Canon RAW Conversion Test–Nov 3, 2015

A reader was recently asking me about RAW vs JPEG for a Canon workflow and in the process of replying to those series of emails, I had an ADD moment.

For fun I started comparing the RAW conversion of a Canon CR2 raw file using the latest RAW conversion software from Adobe and Canon as of November 3, 2015. To make things more interesting, Canon actually has two versions of its Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software floating around for legacy reasons, so I was curious as to the result I’d get using what amounts various different conversion techniques.

This is actually an exercise I do time to time anyway because as software and firmware gets updated, the processing changes often yield different results (not always for the better). While this article is Canon specific the same concepts apply to any camera that creates a RAW image that is supported by computer based software and/or Adobe products. If you haven’t done this exercise on your own already, I’d encourage you to do so!

Default in-camera JPEG

In-Camera JPEG (downsized in Photoshop,watermarked by Zenfolio)

This is when the raw data is converted in-camera and applies all of the editing settings like color space, picture style, white balance, etc… to give you the image you see on the rear LCD panel of your camera. Even if you “only shoot raw” you see this image as the thumbnail to your RAW file and it’s the data that the camera’s histogram that you see is based on.

This raw processing is burned into the firmware of your camera and it will only get updated if something significant warrants a change. As a result, you’ll often fine that the in-camera RAW processing is very different from software processing – especially if the software is getting updated regularly.

Lightroom CC 2015.2.1 (ACR 9.2.486)

Lightroom CC 2015.2.1 / ACR 9.2.486

Lightroom uses Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) to convert your raw data in a CR2 file into something you can see and use. The develop tab allows you to tweak those settings, but Adobe also reverse engineers these files to try to create something you’d like as a starting point for your editing process (in the Camera Calibration section – see the “Process” option). The default is Adobe Standard which simulates Adobe’s ideal, but “camera” processing styles are designed to loosely mimic how your camera process images. In the case of Canon, they are trying to map to your Picture Styles.

Digital Photo Professional  (DPP)

DPP comes in the legacy version, DPP 3.x and under, which supports nearly every CR2 file Canon has made. Recent updates have added support for easily updating lenses without having to get a whole new version of DPP. Here’s what 3.x looks like:

DPP 3.15

It’s a crude and nasty UI that you’ll be tempted to dismiss. In fact, most people never bother to even install DPP off the disc so many don’t even know it exists. While the user interface does stink, the quality of the algorithms under that ugly UI are very powerful.

DPP 4.x

DPP 4.3.31.0

Someone at Canon got the bright idea to do a whole new DPP from the ground up that had much better support for things like printing, soft proofing, adjustments and more. However, getting parity with the previous version proved to be more than was expected so the new version only works with the latest cameras. What this means is that if you try to open up a CR2 file from an older camera, say a 5D Mark II or 1D Mark IV it may not be able to read the RAW file (although updates are promised – eventually).

While the new UI is better, it still is a far cry from Lightroom or ACR. As a result, I still rely on it for the underlying processing and not the user features.

In theory one should be able to “only shoot RAW” and generate the JPEG’s that would normally be rendered in-camera. Sadly this isn’t the case because the RAW processing done by DPP will use the latest technology vs the camera which uses its firmware – typically with much older processing techniques. However, it can also be frustrating when you see something you love on your LCD only to have to spend a lot of time getting your RAW image to match your CR2 thumbnail file. In fact, I’d argue that the quality of the firmware based processing is often superior to software alternatives.

Comparison

When you zoom in at 100% and compare the layers against each other you’ll notice that DPP 4.3 and Lightroom are pretty close to each other in the way that they process the raw data. The colors are a bit more rich and the highlights aren’t as blown on the DPP 4.3 version, but you have to look carefully to see the difference.

DPP 4.3.31.0

Lightroom CC 2015.2.1 / ACR 9.2.486

In-Camera JPEG

DPP 3.15

Where things get more interesting is that the old 3.15 version of DPP generates the file that is closest to the in-camera JPEG, but notice how none are identical. This is one of the big reasons why I try to shoot RAW+JPEG whenever I can as I like the in-camera processing since that matches what I saw on the rear LCD. It’s the softest of the image, but it’s typical Canon warm and vivid.

Click here to scroll through larger versions of the images converted in this article.

Notice the different results

If you have a good eye, you’ll notice that all methods result in different images – even if there are some similarities. This is a long running problem because the software in DPP is simulating what the camera does and its constantly being updated. The in-camera processing only changes if the firmware changes, and even then it’s rare for it to change unless there’s a problem. What this means is that you’ll never really be able to take the RAW and generate a JPEG that matches what you saw on your LCD (or CR2 thumbnail).

