Keywords you have the option of either adding to existing keywords or to replace them with a new list Neutralize captures using Select from your s...

Page 68: ...ify dialog can also be used to modify the currently loaded image With the preview window in front select Batch Modify from the Modify menu This gives you a modify dialog that acts on the shown image only The primary benefit here is that it gives you a very easy way to update the current default setup of an image after making adjustments Approve A capture is approved by selecting it and clicking th...

Page 69: ...iew mode Preview shots are never saved and are not visible in the Thumbnails window Preview shot images are intended only as a fast way of checking your exposure composition and color cast on screen before making a final single shot multi shot or micro step exposure for use in production Printing the Thumbnails You can print the contents of the Thumbnails window Make sure you have selected the vie...

Page 70: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Thumbnails Window 70 ...

Page 71: ...e images in FlexColor they will have to be transferred to your current thumbnails folder Using the Ixpress Contents Window After shooting simply switch on and connect the Image Bank to a computer with a running FlexColor application see the Ixpress User s Guide for details Within a few seconds the Ixpress Contents Window is available with thumbnails ready to load Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 f...

Page 72: ...nails folder will start Double clicking or typing Return will have the same effect Load Transfers the selected shot s to the currently selected Thumbnails folder and saves them as 3F files see Load Images on page 74 for details Update Updates the Ixpress Contents window with new pictures from the Image Bank Approve Approves the selected shot s When a shot is approved a checkmark is applied to the ...

Page 73: ...Searching Using the Search field enables you to filter the Ixpress Contents window contents Simply enter the text you want to search for and type Return and only images containing this text will be shown To return to an unfiltered display simply delete the text from the Search field and type Return Show Transferred Images By default the Ixpress Contents window will only show images that has not be...

Page 74: ...ore control of the image transfer Select the images you want to transfer and click Load A Load Images dialog box appears From the Transfer pop up menu choose whether you want to load All Selection Only or Approved Check the Delete after transfer checkbox if you want the images to be deleted from the Image Bank s harddisk after having loaded them to the computer Check the Change name checkbox if yo...

Page 75: ...and keywords to support an image database Using the Info Window Opening the Info Window From the main FlexColor window when an image is loaded choose Get Info from the File menu or type cmd I The Info window will be displayed From the Thumbnails window you can select one or more thumbnails and use the Get Info button to display an Info window for each of the selected files Software Reference FlexC...

Page 76: ...time used when exposing the image Aperture Aperture setting used when exposing the image This field will only show a value if you are using a camera that allows you to adjust the aperture from your computer otherwise the field will be empty Device Device used to capture the image Use the following fields to enter your own file information Byline Name of photographer The contents if any from the By...

Page 77: ...n menu The history list includes an entry with name date time and file size for each time new settings have been applied to the image and for each TIFF file that has been created from it The buttons below the list have the following functions Show Select an entry and click the button or double click the entry to load the image into the FlexColor preview window The image will be loaded with the exa...

Page 78: ...elected as default The settings of the entry selected as default are also applied to the thumbnails displayed in the Info window and in the Thumbnails window Add Current Adds an entry to the list with the settings of the image currently displayed in the FlexColor preview Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Info Window 78 Using the Info Window ...

Page 79: ...ransmit its readings before the shutter closes To open the Exposure window type cmd 7 or click on the Exposure button in the main FlexColor window or select Exposure from the Window menu Using the Exposure window Judging the exposure The Exposure window provides two tools for judging the exposure of the current capture The Meter in the center of the window indicates the overall brightness of the i...

Page 80: ... then place a checkmark in the Enable camera control check box The camera body that you select in the Preferences window affects the availability and functionality of the Shutter time and Aperture settings here in the Exposure window You must identify your camera body in order for the Exposure window to work correctly See The Preferences Window on page 47 for details about how to set your camera b...

Page 81: ... enables you to select between sensitivities of ISO 50 or 100 If you are using an Ixpress camera back you will be able to select between ISO 200 and 400 as well This setting will also be reflected on the General tab in the Setup window see General Tab on page 32 Custom White Calibration The Custom White calibration can be used to compensate for cast effects introduced by wide angle lenses or tilt ...

Page 82: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Exposure Window 82 ...

Page 83: ...window indicate the pixel brightness at the selected position in the image Note the following When showing RGB the values indicate pixel brightness values 0 255 with white 255 255 255 When showing CMYK the output values indicate ink percentage values 0 100 with white 0 0 0 0 However input values are still shown in RGB as described above The f value indicates the f stop brightness of the pixel incl...

