Need 2nd opinion and a slight rant

[Tech]

We have a bunch of cover images shot using hi-end digital camera that picked a lot imperfection from old magazines. We already know images will need color correction through prep house but at this stage I'm against doing too much upstream retouching of dust/scratches because I have absolutely no idea how much color correction will be perform on each image. Am I wrong to think too much/little color corrections downstream will actually enhance the poor quality of these covers with early upstream retouches?

When I'm retouching I have a habit of working in the range of 300-800% zoom, every little imperfect jumps out. Apparently, it's fine to waste my time in-house to do this kind of stuff when things might not even show on a 100% color proof. What's a better way of telling this production manager that he/she is out of their elements? Saving their budget is great but wasting my time on things that may or may not be an issue when it's printed is absolutely nonsense to me. The only reason I gave him/her the head up on "potential" problem is so he/she knwo what to look out for on proofs. I'm not saying I want to do their work or save their budget.

 

[meddington]

Can you not output a proof at the final size to see what's what?

 

[Tech]

This project is off on the wrong foot. Yes, a simple output @100% normally would be a good starting point for marking up imperfections. A problem is that these are content sensitive semi-female nudie covers. I was instructed to work in secrecy or at least toggle on/off to desktop so I don't offend any female co-workers.. this makes printing out a set of colors and leaving them on my desk while I work rather challenging, since all I have is a cubicle.

I know it sounds like a very simple problem, it's just never simple working with this production manager. Heads ups turns into crisis and it always comes back to my desk.

 

[Michael Josefowicz]

Oops...
What tangled webs they weave, when they are too scared to take responsibility. If the job is good enough to get paid, it should be good enough to deal with rationally. But, then you didn't choose this in the first place, so....

Can you try to say something like, " How about I come in late tmw morning, then stay a couple of hours after everyone leaves. I'll output a proof and we can take a look. and stay late to correct it."

The kicker might be "Besides, I think I won't have to spend much time fixing it anyway, because the customer doesn't really care...or the customer is too dumb to know the difference..or it will be much safer that way...or...(i leave another choice of bs to your creativity.)

 

[gordo]

You don't have to retouch details that won't survive your halftone screening. If you don't already have a feel for what does and doesn't survive, you might try converting a copy of the image to grayscale and halftone it in PShop at the correct LPI/DPI and reproduction size to get a sense as to what will get lost in screening.

best, gordon p
my photos here: Gordon Pritchard's Photography

 

[Tech]

Oops...
What tangled webs they weave, when they are too scared to take responsibility. If the job is good enough to get paid, it should be good enough to deal with rationally. But, then you didn't choose this in the first place, so....

Can you try to say something like, " How about I come in late tmw morning, then stay a couple of hours after everyone leaves. I'll output a proof and we can take a look. and stay late to correct it."

The kicker might be "Besides, I think I won't have to spend much time fixing it anyway, because the customer doesn't really care...or the customer is too dumb to know the difference..or it will be much safer that way...or...(i leave another choice of bs to your creativity.)

Sure does sound like I'm too lazy doesn't it? Rest assure, my desk is normally clean because they can't keep me busy enough. This project is eating me up due to how unorganized it got started. The only reason it even landed on my desk is because I asked for work to stay busy...

There is a difference between working harder vs working smarter. What they are asking me to do right now is certainly harder and irrational. Come-in late and stay late and review a set of print out would be nice, like 3 weeks ago. Besides, this should have been done at photography stage not at design nor prepress stage. Photo didn't mention a thing regarding the poor conditions of how much dust/scratches were pickup. The puck somehow stops on my desk and yet I'm only a messenger for potential problems.

Gordon is likely correct, a lot of details likely won't show up and I suspect that much as well. That said, I can't be certain 100% or even 90% or 80% because our in-house printers is just not reliable for color nor detail accuracy. Production manager doesn't like the idea of marking up correction on first proof because it eats into his/her budget/time, even though that is likely our best chance for catching all corrections in one shot.... oh wait, that should have been done at photo stage. Yet, I get lecture for responsibility... I see where this is going.

Can an admin lock this thread, because it won't be pretty if I have to respond again to defend myself.

 

[rich apollo]

Semi-females? Well, to each his own...

You're zooming in pretty close. You'll be chasing flaws that'll never show up in print. Stay at 100% for dust-busting. Do the dust-busting and repairs well before any color correcting. Once you've cleaned up the imperfections in the image never touch the actual image again. This is your digital master.

Do all color corrections on adjustment layers. This way you can color correct to anyone's happiness without degrading the image. The only downside is that you cannot sharpen this version. You'll have to create a copy of the color corrected image to apply sharpening to.

As to the women in the office, as Michael said, if it's good enough to get paid for then it's good enough to work on. I understand, and share, people's heightened sensitivity to issues of sexual harassment, but I think the way to approach this is with absolute transparency. Trying to bury the project, or obscure it from view, lends a sense of pornography to it.

 

[meddington]

The only downside is that you cannot sharpen this version. You'll have to create a copy of the color corrected image to apply sharpening to..

How about converting the layer to a smart object and applying sharpening...USM is editable and no pixels harmed.

 

[Tech]

Semi-nude female covers to be exact....

Color correction and retouch will be handle in two different stage/location and maybe more than 2+ people handling the files. We like to think retouch/color correction is objective but it really isn't. What annoys one may not even register with the next person. I'm against separating what is normally best handle in one step and by one person that is now split up just so a manger can save his/her budget. Having the puck stop on my desk certainly irritates me to say the least.

As for working in smart/adj layers, I am doing that now.

 

[Michael Josefowicz]

Can an admin lock this thread, because it won't be pretty if I have to respond again to defend myself.

Not sure if this relevent but I didn't mean to say in any way that YOU were lazy. Only that your supervisors are both dumb and irresponsible.
Damn, it's hard to be ironic in email. But it's so hard to resist in the face of such silliness that they are making you go through.