As a result, if you like what you saw when you were chimping the LCD and you want the option to use that photo, then you’ve gotta shoot RAW+JPG. If you don’t care then shoot straight RAW and just take whatever Adobe, or DPP gives you.

Advice for Canon Shooters

I love RAW and always shoot RAW, but I don’t always need to use the RAW file. For many images the default in-camera JPEG is a perfect starting point for editing. If I did my job right it’s 90%+ ready to publish in-camera. This means I can make some quick edits using my favorite plug-ins then print or publish to the web.

If I screwed up in camera, am printing large or doing commercial work where every pixel matters then to go to RAW. I always have that insurance on hand by shooting the RAW file, and I never delete my raw files.

If I’m not happy with how Lightroom or ACR processes the file so I start by processing the RAW in DPP and exporting it as a 16-bit TIFF using the Wide Gamut RGB color space (Edit | Work Color Space) using the File | Convert and save feature.

Some may also prefer to use other raw processors discussed in the next selection.

RAW Processing Alternatives

Of course there are other RAW converters out there that offer results that differ from the ones above. Some argue they are better, others suggest they are simply doing the technical equivalent of the processing above plus applying their own creative edits to an image up front. Two of the better RAW editors that I’ve used are Piccure+ and DxO OpticsPro.

For completeness I’ve included how a couple of them handled this file as well.

Piccure+ 2.5.0.55

Piccure+ 2.5.0.55 (learn more)

Piccure+ is powerful, but it is painfully slow with the most awful user interaction experience I’ve seen in my 26 years of software development thanks to its lack of a proper save implementation.

I’m told by the founder that the design is optimized for batch operations whereby you choose your project folder up front and then when you work on the file the image is stored there. The problem is that the location where you set your project info isn’t visible when you are doing your file processing so it becomes a mystery as to where your file went. What’s more the way you get back is via the back button which is sometimes replaced by the cancel button which isn’t exactly intuitive either.

Eventually you get used to the user-interface quirks and while it is slow to work, it does a great job. It’s batch mode design can be helpful if you want to give it a bunch of files to process overnight while you sleep, so if you love its RAW conversion then there’s a way to love it without experiencing the pain of processing. 

Here’s how it handled this file:

Piccure+ created a darker, saturated and softer version

At first the image appears oversaturated, but if you look carefully it seems it has done a great job of color balancing the image for the maximum dynamic range and tonal range of each color. The net result is an image that looks visually pleasing without appearing to be overdone – in my opinion.

The default noise reduction and sharpness settings do leave the image softer than Adobe, and Canon typical do, but that can be adjusted to suit your desire. Personally I’d still rather leave the noise reduction to Noiseware after the fact.

DxO OpticsPro 10.5.1.848

DxO OpticsPro 10.5.1.848

DxO OpticsPro has a wealth of powerful features making it act like Lightroom and Perfectly Clear rolled into one. The advantage to this is that you end up with a lot of powerful editing done in one place and it can be saved as a preset for default processing of your RAW images. DxO’s experience with sensors and cameras comes into play to create corrections that promise to minimize the negative effects of noisy sensors and lens distortion / vignetting.

Here’s how it handled this file:

OpticsPro really brightened up the shadows

DxO does a lot of cool stuff and has noise reduction software that I think is superior to Lightroom and DPP, but still not as good as Noiseware. The image that gets created is pleasing but it is different size than the others so you’ll notice some pixels shifting around if you look at all of the images in the sample gallery.

Conclusion

Click here to scroll through larger versions of the images converted in this article.

Licensing restrictions for this file required me to use a watermark and limit the file size, but it’s still easy to tell what changes between each version when viewing larger files. All images are copyright Ron Martinsen and may not be redistributed, linked or repurposed without written permission.

Personally there’s no wrong way, so this isn’t really a call to action to change your workflow. Instead, it’s about awareness of some things to consider. What’s more, some of the “I only shoot RAW” zealots may find that life is much simpler when you use a little storage space to have the option of using the JPEG for non-critical scenarios (like the 200 shots of your kids or pets), and just process the RAW when they actually need to.

Where to order

I’ve got a special offer for Piccure where you can save 10% when you CLICK HERE and use the coupon code RONMART as shown above (available via credit card only).

DPP comes free with your camera on a CD, but you can also get it off Canon’s website using your camera serial number. Be sure to check out my article entitled Guest Blog: Five reasons to try out Digital Photo Professional by Andrew S. Gibson to learn how to master cool features with DPP.

