In that case you might want to consider Picture Windows 3.1. It fully
handles 16 bits data. As good as Photoshop, minus plug-ins and layers at a
fraction the price of PS.
Trial version at
Andre
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Klein" <pklein@2alpha.net>
To: <filmscanners@halftone.co.uk>
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2001 11:39 PM
Subject: Re: filmscanners: Photoshop 5 LE files darker than they look
> Alan: Thank you! The Adobe forums cleared up the mystery. Indeed, PS 5
> LE is set to a display gamma of 1.8, which can't be changed. Now
Photoshop
> Elements does have the color management and gamma correction stuff. What
> PS Elements doesn't have, according to the specs and user comments I read,
> is a curve tool, and the ability to adjust levels in 16-bit mode. These
> are serious deficiencies, and the addition of lots of hand-holding
features
> don't make up for it.
>
> The curve tool is partially replaced by some "user-friendly" things called
> "backlighting" and "fill flash," among others. But the loss of 16-bit
data
> means you're in serious trouble unless you get it exactly right in the
> initial scan, because you'll be forced to fix things in 8-bit mode, with
> the risk of posterization that entails. NikonScan does have a curve tool,
> but I much prefer VueScan, which doesn't.
>
> All this means that basically Adobe has made sure that a serious
> photographer who uses Windows will have to buy the full $600 Photoshop, or
> make the choice between:
>
> - Editing things that don't look right on the screen so they'll look right
> on the Web (LE)
> - Give up the curve tool and 16-bit functionality (Elements).
>
> Or use a non-Adobe product. It's tempting. Anybody out there use other
> programs. Paint Shop Pro looks good, but doesn't handle 16-bit data. What
> about Ulead PhotoImpact, Corel Photo-Paint, Micrographix Picture
Publisher,
> etc. ?
>
> --Peter Klein
> Seattle, WA
>
> I wrote:
> ><snip>
> > > I think PS 5 LE is using either a default gamma, or a default color
> > > space that you can't change. Or both. Regardless, PS 5 LE is
> > > operating in a different universe than everything else on my system,
> > which is
> >just
> > > sending RGB pixels to the monitor unadulterated. And unlike the full
> > > version, there are no obvious adjustments to make everything the same.
> > > There's no Adobe Gamma, and no File, Colors menu.
> ><snip>
>
> At 09:41 PM 08/20/2001 +0100, "Alan Rew" <arew@patrol.i-way.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >I recall a comment on another mailing list that Adobe PS5LE has a
> >working space with a gamma of 1.8, which you can't change. My limited
> >understanding is then as follows: as PS LE doesn't display using monitor
> >compensation (unlike full PS), the resulting gamma isn't what you'd
> >expect on a PC (2.2). Hence the need for the correction factor of 1.22
> >(=2.2/1.8).
> >
> >Nowadays there is a cheaper alternative than buying the full version of
> >PhotoShop - namely the relatively new product Adobe PhotoShop Elements.
> >This includes colour management features and so should enable you do get
> >a lot further than PS LE (or any of it's price competitors) without
> >spending a lot of money. I believe it comes with Adobe Gamma tool which
> >enables some manual adjustment of your monitor.
> >
> >For questions about the colour capabilities of PhotoShop programs, try
> >the Adobe Colour Management forum,
> >accessible from
> >
> >and look for the heading 'color management'. There's a simple
> >registration procedure.
>
>
