[scribus] Scribus photo & printer profiles

[Gregory Pittman]

On 09/07/2009 10:34 AM, Robert Marma wrote:
> Jeffrey (or anyone else who cares to comment),
>    Well, it appears that I inadvertently created a firestorm of controversy--or at least discussion--with my naïve and completely innocent query regarding the choice between Windows and Linux for using Scribus!  This simple inquiry appears to have unveiled a host of issues that went well beyond anything I originally envisioned--the latest of which I find compelling, since I shoot a lot of digital photos myself.
>    Do you think I’m just wasting my time with this inquiry, or is it genuinely worth pursuing?  Please bear in mind that I’m not yet sure exactly how these newsletters ultimately will be printed, but initially I’ll probably use a near-photo-quality consumer inkjet printer [2400 x 1200 dpi] to prepare the masters, which then will be commercially photocopied at Kinko’s or Staples.  I suppose I’ll eventually have to investigate profiles for that printer [whatever is it is], as well.  Eventually, with God’s help, we’ll send the masters to a commercial print shop for large-scale copying, but for now I suspect a local color photocopy service is the best way to go.
>    At the risk of bothering this esteemed group of experts yet once again, I would appreciate any guidance or advice you or your visitors can offer me in my quest for profiles, since it appears I will need them once I get this newsletter in full production.  Thank you all again for your patience and kindness in being willing to guide The Newbie.
>    
One thing to keep in mind is that this list will have a mix of questions 
and responses from amateurs/enthusiasts (such as me), and true 
professionals involved with photography, design, and commercial printing.

I think it's likely you will feel comfortable making your own photos and 
printing them out yourself. You will find your tolerance of color 
balance and end results. I find that what I usually need to compensate 
for relates to the camera exposure and lighting conditions, so it's good 
to have and know how to use some software that can make these adjustments.

If you stay with the same printing setup, a good quality photo printer 
(not sure what you mean by "near-photo quality", get a photo quality 
printer), use good quality photo paper, I think you will be happy with 
your results. If you change photo paper brands, photo paper finish, you 
will see different results, as alluded to in this lengthy and ongoing 
discussion. Also learn how to change your printer properties for photo 
work. Do some online research about photo quality printers.

You may have misstated yourself -- hopefully you're not going to make 
prints, then have them photocopied at Kinko's (!). Might make more sense 
for them to print from a digital file. Whether it's Kinko's or your own 
printer, or a more capable commercial printer, having/making some test 
prints is always a good idea. This is something to learn from the pros 
-- make sure you have an end-to-end process you are happy with before 
you invest a lot of time and money.

In the end, you mainly have to please yourself. You will be able to 
accomplish this with Scribus using whatever OS it runs on.

Greg