Adobe Camera Raw can be free if you download the Adobe DNG Converter off their web site, but most people will use it via Lightroom or Photoshop.

DxO OpticsPro (available on Amazon) is the most expensive of the bunch, but it fancies itself as a Lightroom alternative with exclusive features that normally require plug-ins so some consider it a fair deal.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Printing Series – If you do “only shoot RAW” you’ll want to be printing big, so check this out
• Guest Blog: Five reasons to try out Digital Photo Professional by Andrew S. Gibson 
• Ron’s Recommendations 
• Discount Coupon Codes 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Recommended Adobe Lightroom CC 2015 Books

Click image to look inside

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby is the latest installment of a book that I’ve been reading since the first edition many years ago. This latest installment is better than ever with over 550 pages of helpful step by step instructions on how to use all the cool features of Adobe Lightroom 6. If you’ve read the previous versions then you know what to expect, so this is a significant refresh that also covers all the new features found in Lightroom CC 2015. Simply put, this is the best edition yet for what seems to be the best version of Lightroom yet, so I highly recommend this book for photographers for Scott Kelby fans and those who like visual step by step instructions on how to use all the features Lightroom has to offer.

Click image to look inside

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC / Lightroom 6 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers by Martin Evening is very different from Scott Kelby’s book. This is 700+ page book is like the Lightroom encyclopedia of features. With in-depth details, this book is for the geek who doesn’t want you to show them how to use a feature (which Kelby’s book does), it’s for the geek who wants to know why to use a feature and how it works in depth. This book is NOT for the faint of heart, but it is extremely well written and very comprehensive. I highly recommend this book for geeks if you are the type of person who finds Scott Kelby’s books lacking the depth of technical details you want to know then this is for you. If you are the type that just wants to just see how to use a feature, then get Scott Kelby’s book.

Conclusion

These books are for two distinct different audiences, but I know for a fact that both audiences exist in the photography world. One audience will love one of these books and be underwhelmed by the other. Personally, I find both to be extremely well written and comprehensive resources. I’m glad to have the opportunity to have both on my bookshelf, but quite honestly I’ll probably reach for Scott Kelby’s book more often as my busy lifestyle often needs step by step “just show me” answers.

Where to order

Click the images or links above to order print or digital copies online today.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• KelbyOne Discount offer
• Which Photography books should I read?
• What Photoshop books should I read?
• Sketching Light by Joe McNally
• Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers using Photoshop
• Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It
• Photoshop Compositing Secrets
• On-Camera Flash Techniques
• Oz to Kansas: Black & White Conversion Techniques
• Welcome to Oz 2
• What plug-ins should I buy? (for Photoshop & Lightroom)
• Which lens should I buy? 
• Discount Coupon Code Page
• Printing Series
• Ron’s Recommendations 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

HDR Efex Pro 2 vs (Photomatix 4.2.3, Photoshop CS6, Canon 5D Mark III In-Camera HDR and HDR Efex Pro 1)

Use coupon code RonMartBlog to save 15% off Photomatix products. See more offer details at the bottom of this article.

Test System Information

All tests were done on 64-bit Windows 7 with the 64-bit version of Photoshop CS6 (13.0). Here are more details and the Windows Experience Index Score (0 – 7.9 scale):

All of my plugins run on a standalone SSD drive and my caches are on dedicated SSD drives. My slowest drive is my primary hard disk which is a 7200 RPM SSD and Mechanical Hybrid SATA drive.

Original Images

Visit my HDR Efex Pro 2 review and see the Original Images section to see which images were used for this test. They were three CR2 RAW files taken with a Canon 5D Mark III at -3, 0, and +3 exposure values (EV). The total size of these three exposures was 83.9 megabytes.

Canon 5D Mark III In-Camera HDR Processing

Canon 5D Mark III In-Camera HDR processing of all three exposures

In my May 16, 2012 article I declared that Canon 5D Mark III HDR is good, but Photomatix Pro 4.2 is still the king of HDR. At that point in time the HDR Efex Pro 2 beta was still pretty rough around the edges, so Photomatix really was still the king.

Speedwise, the Canon 5D Mark III wins because only takes a few seconds for it to create an in-camera JPEG of your bracketed shots. For the HDR Mode feature of this camera, I use the following settings:

• Adjust dyn range: +/- 3 EV
• Effect: Natural (I’d rather do my post processing on the computer)
• Continuous HDR: Every shot
• Auto Image Align: Enable (never, ever disable this – even with at tripod)
• Save source imgs: All Images

The final JPEG is impacted by the cameras picture style (I use standard) as well as other settings, but this shot was most hurt by my using the auto white balance (AWB) instead of warmer white balance like cloudy.

