Digital BW, The Print

michael3442 wrote:
> After raising this issue with my first post, I've been doing a little 
> research. It appears there is a preferred color temperature for 
> viewing color artwork and a fairly specific color temperature which 
> is perceived to be neutral - neither warm nor cool. The two temps are 
> 3600K in the first case and 3750K in the second. This was found in 
> two studies at the Applied Vision Institute, Dept. of Psychology, 
> Brooklyn College, CUNY. Here's the link to the .pdf of the 2nd study 
> which references the first: 
> http://www.solux.net/ies_files/MuseumLightingStudy.pdf 
> 
> Also, at Solux's main page and down toward the middle there's the 
> following sentence with a hot link: "Some of the hottest areas for 
> SoLux use are: light therapy, and for photography/digital color 
> proofing." (Unfortunately, their pages do not show unique URLs.)Way 
> down on that linked page is this about Caponigro: "John says he uses 
> the 3500K bulbs for his studio and gallery. He evaluates and displays 
> prints under the same light. He also uses four SoLux Gooseneck 
> fixtures for portable light sources: two with 3500K bulbs to evaluate 
> display conditions and two with 5000K bulbs to evaluate color 
> management issues, monitor calibration and soft proofing."
> 
> In the final analysis, I think I'll print for the neutral lighting 
> conditions found in most galleries, around 3500K (general halogen 
> temp.). I have found four Sylvania Minitwist fluorescent bulbs at 
> Menards which have temps of 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, and 5000K (marked on 
> their base-unlike most other brands). So far I like the two middle 
> temps, although seeing a difference is a little hard. The very warm 
> one and the daylight bulb seem too extreme (although most of my 
> home's bulbs are tungston and warm.)
> 
> Michael K


Preferred color temperature for viewing art work isn't as 
fixed as suggested. But if musea prefer lower illumination 
levels to keep fading etc low then the Kelvin numbers will be 
as given above at the related illumination level. In the rest 
of the graphic industry you will see 5000 K  as a general rule 
(packaging, magazines, posters, signs, etc where there's  no 
control of the light conditions in end use).

Since 1941 there's the Kruithof's curve that relates ideal 
Kelvin numbers to footcandles.

http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/wn21/wn21-3/wn21-308.html

How well you can get a monitor calibrated to the viewing light 
that is 3700K is something you can't ignore either, 5000 K 
suits a setup like that better.

To quote an old message I wrote on the colorsync list:

Based on that there's nothing against calibrating at 5000K / 
60 footcandles and taping a copy of the Kruithof Curve at the 
back of the produced art work / reproduction. At 60 
footcandles the 5000K lies in the middle of the usable color 
temperatures. "Metamerism" isn't discussed but 5000K seems the 
best option as wel; for the same reason.
If we need to compromise between signs outdoor and old art in 
musea then 5000K for calibrating isn't a bad choice. If there 
have to be more color temperatures for calibration then extend 
it to 3 and keep 5000K in the centre. The big Just Norm Light 
here is giving me 60 footcandle and a less sophisticated 5500K 
desklamp does the same.

BTW, the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam has Solux lamps installed


Met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst


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