Page 84: ...e to place the point A numbered diamond will then appear on the preview image at the point you select You can work with the sample points as follows To move an existing sample point activate the sample point picker by clicking on the Sample Point button to make it grey then click and drag on the target point To delete an existing sample point activate the sample point picker click once on the targ...

Page 85: ...d setup The button has a small triangle on it indicating that if you click and hold down on the button a menu will popup This menu enables you to save and load presets for the tool that the button is associated with The tool reload menus have at least one factory preset named Default You can use this to obtain neutral settings for each tool simply option click the Reload button to load the default...

Page 86: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs Active and Reload Buttons 86 ...

Page 87: ...using the settings and inspect them closely Take notes on the kind of settings you use and make a comparative proof print To open the Gradations window type cmd 1 or click on the Gradation button in the Correction area of the main FlexColor window or select Gradations from the Window menu The Gradations window includes sliders for Contrast Brightness Gamma and Shadow depth It also includes a grada...

Page 88: ...rol is easy to use but is less precise than using the curve Gamma The gamma setting applies a predefined gradation curve However unlike the standard gradation curve the gamma setting is strictly controlled so it enables you to use a color management program that is calibrated to the camera back at a given gamma setting The default is 2 2 If you raise the gamma setting then the image will become li...

Page 89: ...er each color channel You can hide or show the curve by clicking on the small triangle beneath the Shadow depth slider To adjust the curve click and drag on the graph Each time you click on a new point you will create a gravity point which will pull the curve toward itself This system makes sure that the curve is always smooth The preview image will update to reflect your changes Here are some gui...

Page 90: ...ation curve to RGB All of the settings made to the gradation curve are saved with the setup just as all of the settings shown in the Setup window See Managing Setups on page 30 for instructions about how to select load and save setups To neutralize all settings in all color channels of the gradation curve and sliders click on the Reset button None of your other FlexColor settings will be affected ...

Page 91: ...rtical line You can move this line left or right to adjust the input level at which the threshold is applied Click and drag on the line to adjust the threshold level to the right which will cause more pixels to go to black or the left which will cause more pixels to go to white Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Gradations Window 91 Setting the Threshold for Lineart Captures Mor...

Page 92: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Gradations Window 92 ...

Page 93: ...he Dot tab sheet of the Setup window see Dot Tab on page 40 for details You must take care when using these settings as they can have a powerful effect on your images Take some time to experiment with them Look at the preview to see how these settings will effect the image Save some images after using these controls and inspect them closely Take notes on the kind of settings you use and make a com...

Page 94: ...t pixels with a value of 255 white are shown on the right Color Pickers These enable you to click on pixels in your image to set highlight shadow and neutral points See The Histogram Color Pickers on page 96 for more information about using them Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Histogram Window 94 The Histogram Display Shadow color picker Show Output Histogram button Neutraliz...

Page 95: ...n the RGB histogram you will get an illustration of the areas in the image that are cut off by the current slider setting Buttons Show Output Histogram Button Click this button enabled when grey to display the histogram as it appears after the highlight and shadow values are applied Disable it to work while viewing the histogram of the image before these settings are applied Auto Button Click on t...

Page 96: ...istogram Color Pickers The histogram color pickers enable you to point at any pixel in your preview image and assign the highlight neutralize or shadow point based on the value of that pixel Both the highlight and shadow color pickers will affect the brightness and contrast in your image by choosing the tonal range Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Histogram Window 96 The Histo...

Page 97: ...r click on the Detail button in the Zoom area of the main FlexColor window To use the magnifier function of the Detail window push the Magnifier button Note that the pixel selector is out lined at the center of the window 4 Place the tip of the eyedropper over an appropriate pixel in the preview image When selecting a highlight point select an object in the image that you would like to have print ...

Page 98: ...eas to be sure you have not hidden any details in these areas You can undo your settings by selecting Edit Undo or pressing cmd z on your keyboard Neutralizing Colors Working with digital photography is somewhat different from using conventional film To obtain a neutral color balance in your image you will have to perform a neutralization of the image To achieve the correct neutralization it is ad...

Page 99: ...tive Color Correction 1 Open the Color Correction window by selecting Color Correction from the Window menu or clicking on the Color Correction button in the main FlexColor window 2 Click on the upper square area to the right in the Color Correction window to activate the color correction color picker 3 Click on the color in the preview image that you would like to change The color will immediatel...