I really like the in-camera results and use them often, but the limitation is that it doesn’t to ghosting well (and you can’t control manually) and it tends to crop the image even when it seems that it isn’t necessary (i.e., a tripod was used).

I think the value of tone mapping and tone compression still favors the computer over the in-camera HDR, but it does a damn good job that might be “good enough” for some of your non-business critical work. I should also note that Canon point and shoots do terrible for this unless you are shooting a static subject using a tripod, but the DSLR’s really seem to do HDR very well.

For what it’s worth, I’ve processed the images used in the 5D Mark III HDR article in both Photomatix and HDR Efex Pro 2. Each time I process a photo start to end, I do different things with it, but it’s interesting to see how well both products did here in a head-to-head comparison:

Mouse over for the Photomatix 4.2 version
Mouse out for the HDR Efex Pro 2 version

Both final results feature some post-processing using other Nik Software and Imagenomic products.

Performance Comparison

This section discusses the time it took to render the bracketed raw test images using default processing.

Photomatix Pro 4.2.3 (Review) – 56.8 seconds max

Photomatix 4.2.3 Edited Version (mouse over to see default version)

Click here to see the large size edited version, and click here to see the full-size default processed version.

Image Merge Time (47.9 seconds MAX)

Here is the amount time it took from the moment the OK button was clicked in the Preprocessing Options dialog:

47.9 sec with everything checked like this:

42.9 sec with no noise reduction as follows:

26.0 sec only ghosting high as follows:

and 12.2 sec with no options checked.

Tone Mapping Processing (5.7 seconds)

After your images are merged, you end up in the tone mapping user-interface where you do the real work. Once you are ready to have an image to edit in Photoshop, you click on the Process button. To get this image ready for editing elsewhere took only 5.7 seconds.

Ready in Photoshop CS6 (3.2 seconds)

Since the merge processing has to occur in the stand alone app, a true fair comparison should include the time it takes to save the intermediate file in Photomatix 4.2.3 and load that file in Photoshop (to have parity with the other tested apps). While Photomatix does offer a tone mapping Photoshop plug-in, the real work is done in the stand-alone app. Fortunately Photomatix makes this process easy using the “Open saved images with” option in its Save As dialog, so this process only took 3.2 seconds.

The maximum total time it took from start to finish in HDRSoft Photomatix 4.2.3 was 56.8 seconds.

HDR Efex Pro 2 (RC1) (Review) – 79 seconds max

DISCLAIMER: I was using pre-released software so final times may be faster

HDR Efex Pro 2 Processing
(with some Content Aware Fill on the ceiling)
Mouse over to see the 0EV exposure and mouse out to see the processed version

Visit my HDR Efex Pro 2 full review for more info about this product, but the bottom line is that the image selection dialog took 24.6 seconds to load the images into the merge dialog. This was really the process of doing a batch processing of the raw files and getting them created as TIFF images that are then used for the merge dialog. RAW files or going straight from Lightroom 4.x speeds this up, but this is definitely one of the bottle necks.

Once you have the merge dialog up you make your adjustments and then hit the create HDR. This is much like the pre-processing options for Photomatix and HDR Efex Pro 1. To do this it took 24.1 seconds after hitting Create HDR button (with all options checked). If I only did ghosting control then it only 16.1 seconds after hitting Create HDR button.

The real pain point is that once you are done you have to send the file to Photoshop for further editing (or back to Lightroom). This is took a staggering 30.3 seconds after hitting OK.

At first this all sounds really slow, but the all important “time before you can start tone mapping” was 48.7 seconds. This puts it on par with Photomatix, but it feels faster because of the interruption of the merge dialog.

You still have to pay the tax at the end, but the good news is that even with that it’s faster than its predecessor.

HDR Efex Pro 1.203 – 96.1 seconds max

The number one thing I hated about this product was its horrible performance, and doing this testing reminded me why. It took 65.8 seconds after hitting Create HDR button (all options checked) (or 9.0 seconds after hitting Create HDR button with just ghosting checked). Of course, the ghosting support in this product was as bad as the in-camera result, so some probably found it better to run it with no options. 

Once you are done tone mapping then it took 30.3 seconds after hitting OK before you were ready to work in Photoshop.

