Monday, December 12, 2005
Test Targets
For the past four years the RIT School of Print Media has published Test Targets, a technical journal that is a collaborative effort exploring the use of scientific method for color imaging and process control. Today, after many months of research, discovery and hard work, Test Targets 5.0 was released.
Journal History
Test Targets began as class project in the Test Targets & Evaluation in Graphic Arts Imaging course in 2002. The goal was to test color imaging and printing systems, including device calibration, device profiling and color imaging applications (E.g. Adobe Photoshop, ICC-profiling packages). Then publish the findings as a scholarly journal. The first addition, Test Targets 2.0, was published in February 2002.
Makeup
Each addition of the journal includes three sections: scholarly articles, a gallery of visual interest, and test forms.
The scholarly articles sections is self-explanatory. - It's where the research findings are presented.
Introduced in Test Targets 4.0, the gallery of visual interest is a collection of pictorial images that tell a color management story. For example, showing the results of applying different ICC rendering intents to a pictorial image.
The last section of the journal is where various test forms used in device optimization, calibration, control and characterization are printed. The test forms are composed of various synthetic (E.g RIT Grey balance bar) and pictorial (E.g. SCID N7A) test targets. This is the playground where Professor Franz Sigg gets to show off his current PostScript test targets.
5.0
Test Targets 5.0 is a continuation of the color management journey (As Bob Chung calls it) with nine new articles, a gallery of visual interest, and a new set of test forms.
The articles range from a historical perspective on developing test targets for imaging systems over the last 50 years, to color managed workflow, soft-proofing and advanced ICC-color management features such as Black point compensation and Device-link profiles.
A PDF version of Test Targets 5.0 can be downloaded from the SPM CMS Lab website. You can also stop by the SPM CMS Lab and pick up a copy.
Previous Editions
Previous Test Targets journals can be downloaded from Professor Bob Chung's CMS Lab website:
Test Targets 4.0, Published by RIT School of Print Media, Rochester, NY, Jun., 2004
Test Targets 3.1, Published by RIT School of Print Media, Rochester, NY, Jul., 2003
Test Targets 3.0, Published by RIT School of Print Media, Rochester, NY, Feb., 2003
Test Targets 2.0, Published by RIT School of Print Media, Rochester, NY, Feb., 2002
Alternatively, you can purchase printed copies from the Gravure Association of America's (GAA) online store (Currently only Test Targets 4.0). All money raised through the sale of Test Targets supports scholarship activities in the CMS Lab.
What Others have said about Test Targets
"Test Targets 4.0 is an excellent selection of color management investigations. Many of the topics such as digital camera profiling, gray scale imaging, digital printing, FM vs AM screening and Hexachrome printing are commercially very relevant subjects."
Dr Abhay Sharma, Chair, School of Graphic Communications Management, Ryerson University. Author of Understanding Color Management.
"Test Targets 4.0 and it's predecessors are invaluable reference publications as the projects contain within are topics of interest, but more importantly relevant to real world printing. It is rewarding to see that students are being taught the value of designing an experiment to answer a question, running the experiment, but also being required to write up the results in a format suitable for publication. This provides an excellent foundation for future success in graphic arts research. I commend the level of commitment involved in producing a publication of such high quality. Keep up the good work."
Kenneth Elsman, Senior Color Scientist, Global Graphics Software Inc.
Feedback
If you have ideas for research or would like to support a student project or have general comments about the Test Targets journal, contact Professor Bob Chung.
Posted in: Research | Test Targets
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