Test Your Color Vision Online with X-Rite

Take the X-Rite online color challenge and see how well you see color.  You might be surprised at the results.  1 out of 255 women and 1 out of 12 men have some form of color vision deficiency.

The online test is a rendering of the Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue Test. 

According to the X-Rite website, "The Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test itself is used to separate persons with normal color vision into classes of superior, average and low color discrimination and to measure the zones of color confusion of color defective people."

 

Red River Paper Pro Monday: John Conn

Red River Pro
JOHN CONN 
 
The Photographer
John Conn is a free-lance professional from the Bronx, NY whose images have been published in TimeLife Books, the New York Times Sunday Magazine, American Photographer, Studio Photography and other major U.S. and overseas media. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of the City of New York and the Hoboken (NJ) Historical Museum.

The Client
Conn is both client and photographer. He sells on the street direct to the public and constantly challenges himself to take the kinds of images that he feels will grab passersby attention and make them stop to buy his work.

© John Conn

The Assignment
A self-assignment done in the early 1980s to shoot a series of images that capture the flavor of New York City's underground transit system.

The Execution
"While I was focusing my Hasselblad on a young couple in the subway car, a hand with a knife thrust itself through an open window across from me. 'Hey, yo! This be a good photo,' said the knife's unseen owner. I grabbed the shot and then, with a 'See ya,' the knife wielder disappeared down the platform. This image turned out to be one of my top selling subway shots."

Post Production
"I vary the contrast and brightness and burn and dodge as I would in a darkroom. And that's about it. When I shoot, I try to get a 'complete' image on film. I don't manipulate my images or try to use Photoshop to 'save' bad shots. I also hate cropping. That's why God gave you feet and the ability to switch lenses. All of my images are full frame."

The Output
"I look for a luster surface for my B&W images, but the paper must also take well to a sepia tone with the warmer whites that I prefer, holding strong. Red River Arctic Polar Satin prints that I output on my Epson Stylus Pro 3800 printer give that edge to my work. From the highlights to the shadows, the 'paper' feel that comes through adds the depth to my subjects that I require."

Contact
John Conn's web site is at: theconnartist.net. His email address is: iconn55555@aol.com. Prints and portfolios may be purchased through his web site or personally from him in Union Square, NYC. For a list of art shows where he will be exhibiting, contact him by email.

Red River Paper ICC Profiles Type 2

We have been asked if Red River's printer profiles are Type 2 or Type 4.  The quick answer is that we provide Type 2 profiles.

The question stems from a recent concern about Apple's Snow Leopard and that it does not recognize version 4 profiles - at least with the initial releases (10.6, and 10.6.1).  We do not know if more updates have fixed this bug, but apparently Apple knows about it and is working on a fix.

For most people, there will be no discernible difference between a version 2 and a version 4 profile.  Some RIPs and other programs do not work with version 4 profiles, so we default to version 2 profiles on all the profiles we make for you.

Here's an explanation of the ICC version 4 spec from the folks who made it:http://www.color.org/v4spec.xalter

Red River uses a program called ColorThink2 (learn about the software) to access a wealth of data on our profiles.  If you are really into color management and profile data this might be the program for you (order ColorThink2).

Another Red River customer makes the most of inkjet greeting cards

Thanks to Red River customer Rowland Gallery for sharing how they use Red River inkjet printable greeting card stock to enhance their product offering at the gallery.

Please visit their blog and take a look at their work. Click here

It brings home an important point - that your inkjet printer is a small printing press, capable of helping you create products to sell and enhance your business in challenging times.

If you are a photography enthusiast, your printer is a convenient way to creatively share your work with friends and family.

Keep that in mind and check out our Shop by Project section for some ideas.

Print brochures on Red River inkjet papers

 

Just like a printing press, your inkjet printer can make super high quality, professional looking brochures. Make brochures on the fly, on in short runs for:

• In-house marketing
• Mailers
• Product inserts

Brochure tips:

Stick to a medium or light weight paper. This makes folding easier.

