Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

Not sure what UCR means, probably something obvious. Can you fill us in?

thanks

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

I think it must be a Jimi Hendrix song!

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

i only expect schooled photogs to know what it is, i don't expect them to understand it..what on earth do they learn for 4 years?

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

under color removal is when you take out CMY & replace it with black to reduce your ink limit. Best used on images that are more mono in feel when you don't want colour to shift on press causing a cast.

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

here's a quick reference:

http://www.photoshopfocus.com/cool_t..._basics_p4.htm

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclop...-color-removal

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

You've been around pre press too long. I'm sure it's discussed in their schools at one point, but it's probably put into the same section in the brain that you and I put calculus or 17th century poetry.
I'm guessing most photographers are self educated, anyway. Look how they treat our little profession. Like that guy who placed the ad for jewelery retouching here and expected quality for, what, 2 minutes a pic..........
Bunch of pretty boy glamour dummies:wink:

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

Here's why I am so special: my customers (a few for 10 or so years) say "do the usual for the flesh tones/wrinkles" and I do it. They save money on multiple rounds of corrections and proofs because I understand them. And not for nothing, but because I speak English real good? They understand me, too. Sometimes clients value partnership (though I've probably just jinxed it).

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

it's used on all images that go to press, unless of course you prefer to use GCR...

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

Yea your right. GCR on heavy or Maximum is used more on mono feel images to stop colour casts.

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

if only to further derail the thread:

doesn't all the UCR and GCR thing become obsolete, since we're now mostly retouching in RGB, and then converting CMYK to print?

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

That depends on if you intend to go to press with your image

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

A book that might be enlightening regarding our current economic situation is 'The Shock Doctrine, the Rise of Disaster Capitalism' by Naomi Klein.

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

whenever you convert to cmyk you are applying some either ucr or gcr unless you are outputting your Dmax at 400%...

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

I don't believe I saw any posts about the rising value of Asian currencies against the dollar (or the sinking dollar to the Asian currencies). I have a client that has moved printing from Asia to the United States because of the currency changes (along with other rising costs). This is an opportunity for us if we stay alert. I had another clients that was wringing his hands over the Rupee's rise against the dollar. He started doing more programming in house! Have you (in the US) considered asking folks in the European Union to outsource retouching to you?

The people of India deserve to experience wealth (and the destruction of their environment if they don't stay on top of it). It's Asia's turn to rise in world prominence. So we are going to need to learn to work more with less. Despite the markets right now, they are going to be the big boys within the next 25-50 years.

As a US-based full-time self-employed retoucher since 1999, here's some points I have realized:

1. Photo restoration is hardly worth one's time because of the outsourcing. Unless you can do it fast and/or specialize in a specific style, be prepared to give up making lots of money doing it yourself. Outsource or quit.

2. Commercial retouching (Business to business with ad agencies, photographers and publishers) is where a US provider has a good chance. However, you MUST be prepared to average no more than $35/hour, be proactive with your customers and do everything they ask 100%. Staying in touch via phone and email on a regular basis is critical. Ask them to complete a survey after each project and then give them a discount on their next invoice if they complete it.

3. Be flexible and innovative: Find niche markets and specialize. You've got to stand out without compromising yourself.

4. Organize. I see some posts alluding to a retoucher's "guild." and a set of standards. We might even be able to get an ISO guideline for all the nuances like GCR, UCR and plate blending, ethical guidelines, etc. APAG (http://www.apag.net/) has attempted to do something like this, but they need more participation (and possibly a modification of their mission to include prepress along with better alliances with publishers and folks like NAPP).

5. Keep marketing. Sales, sales, sales.

Re: Outsourcing Retouching Services To India?
 

A little Warren Buffett wisdom for tough times:

"In his letter to shareholders in March, 2005, Warren Buffet predicted that in another 10 years’ time the net ownership of the US by outsiders would amount to $11 trillion. “Americans … would chafe at the idea of perpetually paying tribute to their creditors and owners abroad. A country that is now aspiring to an ‘ownership society’ will not find happiness in - and I’ll use hyperbole here for emphasis - a ’sharecropper’s society’.”"

He predicted this little implosion going on right now in '02 by calling derivatives "financial weapons of mass destruction", so, listen up. He ain't the richest guy in the world for nuthin'.