Martini Hour 074, In Which Deke Gets Rid of the Shnivels

Yes, there comes a day where you have to stop obsessing about electrons and start obsessing about ink. If you’re like us, printing is just one of those things that can make you very crazy very quickly. During the course of revamping the “Print and Output” chapter from Deke’s new book (that would be Adobe Photoshop CS5 One-on-One, due in stores next week!) we noticed that a lot of information out there about printing is just plain wacky, overly complicated, or downright wrong. So this week, we not only dispel the myth that you shouldn’t print from Photoshop, but we take the fairly controversial position that trial-and-error and good ol’ common sense are going to get you a lot further than complicated instructions that lead you in confusing, pseudo-scientific circles.

And I know it may sound like we’ve over-imbibed, but in this week’s show we discuss how you actually can print straight from Photoshop:

Given the proprietary nature of printing, we decided to ignore the proprietary settings that come with your printer. Our theory is that we’d rather be intentionally vague than unintentionally wrong. (Or trying to sound “smart” and leading people down a twisted path that has nothing to do with reality.)

First, Deke talks us through (and by us I mean me, as usual) the various settings in Photoshop’s Print dialog box. This includes a discussion of the print size and why it differs from the image size specified in the Image Size dialog box.

Next, we take on the Color Management section of the dialog box. Our basic theory is know what each setting does in terms of communication (which Deke explains during the show). Then keep track of what you do and decide whether you like the results.

On a tenuously related note, we also discuss how you can take a paper document (say…expense receipts) and turn them into something you can submit to the Accounting department. Deke’s got some great tips for making sure those legal printed documents looking great in Photoshop and organized in Bridge.

Where else can are myths debunked and science embraced, accompanied by some practical advice for your annoying paperwork? Nowhere but the dekeLounge. Here’s the regular-quality (128kbps) audio file. You can stream, or for best results, right-click and choose Download or Save. And here’s the high-quality (320kbps), you definitely want to download that one. And don’t forget the usual suggestion to subscribe via iTunes.

Cheers until next week, dekeOphiles!

Next entry:Watching an Artist at Work, with Photoshop Auto-Align

Previous entry:Uses for the (New??) Subtract and Divide Blend Modes

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  • Books?  No, sir, I won’t!

    Sorry, but books just don’t do it for me.  No offense to any who prefer them, but video is the only way to go.

    Deke; we just got done going to a college to learn Adobe Illustrator CS5.  The class was about 20 people; and the Teacher was a Mac user who clung to her 10 year old Mac that was running something like Illustrator v7 (she thought corporate America was unfair having to “force” her to upgrade her machine)

    Long story short, she didn’t teach me a SINGLE THING about Illustrator.  Luckily, work handled the bill there, but it was a waste of my time.

    I started an account with Lynda.com and have been watching your AI CS5 One on One series, and am just FLOORED by not only how well you present the information, but how in-depth you are with the subject matter.

    Right now I’m on chapter 7, and as with the PS 1-on-1 series, I am ravenous for more.  You have a great teaching style that clicks immediately with me.  I sent an email to all the students of that class who were disappointed in their wasted money and told them “For $25 and a month’s time, you could learn EVERYTHING about AI “basics” (until your latter series come out)”  And many have taken me up on that.

    Deke, you the man, buddy; if you’re ever in my local, gimme a jangle and we’ll get some brews.

  • best ever

    Clear, to the point, accurate, entertaining and extremely useful. Wow!  I listened to it in the car on the way home from the airport, and will listen again with PS open and ready to print

    I did have two questions, though.

    1. I didn’t hear anything about soft proofing. Care to comment?

    2. I’d like to find a high enough resolution color spectrum in a horizontal strip (like at the bottom of the gradient tool) that I can use as a test strip. My plan is to print the strip along with a caption indicating the settings, then repeat and reuse the same paper with a different profile. Any suggestions?

    Steve Kalman

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