Layout your brochure in software you probably already own - from Microsoft Word to Photoshop, you can take advantage of features in many common programs to make colorful and photo filled brochures.

Help with layout and design - click here

 

Papers scored to tri-fold - Red River has already scored the 8.5x11 sheet so it will easily fold into a three panel brochure.

• 45lb. Zeppelin SemiGloss Tri-Fold
• 50lb. Premium Matte Tri-Fold

Unscored Brochure Papers

• 45lb. Zeppelin SemiGloss 2-sided
• 32lb. Premium Matte 2-sided
• 50lb. Premium Matte 2-sided

Red River Paper Pro Gets Cover of Sports Illustrated!

Congratulations to David Bergman, one of Red River Paper's group of talented Pros, on his cover photo of Sports Illustrated! Check it out here.

Read about David Bergman's work and his favorite Red River papers here. 

Be our fan on Facebook - A special offer awaits

We want Facebook Fans!  We love to share Red River Paper news and inkjet tips with our customers and readers.  Facebook offers a great way to share important printing, paper, and digital photography related information instantly.

So be our Facebook Fan TODAY and you'll get an instant reward!

1) Go to Red River Paper's Facebook page

2) Click the Fan Offer tab

3) Become a fan and you'll immediately see a special coupon offer

Thanks from Red River Paper.

Valentines Day Photoshop Card Templates

New - Photoshop Templates for Inkjet Greeting Cards

Print your own custom Valentines Day cards this year on Red River Paper's pre-scored inkjet printable card stocks.

With Red River Paper you have access to everything you need to make custom photo cards:

Pre-cut pre-scored photo papers
Matching envelopes
Display boxes
Powerful help tutorials

NOW you can easily order and download the CREATIVE for your cards! Our new line of Photoshop card templates makes the process a snap. Just drag and drop your images into the template file and you're ready to start printing.

For Valentines Day 2010 we have two great designers on tap.
Browse and order Valentines Day Photoshop templates here

Ellman Designs

 Cheddar Designs

Browse and order Valentines Day Photoshop templates here

Free WPPI tradeshow pass from Red River Paper

Be Red River Paper's guest at the WPPI 2010 trade show in Vegas!

The WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) trade show will be at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas March 8-10. Visit Red River's booth to see the best photo inkjet papers at the best prices.

If you are a wedding or portrait photographer, or would like to just learn more about the business, WPPI puts on one of the best shows in the industry.

Click to download the trade show pass PDF file

Red River Paper Pro Monday - Chris Borgman

Red River Pro
CHRIS BORGMAN

The Photographer
Chris Borgman specializes in bold, colorful images for creative advertising and editorial clients including Miller Lite, Coke, Virgin Records, EMI Latin, HarperCollins and Philip Stein Watches. His work has been recognized and profiled in leading photography magazines in the USA, Mexico, UK, China and Ukraine. Recently, he has been featured in London's Digital SLR Magazine and in Digital Photo Pro Magazine where one of his images was chosen for the cover.

The Client
A cooperative promotional shoot for the photographer and a NYC talent agency called UGLY NY.

© Chris Borgman

 The Assignment
The talent agency was approached with a proposal to shoot some character-type portraits for portfolio and promotional material. Ten very unique personalities were photographed doing what they do best, poking fun of themselves. The subject of this image was a bodybuilder with former military training who was made to appear to hunt bunnies with a paintball marker.

The Execution
"Having a background in beauty and fashion, I wanted to photograph 'character' types that would not normally be considered 'beautiful' subjects. But instead of using typical 'character' lighting, I used 'beauty' lighting- one main light above the camera (a small softbox), a ring flash for a fill light, one hair light above and slightly behind the subject (an umbrella) and two back lights; a bare bulb on the subject and another on the background. I used a Canon 5D with a Tamron 28-75mm, f/ 2.8 lens."