This app is just a slow turd that is a headache to use, so I’m glad to bid it farewell in favor of its faster and much better replacement.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Merge to HDR Pro Feature – 31.3 seconds max

Photoshop CS6 Photorealistic Edited Version (mouse over to see default version)

Click here to see the large size edited version, and click here to see the full-size default processed version.

It took about 19.6 seconds to get from the dialog above to the Merge to HDR Pro tone mapping UI (which has to be the worst ever user-interface in my opinion).

Ghost reference image feature exists here too (notice the green box around 0 EV)

After clicking OK here it took another 11.7 seconds before I could work on the image in Photoshop. This makes Photoshop the fastest thing outside of the camera processor to make an HDR image. Its feature set and usability suck, but if you are tight on cash then it can get the job done in a hurry. Personally I never use it though.

Conclusion

After spending time with all of these products, I still respect what Photomatix brings to the table but HDR Efex Pro 2 isn’t terrible anymore. This is a big statement too because I didn’t care for HDR Efex Pro 1 due to its complex UI and sluggish performance. Those issues have been addressed such that it’s now my go to product. Photomatix still does a great job and its ghost selection mode feature shown below is something I really wish Nik would have added to HDR Efex Pro using U-Point controls:

I’m finding myself doing more HDR’s now thanks to the Canon 5D Mark III’s built-in HDR feature which keeps the bracketed exposures (in JPEG + RAW if you want) in addition to the file it creates. The in-camera file gives me an idea of issues I might run into at home using software, so I can identify issues in the field that I’d normally miss (i.e., gross alignment issues like the one below):

In-camera HDR is no gimmick – it can help you spot alignment issues in the field

Photoshop CS6’s speed makes it an option for those who are on a tight budget or who enjoy its nasty sliders, but realistically it’s just not for me. It may be fast, but I just take longer to get the results I want with it which negates its performance benefit and I’m rarely happy with the final result.

Special Offer (15% Discount)

Visit my discount coupon code page for the latest code and offer details.

HDRSoft, the makers of Photomatix HDR tone mapping software have extended an offer to readers of this blog for a 15% discount when you use the coupon code RonMartBlog when you checkout on their web site (see picture above). Don’t forget to click the recalculate button after you enter the code to get the discount.

Disclaimer

If you make a purchase using links in this blog then you support this blog and I may earn a commission. Thanks for your support!

What Photoshop Books Should I Read? (UPDATED: Jan 30, 2014)

One of my top blog posts was my article entitled "Which Books Should I Read?" lacked a detailed discussion about Photoshop books because of the time of its writing I was still getting up to speed on Photoshop. I've now had time to read a big stack of Photoshop books and have some concrete recommendations to go along with that article now.

If you are like me you find Photoshop to be both poorly laid out and daunting to learn. It's easy to buy a stack of books and never get anywhere beyond cropping then clicking Auto Levels, Auto Contrast, and Auto Color (and possibly Variations if you've discovered that one) and calling it a day. In essence you've spend a fortune on a product that doesn't really do much to help you with your photos. Fear not, you aren't alone!

Starting with the Basics

One of the problems with most Photoshop books is that they've forgotten that there are still people on this planet who don't know the fundamentals of Photoshop. If you don't know how to add or subtract from a selection or even what all of the selection tools do, then it will drive you insane when the book simply says "select the girl in the photo" who inevitably has wispy hair going everywhere!

If you are a Photoshop novice (and it is okay to admit that you are) then I highly recommend you start with Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CC (My old CS3 version review). However, the important thing to remember when reading Photoshop books is that you MUST apply what you've read on the computer. If you simply read it and move on then you'll forget it, so practical application is essential.

Okay, I know the basics now just show me how to do cool stuff

Now there are a handful of really great Photoshop books, but there comes a point where you just want to get on with it and start doing some cool stuff. Once you see that you can do cool stuff yourself, then you have the motivation to read all of those other good Photoshop books. For this I've found that there is one definitive MUST READ Photoshop book for anyone who as ever wanted to create pro looking photos and its called Scott Kelby's 7 Point System for Photoshop CS3. Yep, that's right - it's the same Scott Kelby that wrote The Digital Photography Book - Volume 1 (2nd Edition) which is #1 on my list of recommended Photography books. While it may seem like I'm becoming a bit of a Kelby fan boy, the reality is that the guy just knows how to write great books in a way that gets down to business so you can get your work done. This book has helped me tremendously and I know it will do the same for you. Once again I'll repeat , the important thing to remember when reading Photoshop books is that you MUST apply what you've read on the computer and in this case you must also WORK WITH THE SAMPLE FILES!!!!

