Kai-Uwe Behrmann wrote: > What are the right tools you expect an pixel editor should provide? > Well, first, I must be able to convert an image to CMYK. In that, I must be able to tell Gimp how I want the channels to be separated. I need to be able to choose which printing system I will be correcting for (SWOP-coated, uncoated; Toyo inks; etc.), specify dot gain, and choose which separation type I want to use (UCR or GCR), and specify ink limits. The way Photoshop does this is just about perfect.
I wanted to compare how the Gimp manages color profiles to how Photoshop does it, but I cannot find anywhere in the Gimp where you can specify which profiles to use on an image. Ideally, we should be able to specify default profiles for images, and whether or not Gimp should use the embedded profiles. Again, PS is very good here. In the 'Image > Mode' pull down there should be an option to convert to a profile, any profile, from a pop-up option window. For example, if I am correcting an image in my default RGB space (Adobe RGB) and I want to convert an image to sRGB before I save it for use on the web I can do this. Or if I am correcting an image that will be printed on different types of media, I can correct it in my default CMYK space and convert copies of it for newsprint or 4c silkscreen. Something that Adobe has added to Photoshop that has been very useful for me recently, are Spot channels. Say you have a grayscale image that will overprint on top of a pantone color, you can create a CMYK document and paste the grayscale image into the black channel. Then add a spot channel that will print underneath it. In this way you can set up the image exactly as you want it printed without having to rely on InDesign's transparency settings. Save this image a a single-file DCS and you're set. With this technique you could also add a silver ink to the highlights on a saw or anything else metallic. I am sure you get the idea. It would also be nice to have a tool like the Selective Color tool that Photoshop has. The other color correction tools for use with RGB look good, but in the future the devs should really add the ability to use the cc tools on adjustment layers. Overall, I like the Gimp, but it just isn't quite ready for print graphics yet. Aside from the lack of CMYK tools, it is just a slow app to work in. It really needs a usability expert to go through and come up with a better keyboard shortcut map that makes it quicker to select the tools in the tools box and in the pull downs and add items that don't have shortcuts, i.e. Select > Feather. I hope this helps. I didn't mean to knock the Gimp, because there is a whole lotta goodness in there. It just needs a little more love before people are going to give up Photoshop for print work. _End of line_ Nate