Post Production
"The original image was photographed on a green background, then turned more olive-ish, to reinforce the military theme. Later I got bored with it and knocked it out and replaced the background with an HDR (High Dynamic Range) image I took at an abandoned airport hanger in Brooklyn. It was more interesting but not there yet. So I thought it might be funny if this mean-looking, tattooed-up guy was hunting little fuzzy bunnies with a paintball gun. But the bunnies don't really take him too seriously! The bunnies, of course, are stock images."

The Output
"The final images from this series were printed at 14 x 22 inches on UltraPro Gloss with an Epson Stylus Photo R1900 printer. The colors were really pushed in post and I needed the print to look as vivid as the image on screen. UltraPro Gloss always gives my images the punch I need. Other papers don't seem to hold color values like this paper. Tip: For best results, make sure your monitor is calibrated or your output will never match what you see on it.

Contact
Chris Borgman's web site is at: www.chrisborgman.com. He may be contacted at: cb@chrisborgman.com

Red River Paper Pro Monday - Arthur Bleich

Red River Pro
ARTHUR BLEICH 
 
The Photographer
Arthur Bleich is a Miami photographer, writer, editor and educator whose work has appeared in publications and exhibits throughout the world. He has done assignments for Time, Life, Architectural Forum, Sports Illustrated and others and is one of only a few photographers ever to document an Antarctic exploration operation for which he won a major national award. He is an acknowledged expert on digital photography and writes about it for professional publications.

The Client
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington D.C.

© Arthur Bleich

The Assignment
Document the eight-month voyage of the USGCG Icebreaker Eastwind and her crew during an Antarctic expedition and subsequent circumnavigation of the world.

The Execution
"I shot more than 12,000 images on that assignment since, as an officer with no other duties, I had a virtually unlimited budget, access to everything and enough time to do it right. This image was taken from one of the ship's helicopters to give a feeling of isolation and serenity. Although I shot mostly with 35mm, this picture was shot with a 4x5 Crown Graphic camera at 1/400 sec with an aperture, I'd guess, of around f/11, on Tri-X sheet film– a moderate underexposure in order to silhouette the ship. "The Eastwind had originally been going in the opposite direction and I thought it would look better with the smoke blowing across the bow. I radioed the bridge and asked the watch officer to turn it around but he refused without an order from the Captain who, at the time, was napping in his cabin. Taking a deep breath, I told him to wake up the 'Old Man' which he reluctantly did and the Captain told him to comply with anything I needed done. There's no describing the feeling of power I had as I moved that ship around like a toy boat in a bathtub."

Post Production
I had a small darkroom on the ship in which I developed film and made contact sheets. These were flown back to a lab at infrequent intervals where prints were made. It so happens that this particular negative got badly scratched and for years I deemed it a total loss. But technology eventually came to the rescue; I scanned it and resurrected it in Photoshop.

The Output
Two Red River papers work beautifully for this image. When prints are displayed under glass, acid-free Polar Matte holds all the detail in the image and perfectly reproduces its wide tonal scale. For prints mounted without glass, Arctic Polar Satin makes this image positively glow, without excessive reflections that other papers frequently produce. Its cool tone perfectly matches the mood of the image; in fact, it enhances it.

Contact
Arthur Bleich's web site is at: www.dpcorner.com. Information about the DSLR Workshop Cruises he conducts with other pros is at : www.dpcorner.com/cruise. He can be emailed at: arthur@dpcorner.com

Guest Blogger Gary Goldberg: Texas Singers-Songwriters

The Idea

The idea for this exhibition began about seven years ago. I went to an event in Archer City, Texas, called “The Late Week Lazy Boy Supper Club,” a venue where Texas singer-songwriters present their music. I became a regular, drawn into the music, the lyrics, and the personalities of these “homegrown” musicians. About four years ago, it dawned on me that these musicians, whose work is not well known nationally, have stories to tell that are worth documenting. Their styles reminded me of music I had heard as a teenager growing up in Los Angeles in the 1960s, when my brother Larry would play Bob Dylan, the Byrds, Leonard Cohen and Judy Collins. These musicians were also songwriters and their messages made a lasting impression on me. I decided to create a body of work that would leave its own impression on the music culture.