Just cut to the chase, what's your recommend reading list?

Okay, here in order of importance (always read #1 first) are the books I recommend you read if you want to master Photoshop:

1. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CC  (see my Teach Yourself Visually Adobe Photoshop CS3 book review which still applies to newer editions)
2. Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Review) - no CS4 or CS5 version but it is still applicable and a MUST OWN book)
3. The Adobe Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers (or the version that applies to your installed version of Photoshop – here’s my last reviewed version)
4. The Photoshop Channels Book is the magic resource that will teach you how to create complex selections that you find impossible to do right now (WAY better than Photoshop Masking & Compositing)

But wait, 3 of those 4 books are Kelby books. What the heck?

Yes, it's true Scott Kelby writes some great books and I highly recommend them. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't other great books out there. In fact, there are. However, I've found that great books like Photoshop LAB Color: The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace  don't appeal to the masses and quite simple are too advanced for someone reading an article like this. At some point I may do an advanced Photoshop book list, but for now I'm catering to those who are getting started and Kelby is the man right now.

Extra Reading Recommendations

If you’ve finished my recommended books and want more, then you’ve gotta try these:

• Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers using Photoshop – the bible for portrait editing
• Photoshop Compositing Secrets – If you ever need to do a composite, this will help you do one that looks natural and not like cheesy stickers on a photo
• Welcome to Oz 2 – Helpful for learning how to control the viewer’s eye / attention
• The Digital Negative – If you want more depth on RAW 
• Layers – Helps to understand blending modes & “blend if” feature (current version is better than the one I reviewed)

A word about Photoshop CS5

As of the time I wrote this article the selection of Adobe Photoshop CS5 books was getting better, but still some key books haven’t been updated for CS5. Photoshop CS5 has some drastic changes to its user-interface and performance improvements. In addition, most cameras released after June 2010 that create RAW image files can't be opened in Photoshop CS4 or Lightroom 2.x because the newer version of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is only integrated into Lightroom 3.x and Photoshop CS5 and up. If you can afford it, then it is a worthwhile upgrade, however you should always get the books for your specific version of Photoshop so look for CS4 updates to the books listed in this article.

What about Lightroom?

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Book for Digital Photographers (my old review) is the bible for Lightroom and has stuff you won’t find anywhere on Adobe’s web site or manuals. I love it! It also includes an adaptation of the 7 Point System for Lightroom so it’s a great resource! If you want more depth, then check out The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers.

What about HDR?

This is one place where I say skip the book and go to the video and there’s nothing better out there than HDR Workshop DVD by Trey Ratcliff of StuckInCustoms.com. It’s a great resource that is easy to follow and worth every penny – especially for those who own Photomatix and don’t know how the hell to get good results out of it (which is where I was until watching this DVD series).Trey does have a book called A World in HDR which is a decent resource, but I got a lot more out of the DVD’s. However, the best place to go these days is flatbooks.com and search for Trey’s latest eBooks.

I want more info about Printing from Photoshop?

Printing is a whole beast in and of itself which is why I created my printing series and even my own Printing 101 eBook, but if you really want to get into printing then again I say watch The Perfect Print DVD Series by Randy Hufford first. It’s also useful to read The Digital Print if you want more depth than what my book offers.

But Ron, I REALLY hate reading books - what other choices do I have?

If you are the ADD type like me, it may be hard to focus long enough to finish a book unless you have a lot of uninterrupted time (I read many of my books when I was on bed rest due to back pain). Now that I'm back on my feet again, I'm finding it difficult to read books again. As a result, I've found my Kelby Training membership be a valuable resource due to the great detailed videos the have on their site that simply "get to the point" of the thing I'd like to do. I also like their magazine because it allows me to review short articles that solve specific common problems.

I struggle to find time to read books and magazines, how do you do it?

I have this problem too, but I've found a few things that work well for me. First, if I'm home sick I'll try to read for as long as I can before I eventually fall asleep (if your eyes get heavy then stop reading - its pointless). Next, is when I'm on the airplane (which isn't that often for me). Planes are a great place because it makes the flight go quicker. Next is anytime I find myself waiting. I keep my book or magazine handy with me when I go to appointments or I am waiting for my kids (it's great when they are playing on the McDonalds play structure that I'm too big to fit in). Lastly, and perhaps the funniest, is when I'm in the restroom at home. You laugh, but I've found that if you simply read a couple pages each time you are perched on your porcelain throne that you can finish a book in a month or less. In fact, it usually causes you to get so interested in a chapter that you follow up with it afterwards so you can at least finish a chapter. Sure this might gross some people out and make them think twice about borrowing a book from me, but it's the truth and it works. Try it out!