Page 100: ...will have on the color you selected in the preview Continue to adjust the settings until you are satisfied with the color shown in this box The functionalities of the Active and Reload buttons are described in details on page 85 You can also view and edit settings made in the Color Correction window by looking at the CC tab in the Setup window The color correction settings are saved and loaded tog...

Page 101: ...rst in the dark areas of the image FlexTouch Filter For scanner use only Preview Preview your settings using the Detail window When using the Unsharp Mask filter it is recommended to use at least two detail previews so that you can compare the sharpening effect in two different areas of your image use one to check for enough sharpness in the bright or midtone areas and another to check for noise r...

Page 102: ...hen the Active button is enabled the filter will not only be applied to your preview image and final image but also to any detail images in the Detail window Amount Controls the strength of the sharpening effect The higher the value the stronger the sharp lines will become Depending on your image a value between 80 and 200 is recommended Dark limit Sets the brightness level below which the filter ...

Page 103: ...e the sharpening effect will be The setting you choose will depend on the contents of your image and the resolution you are using Generally use a large radius with high resolution images Use a smaller radius for lower resolutions images Reset button Returns the filter to its default settings Amount 0 Dark limit 10 Grain limit 0 and Radius 1 None of your other FlexColor setting will be affected It ...

Page 104: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Texture Window 104 ...

Page 105: ...rrection tools in different areas of your preview image The detail views also enables inspection of the final image quality immediately after capture even though the image has not yet been processed The view to the left can be used either as a detail view or as a magnification view enabling you to read color values for a specific pixel in your image Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Back...

Page 106: ...from where you want the detail click it once and the detail image will be created in your currently selected detail view To make comparison between different settings you can lock individual views by clicking the Detail View Lock icon which will prevent the view from being updated when settings are changed To use the left view as a magnification view click the Magnification button below the view T...

Page 107: ...This allows for focusing solutions for view cameras and other cameras without a ground glass To open the Live Video window type cmd L or select Live Video from the Window menu NOTE On certain cameras you must set the shutter in B position before using the Live Video mode Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Live Video Window 107 Introduction ...

Page 108: ...window to select the spot where focus is measured Neutralize Picker Enables you to neutralize the image see Neutralizing Colors on page 98 for details Click on the Neutralize Picker button which will turn grey when it is activated Select an object in the overview image that should be a neutral gray color Please note that you can undo a neutralization setting by selecting Edit Undo or pressing cmd ...

Page 109: ...rlay is active The slider gives you full control of the overlay image transparency Grid button Makes a grid over the overview The grid can be useful for aligning objects in your setup Audio Feedback Turn on audio feedback corresponding to the focus meter Aperture Some camera bodies allow you to adjust the aperture from your computer If you are using one of these bodies then the Aperture setting co...

Page 110: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Live Video Window 110 ...

Page 111: ...t by selecting them and clicking the Remove button Likewise active tasks can be cancelled by selecting them and clicking the Stop button If you re saving from an unprocessed camera image the necessary processing will also take place in the background Please note the option in the camera preferences that allows you to avoid updating the 3f files with the processed info when saving from these In thi...

Page 112: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs The Tasks Window 112 ...

Page 113: ...ts all of the icons in the window Cmd click Selects several images Shift click Selects a consecutive row of images Cmd I Opens an Info window for the currently selected image s a Toggles the approval status of the selected image s on off Approved pictures are marked by a checkmark in the lower left corner del Deletes the currently selected image s from your hard disk You will be asked to confirm t...

Page 114: ...tions for example a crop area modification or a change in the Setup window You are able to step back through a long series of actions Cmd R Reapplies the last action that you cancelled using the Cmd Z command Cmd X If you have selected some text in a text field then this command removes the text and saves it on a system wide virtual clipboard Cmd C Saves the selected text on the clipboard without ...

Page 115: ...tion window Cmd 4 Opens closes the Texture window Cmd 5 Opens closes the Detail window Cmd 7 Opens closes the Exposure window Cmd 8 Opens closes the Thumbnails window Cmd 9 Opens closes the Color Info window Cmd L Opens closes the Live Video window Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs Appendix 115 Keyboard Shortcuts ...

Page 116: ...Software Reference FlexColor 4 0 for Camera Backs Appendix 116 Keyboard Shortcuts ...

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