Jack Ingram © Gary Goldberg

The Exhibition

In this exhibition, I tried to document the singer-songwriter movement of “Americana Music” here in Texas. I began photographing those who had performed in Archer City, traveling all over the state to track them down. I also contacted individuals in the music business for advice on whom to include and settled on a list of 100 artists whose stories I wanted to record in pictures. There are many other fantastic musicians whom I was unable to photograph and some I’m sure I overlooked, but in the end I narrowed my photographs down to the fifty images that are in the exhibit. 

Pat Green © Gary Goldberg

The Execution

I chose to make informal outdoor portraits of these artists. I wanted the viewer to be able to see the faces of these individuals clearly and to come to know something about these people by examining my photographs. I found compelling backgrounds with rich textures and complex structures that add depth and context to the direct frontal portraits. I used a Nikon D100 digital camera to capture these images. One thing I learned in this process is that musicians are a lot like vampires, “They only come out at night.” Thus, it proved challenging to photograph them in the daylight.

To print the exhibit, I chose Red River's 60lb. Premium Matte.  Ten of the images were printed at 20" x 30” using the 24" x 36" sheet size on an Epson 7600. These were matted and framed at 32" x 40”.  Each of these large prints, a  was accompanied by a CD player playing the music of the subject of that photograph.

The other 40 prints were printed on the same 60lb. Premium Matte using the 13" x 19” sheet size using an Epson 4800.  They were matted and framed to 20" x 24".

I have used Red River products almost exclusively since making the switch to a digital workflow. I have used the Premium Matte paper in part because of its heavy weight, but also for it’s smooth rendering of fine details. I really love the service of Red River, if I order by noon; I get the product the next day. This ability to get the product the next day has saved me from missing deadlines many times.

Becca Dalrymple © Gary Goldberg

I traveled all over Texas and shot more than 10,000 images working on this project. I am grateful to the musicians for their time and patience in contributing to this endeavor. I hope that the images of these musicians speak to you as their music speaks to me. I like music, I like Texas music, and I hope this exhibition moves you to explore Texas’ unique brand of “Americana“ music.

Junior Brown © Gary Goldberg

Gary Goldberg is professor of art at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. His work has been published in “Texas Monthly,” “Harpers Queen,” “The Family of Women,” “Exploring Color Photography,” and many other publications. He was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant and his work is in many collections, including the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. and The Photography Collection, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin.

Red River Paper Pro Monday - David Bergman

Red River Pro
DAVID BERGMAN 
 
The Photographer

David Bergman is an editorial and commercial photographer based in New York whose images have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and in Rolling Stone, Time, Newsweek, People, USA Today and The New York Times. Celebrity clients include Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Joss Stone, Gloria Estefan, Evanescence, and Drew Carey. His company, TourPhotographer.com, shoots pictures of performers that fans can purchase after each show.

The Client

UK rock magazine Kerrang!

© David Bergman

The Assignment

Photograph Dillinger Escape Plan in concert in New York City.

The Execution

"The audience was rowdy, as expected. Bodies were flying everywhere and I had to keep one eye in my viewfinder and the other on the crowd. I used earplugs because working right in front of the stage for an extended period of time could do some serious damage to my ear drums. As it happened, I got an accidental kick to the face which gave me a pretty good bloody nose.
"Near the end of the set, lead singer Greg Puciato pulled a Gene Simmons by breathing fire out over the crowd. He then stepped out into the audience, let someone hold up the rod with the open flame, and shot it out over their heads. I used a 16-35 mm lens, with the ISO set to 800 and exposed at 1/250 sec at f/2.8."

Post Production

"I only did simple toning and color correcting to this image."

The Output

"I used Aurora Natural paper to print this image because I prefer a more natural look,
especially for a photo filled with warm tones. Other surfaces handled the complex gradients within the image, but the slight texture of the matte paper got my attention as it adds to the natural feel of the print. The paper has a nice "depth" to it and gives the image a subtle third dimension."

