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terryf64
Participant
May 6, 2023
Question

Meanings of +/- 75 number scale in Adv BW Color Controls?

  • May 6, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 747 views

I want to Colorize Negatives which I want to do in the ABW in the Print Dialogue.

Unfortunately the controls is only + or - 75 both vertical and horizontal.

None of the color Models (HSB, Lab, RGB, etc) have this system

Any ideas how to get a 350/20/0 HSB color into this without guessing?

Thanks, Terry

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

TheDigitalDog
TheDigitalDog
Inspiring
May 6, 2023

The scale here is the scale and has no relationship to Photoshop, nor do the numbers mean very much. There is no way to translate the values to HSB or any color model. This is a 'black box', and the idea is to work 'visually' (without your own image too).

At least using Epson Print Layout, you can view your own image as you muck around with the settings. 

 

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
    Conrad_C
    Community Expert
    Conrad_CCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 6, 2023

    Photoshop itself doesn’t have an option in the Print dialogue box named “ABW”. However, many Photoshop users who own Epson printers do use an “Advanced Black & White” option provided by the Epson printer driver software, which they get to through the OS portion of the Print dialogue box. Just to make sure we answer the question the right way, you’re asking about the Epson Advanced Black & White feature?

      T
      terryf64Author
      Participant
      May 6, 2023

      Yes...ABW = Advanced Black & White.

      Color Control Circle Values of H/V + or - 75 Scale

      Conrad_C
      Community Expert
      Conrad_CCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 7, 2023

      OK, thanks for confirming. Then the reply posted by thedigitaldog is correct: Because Advanced Black & White is an Epson printer driver feature (not part of Photoshop code), the meaning of the -75/+75 scale is a question for Epson, not Adobe. Only Epson knows what that scale represents compared to a more standard scale.

       

      Although I do occasionally use Advanced Black & White on my Epson printer, there are significant disadvantages of using it, and you should know about them given that you want to colorize scans of film negatives.

       

      Because it is an Epson printer feature and not a Photoshop feature, the changes you make in Advanced B&W don’t affect how the image looks within Photoshop or any other photo editor, and can’t be included if you export a copy (e.g. for posting on a website). The Advanced Black & White edits are only available when you print through Epson printer software. Because Advanced Black & White is proprietary with an unusual color scale, if for example you have to buy a different printer in 5 years, and if the new printer’s driver software doesn’t have an equivalent to the Epson Advanced Black & White feature, you won’t easily be able to reproduce earlier colorizations.

       

      For those reasons, if you want to add color to a black-and-white scan of a film negative, and save those changes so they can be applied consistently for any computer, printer, or export graphics format in the future, it’s much better to use a Photoshop colorization method such as:

       

      • Black & White adjustment layer, with the Tint option enabled. 
      • Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, with the Colorize option enabled. 
      • Gradient Map adjustment layer, with a customized color gradient. 
      • Color Grading, using the Camera Raw filter. 

       

      The last two options can also do split toning colorization. If you have any questions about those techniques, you can ask here. There are also many videos about them on YouTube.

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