Month: April 2007

Smoother zooming and scrolling in Photoshop

If you have at least 1GB or ram on your machine you may want to consider enabling the Bigger Tiles plugin.

I have found that by enabling this moving the image around the screen is much smoother and easier on the eyes. To enable the plugin go to where you have installed Photoshop on your system then navigate to:

Plug-InsAdobe Photoshop OnlyExtensionsBigger Tiles

In the Bigger Tiles folder remove the ~ character from Bigger Tiles.8BX and restart Photoshop.
(Just put the ~ back if you want to revert back)

Stephen

Managing multiple monitor profiles in Windows XP and Vista

If you have a Gretag Macbeth product registered with the company then you can obtain a useful utilitiy:

DisplayProfile freeware for Windows

DisplayProfile allows you to store multiple monitor profiles for your PC and have a way to easily switch between them. By moving the window to any connected monitor you can dynamically update the profile for that monitor. You can download the software here: http://gretagmacbeth.com/getfile?send=1&id=8712 (requires login)

This is a useful utility to have whilst we wait for Gretag Macbeth to release a calibration loader that works fully with Vista, possibly in the next release of i1Match. I will inform you here just as soon as I know….

Stephen

Vista networking shares to a Buffalo terastation

Vistas increased security can cause problems with network shares on Buffalo terastations.

These cheap raid 5 storage solutions are ideal for backing up images so if you would like to use them from a Vista workstation do the following:

select: start menu > programs > administrative tools > Security and configuration management

Select > Local policies > security options > Network Security: LAN Manager Authenticating Level

Set it to “Send LM & NLTM, use NTMLv2 session if negotiated”

You should now have no problems connecting and accessing shares on the terastation.

Stephen

Adobe becoming aggressive

The prices Adobe are charging for the new suits to customers outside the USA and Canada is really quite something. Looks like they are confident that they command the market and with CS3 are prepared to milk it.

Some healthy competition for Adobe would be a good thing all round and perhaps with these new higher prices it will encourage someone to have a go.

Adobe takes UK price hikes to new level with CS3

I will be upgrading myself because I have to, others must look at the (small) new features list and decide if they want to. There is a sting with this though as Adobe are tightening up on how old products count in upgrades and you may find yourself missing out on the upgrade price on CS4 or CS5 if they do contain useful additions.

Stephen

Update

I haven’t been updating this site much recently, lots of travelling and retouching work has kept me quiet. Things have settled down a bit now so I have been researching a few projects.

Currently I am learning some Windows 2003 server basics in order to better understand the networks of some of my medium to larger clients. Also on the white board is some time with Lightroom to better understand it’s workflow. There are some very good bits in Lightroom , have no doubt. The problem I have for it is in a production environment it just makes the workflow a little bit complicated and bitty. This is a shame as the camera raw controls are an improvement.

My Philosophy with workflow is to edit, process and send out the work into the market place in as few steps as possible. I will persevere with Lightroom but see no compelling commercial incentive to advise any change to my Bridge/Photoshop workflow just yet.

Stephen

Vista drivers for Epson inkjets

Until recently only the Epson 3800 had a vista driver but they have now release Vista drivers for all current ink jets including the 2100/2200.
You can download the new drivers from http://www.epson.com/.

Unfortunately they have not used the opportunity to improve the settings dialogs which are amongst the most ugly, messy and disconnected pieces of programming you would thought possible.

Stephen