Contact

David Bergman's web sites are: davidbergman.net and tourphotographer.com.

Red River Paper Pro Monday - Bert Monroy

Bert Monroy

Job: Digital photo-realist artist
Favorite Red River Paper: Premium Matte papers
Printer: Epson Pro Printers
 

Comments

While writing my latest book, Photoshop Studio with Bert Monroy: Digital Painting, it was crucial to see how colors worked together on a spread. Proofing each spread on Red River papers was vital to the success of the book. I used one of the Red River papers that closely matched the white and finish of the final paper that the book would end up being printed on.I went through a lot of ink and paper but the result is a book that captures the intense colors of my original works.

©Bert Monroy

About Bert 

Among his many career highlights are art director, creative director, author, and educator. Bert has served such diverse clients as Apple, Pixar, Sony, and American Express.

His work, Damen Station, won acclaim as a masterpiece of digital photo artwork. At 40" x 120" and 1.7gigs (flattened!), Damen took almost 2000 hours to complete.

Bert is currently a lecturer at San Francisco State University, and just signed on with Kelby Training as an instructor.

He is the author of Bert Monroy: Photorealistic Techniques with Photoshop & Illustrator , Photoshop Studio with Bert Monroy: Digital Painting , and Photoshop Studio with Bert Monroy: Digital Painting (Voices That Matter) . His work is featured in many other books including The Photoshop WOW Book.

www.bertmonroy.com

Guest Blogger - Eric Gainer @ the Red River Paper Blog

Birdseye Cards Blogs for Red River Paper

This week's guest blogger for Red River Paper is Eric Gainer of Belleville, Ontario. Eric's story is an excellent example of how inkjet printing empowers small business to start, expand, and offer unique products once only available from large companies.  Enjoy the story of his work and card images.  Many thanks to Eric for sharing his experience!

===========================================

Birdseye Cards was started by Eric Gainer in Belleville, Ontario as a supplemental business in October, 2007.  The line up grew to offer 200+ cards and card sets made to order using 3 Epson inkjet printers.  After months of extensive R&D with North American paper suppliers, Red River Paper was selected for their blend of quality variety and affordable high end scored card stock offering great color holdout.  The price point also helped maintain a profit contribution to the bottom line while offering a competitive advantage to both traditional retail specialty shops and a growing online consumer demand for a quality finished product not available through mass market channels.

Birdseye Cards has since grown to a full time profession, now selling social stationery for weddings, mini cards, on line image licensing and creative studio services.  With a recession setting in, Birdseye Cards used Aurora Fine Art White scored stock to expand the boxed 3x5 mini cards, by printing on flat 7x10 sheets cut in half, with images printed 2 up on a sheet, double sided, then sold with matching envelopes.  The growing demand for cards that offer more value at a reduced price point continues to be their strength in 2009.  With feedback from the test site, Birdseye mini cards expanded to include Everyday blank, Thank You, Birthday, Holiday and Personalized stationery as well).

Rebranded cards are also sold through gourmet cookie retailer Zelcovia Cookies www.zelcoviacookies.com  who offers their customers a Birdseye card with gift purchase, printed on 60 lb Premmatte Plus 2.0. 

The Birdseye brand is marketed through four web sites updated on a monthly basis, as well as e newsletters, and online advertising.  The main site consumer site is www.birdseyecards.com, the product testing and prelaunch site is www.birdseyecards.etsy.com, a monthly blog at www.birdseyecards.blogspot.com and image licensing through www.alamy.com (search by Birdseye Cards or Eric Gainer)

Elegant Greeting Card Design Templates Now Available

New from Cheddar Designs and Red River Paper, these Christmas and holiday greeting card templates are for use with PHOTOSHOP and PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS only. Each design template download comes with one design in four different Red River greeting card sizes.

Each template download comes with 1 Template Design 4 Sizes (separate Photoshop files) $10.00 per template

Template sizes match Red River card sizes 7" x 10" 6.25" x 9" 5.5" x 8.5" 8" x 9" Pano

In this example, a larger photo fits on the front of your card, while there is room on the back for another photo. 


