CS3 Workflow

[Roger Williams]

Sorry to start yet another workflow thread but I'd appreciate your advice.

I've been using PS Elements 5 for several years. I invested in Downloader Pro and BreezeBrowser, bought Artie's books and PFD and had my workflow (somwhat) under control. Then, I yielded to the less-than-half-price offer from Adobe to upgrade to CS3 (v10.0.1) and learned the joys of Bridge and Camera Raw. So the questions begin.

I download images using Downloader Pro and automatically switch to BB for editing. Rather than converting RAW images to TIFF with BB as before, and processing them with CS3 (formerly Elements), I've been processing them in Bridge's Camera Raw and saving them in TIFF format as master files. If additional processing is needed, I do that in CS3. Is anything wrong with this picture? Is there an advantage in converting RAW to TIFF for processing over direct Camera Raw processing of RAW images?

For those of you with Bridge, is there any advantage in using DownLoader Pro as opposed to the download program in Bridge? In either event, I will likely continue to use BB for editing.

An unrelated question - how do I make the copyright symbol with either BB or PS? My operating system is Windows XP if that's a factor.

Your views are appreciated.

roger

[Robert Amoruso]

Roger,

My basic software workflow.

1) BBPro to edit.
2) BBPro to convert RAW to TIFF (75%) and ACR (25%).
3) Post Process in PSCS3.

ACR = Adobe Camera Raw.

I do not use Bridge. From BBPro you can right click on an image and select edit (Preferences has to be set so that PSCS3 is the editor) and a RAW image will open in ACR and a TIFF in PSCS3.

I use BBPro for a good majority or my conversions still when I have a nicely exposed image not needing some of ACR's advanced features like fill-light or recover. If I feel ACR will do a better job for me I use it to convert the RAW to a TIFF.

You can use Bridge to download images but I have DLPro set-up so I put card in laptop and it starts automatically, downloads the images and closes. Yank out card and start again. This allows my fastest downloading workflow and I can do this as I am driving.

BBPro, due to the High-QUality mode is still hands-down the fastest way to edit images IMO. You can see exactly how sharp the image is in the JPG preview.

Advantage of making corrections to the RAW before conversion to a TIFF. Using ACR, any pre-processing corrections are applied to the RAW data and not to the TIFF's pixels (i.e. expanding the tonal range in Levels, adding contrast in curves affect the image's pixels) after the conversion. Similar to what Lightroom does, you can make your tonal and color corrections in ACR and process the RAW data to those corrections. Then final tweaking in PSCS3. Truthfully, doing it both ways, I see no real difference. I have seen many online discussions and perhaps someone with some insight here will chime in but for me, I don't see a real "practical" difference in the results. Most times I do a straight RAW conversion in BBPro and go straight to PSCS3 to finish up.

[Roger Williams]

Thanks for your response, Robert. Perhaps you or someone else could also answer my question about the copyright symbol.

[Chris Ober]

To make the copyright symbol, hold down the Alt key and on the number keypad, hit 0169 and release Alt.

[Robert Amoruso]

Sorry Roger I forget to get to that part of the question.

I normally just do it in a text box in PS. Using the numeric keypad on the computer, just hold down the ALT key and type on the keypad 0169 and you get ©.

If using a laptop, most have a way to toggle a numeric keypad on the regular QWERTY keyboard.

[Roger Williams]

Thanks for the help.

rw

[Simon Bennett]

Another possible advantage of converting with Breezebrowser Pro is that it is based on the Canon sotware developers kit and may be more aware of things like Highlight Tone Priority than Adobe Camera Raw.

[Maurice Allen]

Where in workflow is the best place to add copyright and signature? Between sharpening and save for web due to not wanting to sharpen the signature??

[Robert Amoruso]

Maurice,

For small JPG's, add the copyright after sharpening and before Save for Web. You are correct, you do not want to sharpen the text layer.

[Maurice Allen]

Robert,

Thanks for the info!! Just got my new 24" iMac with Photoshop CS3 rolling, now I'm trying to work the kinks out of everything. :)

[Ed Okie]

In BB Downloader Pro you can setup in I think it is "Preferences" and place an additional copyright EXI-data notation tagged to your name... every file thereafter includes the notice (plus whatever else you wish to add.