I also always try to pick long flights when I travel and take my books with me. It’s forced time that I can dedicate to reading, and often I can finish at least one book each way of my trip. Get the Kindle version of the books to do this without having to carry a bunch of extra weight, but personally still prefer the printed or PDF eBooks over Kindle books since you sometimes loose the integration of photos and text together.

Okay, what if I'm too lazy to do any of the things you've suggested - what now?

I understand where you are coming from. When I started with Photoshop I got so frustrated that I just decided to throw money at the problem and pick up some plug-ins. While these work very well and I use them frequently today, despite my strong Photoshop skills, the key thing to realize is that being strong in Photoshop will teach you how to get the most out of your plug-ins by being able to control their impact on your photo using things like masks. With that said, I do have some favorite plug-ins and I would recommend that you get them even if you become great in Photoshop. My recommend list can be found in my What Plug-Ins Should I Buy? article.

I also teach and do contract work, so contact me if you want to pay me to get you up to speed or edit a photo on your behalf.

These are expensive, do you have any discounts?

See the Discount Coupon Code page for the latest versions and discounts.

Other articles you may enjoy

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• ** My FAVORITE Lightroom Presets - Discount Code **
• B&W Software Editing Comparison - Nik vs onOne vs Topaz
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• HDR Software Comparison
• Photographers Gift Guide / Recommendations
• Things You Need AFTER You Buy Your New Camera - Must Have Photography Accessories
• What plug-ins should I buy? (for Photoshop & Lightroom)
• Where should I display and/or sell my pictures online? (Updated 2012)
• Which Photography books should I read?

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Getting Great 4x6 Prints Without Any Hassle–Part II of II

This is the continuation of my previous article entitled, Getting Great 4x6 Prints Without Any Hassle–Part I of II. If you haven’t read that already, I encourage you to do so before proceeding any further.

Lightroom Tip

In Lightroom you always start with the Page Setup button on the bottom right side of the print module that looks like this:

Canon PRO-1

Setting the Printer Driver – Windows

When you click it you will set the paper size to 4x6 and click the Properties button to set additional settings:

Printer Driver – Quick Setup Page

After you are done with the steps listed here you might want to Save a new “Commonly Used Setting” so you don’t have to check all of this every time you print.

On this page you start with Photo Printing as a default until you have your own custom commonly used setting created. From there you have to set Borderless Printing, the Media Type to Photo  Paper Plus Gloss II, the Printer Paper Size to 4”x6” and Print Quality to High as shown here:

I just use Portrait orientation for Lightroom because it sorts things out so that everything just works. If printing from Photoshop you must choose the correct orientation of your image OR rotate your image to the Portrait orientation to ensure your image is positioned properly on the final output print.

Printer Driver – Main Page

The media type should still be correct based on your first page settings, so the only big change here is that you MUST choose a Manual Color/Intensity and click the Set button:

After clicking Set you’ll see the Manual Color Adjustment dialog where you’ll switch to the Matching page and choose None to turn color management OFF on your printer driver. If you fail to do this then you’ll get double color managed prints that will look horrible.

Printer Driver – Page Setup

For this page you shouldn’t need to do anything based on the settings already specified, but you should always double check.

Setting the Printer Driver – OS X

Coming soon…

Lightroom Settings for Mac & Windows

After closing this dialog and returning to Lightroom you are ready to work in the print module. You start by either creating a new template or modifying an existing one. I usually start with the “(1) 4x6 template”.

All you need to do here is reset all of your margins to 0. If you can’t do this then it means you didn’t set borderless printing in your printer driver, so repeat the steps above and try again.

Once you have 0 margins you can make the cell size 6.00in by 4.00in as highlighted below:

Use 300 ppi & “Canon PRO-1 <GL><PP> 3 Photo Plus Paper Glossy” profile
with zero margins and a 4x6 cell size

Your final steps are to simply change the print resolution to 300ppi and choose your printer profile. Your profile should be Canon PRO-1 <GL><PP> 3 Photo Plus Paper Glossy for gloss, and for Semi-Gloss paper you’d choose Canon PRO-1 <SG> 3 Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss.

Photoshop CS6 Settings for Windows and Mac

Photoshop works much like Lightroom in that most of the work is done in the printer dialog, but there are a few things you need to make sure you do right in Photoshop.