Each template is $10 to download. Browse the selection and order here

Red River Paper Pro Monday - Susan McCartney

The Photographer
Susan McCartney is a New York City based photojournalist, teacher and writer whose magazine, corporate and advertising assignments have taken her around the US and the world. She is the author of five books about photography, has won Communication Arts and New York Art Directors’ Club awards and her classic prints are now collectors’ items.

The Client
A long-term personal book project about the people of New York City.

© Susan McCartney

The Assignment
“This shot was made on a late summer weekend in 2007 on the Coney Island boardwalk during a band performance. I hang around in interesting places and when I spot someone I would like to photograph, I ask their permission and then work with them for as long as I can, getting closer and closer. Some people will give you five minutes of their time, and some will be patient for an hour or longer.”

The Execution
“I used a Nikon D-200 digital SLR with a 20mm lens. A Nikon SB600 flash, mounted on the camera’s hot shoe, was aimed directly at the subject. At ISO 200 in raw mode, I exposed manually at around 1/250th of a second at f/16 and bracketed the exposure by changing f/stops. The fill flash was set to minus .7.”

Post Production
“Using Photoshop CS3, I played with the saturation slightly and also brought out the detail in the brim of the hat.”

The Output
"With my Epson stylus Pro 3800 printer, I printed this image using three different Red River papers- Aurora Fine Art White , Arctic Polar Satin and Ultra Pro Gloss. I had a hard time deciding which paper I preferred, finally choosing the Arctic Polar Satin print for best detail in the shadow areas. I have the Red River paper profiles, but didn't use them as I have found that Epson's Luster, Matte and Glossy profiles work just fine for the Red River papers."

Contact
Susan McCartney’s web site is at susanmccartney.com. She can be reached at susmcc @ verizon.net.

Greeting Card Sample Kit Intro Video

Building on the Inkjet Greeting Card Intro video released last week, we present the Greeting Card Sample Kit demonstation video!

Order a Greeting Card Sample Kit right now!

Red River Paper Pro Monday - Matt Hoyle

Red River Pro
MATT HOYLE

© Matt Hoyle

The Photographer
Matt Hoyle shoots for editorial, entertainment and advertising clients worldwide. His fine art photography
has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, London, The Farmani Galleries, the Thomas Werner Gallery, New York, the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia, and at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai.


The Client
A portraiture series for a fine arts exhibition, posters and promotional purposes.


The Assignment
Photograph a range of extraordinary faces for a black and white photographic series of sideshow
performers entitled “Barnumville.”

The Execution
“I photographed these performers in a studio using a Canon 1DS Mark III and Profoto Acute2 2400 power packs with large umbrellas. I wanted the contrast to be soft overall– very soft shadows and nothing harsh. Their faces were naturally interesting and didn't need any emphasis of light, so I concentrated on the surface of their skin to bring out a little contrast and sharpness while still allowing the overall light to be softer.”


Post Production
“I converted the digital image into black and white with filters on each color channel. This way I had ultimate control over how dark each color would be in relation to the overall image. Then, I added an additional controlled amount of contrast to the skin and sharpening to the eyes and mouth.”

The Output
"I chose to output prints on Red River's Aurora Fine Art Natural paper at 8.5 x 11 on a Canon Pro9000 printer. The paper is more fine-surfaced than a raw, fine art, rag paper and it’s that quality that provided a great earthy texture and tone to evoke the vintage theme of my sideshow posters.”

Contact
Matt Hoyle's web site is at: www.matthoyle.com. He can be emailed at matt@matthoyle.com

Inkjet Printable Greeting Card Introduction Video

Please watch this new video where all is revealed about Red River's unmatched line of inkjet printable greeting card stocks!





Introduction and tutorial on inkjet printable photo note cards from Red River Paper. Inkjet papers that are pre-scored and pre-cut so you can print your own photo greetings at home on a desktop inkjet printer.

Watch the video then go to Red River's Inkjet Card Shop and learn more now.