I generally resize my images in advance using onOne Perfect Resize 7.5 or greater, then I sharpen my images as a last step before printing. If you’ve done this step properly you’ll be able to have a “Scaled Print Size” that has a scale of 100%. If you don’t do this then you’ll need to use Scale to Fit Media which does a good job, but will stretch your image so some image quality is lost.

With those disclaimers, here’s what you need to do with a properly resized image:

1. Choose your printer and then make sure your printer settings are correct EVERY TIME
1. Make sure Photoshop’s Layout setting matches Canon’s Orientation setting
2. Be sure to set your Color Handling to Photoshop Manages Colors
3. Make sure you check Black Point Compensation and Center Position.

Epson Stylus Photo R3000

Setting the Printer Driver – Windows

When you click it you will set the paper size to 4x6 and click the Properties button to set additional settings:

Printer Driver – Main Page

This is your most important step in getting a correct print because you need to make sure you are using:

1. Photo Black Ink
2. Premium Photo Paper Glossy Media Type
3. Max Quality Print Quality
4. Your Mode setting should be Off (No Color Adjustment) to avoid double color management
5. Your paper settings are 4 x 6 in Sheet Borderless with default expansion settings

Here’s what it should all look like:

Setting the Printer Driver – Page Layout

Here’s how I set my Page Layout page by default, but sometimes I’ll check Reduce/Enlarge:

In Photoshop you must ALWAYS set the orientation correctly in this dialog.

Printer Driver – Current Settings

Your current settings window should have a summary that looks roughly like this:

Setting the Printer Driver – OS X

Coming soon…

Lightroom Settings for Mac & Windows

After closing this dialog and returning to Lightroom you are ready to work in the print module. You start by either creating a new template or modifying an existing one. I usually start with the “(1) 4x6 template”.

All you need to do here is reset all of your margins to 0. If you can’t do this then it means you didn’t set borderless printing in your printer driver, so repeat the steps above and try again.

Once you have 0 margins you can make the cell size 6.00in by 4.00in as highlighted below:

Use 360 ppi & “SPR300 Premium Glossy” profile with zero margins and a 4x6 cell size

Your final steps are to simply change the print resolution to 360ppi and choose your printer profile. Your profile should be SPR300 Premium Glossy for gloss, and for Semi-Gloss paper you’d choose SPR 3000 Premium Semigloss.

Photoshop CS6 Settings for Windows and Mac

Photoshop works much like Lightroom in that most of the work is done in the printer dialog, but there are a few things you need to make sure you do right in Photoshop.

I generally resize my images in advance using onOne Perfect Resize 7.5 or greater, then I sharpen my images as a last step before printing. If you’ve done this step properly you’ll be able to have a “Scaled Print Size” that has a scale of 100%. If you don’t do this then you’ll need to use Scale to Fit Media which does a good job, but will stretch your image so some image quality is lost.

With those disclaimers, here’s what you need to do with a properly resized image:

1. Choose your printer and then make sure your printer settings are correct EVERY TIME
1. Make sure Photoshop’s Layout setting matches Epson’s Orientation setting
2. Be sure to set your Color Handling to Photoshop Manages Colors
3. Make sure you check Black Point Compensation and Center Position.

Conclusion

Hopefully you will find this helpful in solving the frustration of making small prints for loved ones of your favorite photos. If so, please do me a favor and share a link to this article with your friends on your favorite social media sites and web forums. I’d also appreciate if you could consider making a donation or making purchases using links found in my articles and discount coupon codes.

NOTE: I ran out of time tonight so I wasn’t able to include the Mac screen shots, but I’ll try to do that soon. Thanks for your patience!

Where to order

Here’s links to where you can get 4x6 paper for Canon and Epson in Glossy and Semi-Gloss formats:

• Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy II (4 x 6") 100 Sheets
• Canon SG-201 Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss - 4x6" - 50 Sheets
• Epson Ultra Premium Glossy Photo Paper - 4x6" - 100 Sheets
• Epson Premium Semi-Gloss Photo Paper for Inkjet 4x6" - 40 Sheets

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Getting Great 4x6 Prints Without Any Hassle–Part I of II
• Printing Series
• onOne Perfect Resize 7.5 – for the best resizing results
• Red River Paper vs Epson Papers – Less expensive papers for Canon and Epson printers with good ICC profiles
• AutoPrint – ImagePrint’s best kept secret? – if you need your staff/family to easily get 4x6 prints with just drag and drop, this is the way to go!
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device – so what you see on the screen matches what you see on the print

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this. I was also provided with samples of 4x6 paper at my request by Canon and Epson under no obligation.