MOO has become the favorite business card printer for many photographers. What sets them apart from other online printers, is something they call 'Printfinity'; the option of a different photo or design on every card in the pack. So, if you carry around a pack of MOO business cards, it's like having a mini portfolio in your pocket.

What also sets them apart from many other printers, is that the color calibration of customer images is something very close to the hearts of the design and development team at MOO. They work with a huge pool of images - from hobby photographers and illustrators to seasoned professionals. Every time a new product is launched or a new paper suggested, batches of images are tested and re-tested to ensure that, no matter what the source of the image, the color is true.

We use MOO for our photo cards as well, and MOO is generously offering our customers 15% off a pack of business cards (50 or 200 pack). Simply use the offer code MOO&SPYDER when checking out. The offer is valid through July 30th, so make sure you don't miss it!

Professional photographers and designers know very well about monitors by EIZO. When color accuracy matters, the Japanese vendor's ColorEdge series is usually their first choice. But did you know that Datacolor's Spyder3 screen calibrator is the perfect match for an EIZO monitor? To calibrate an EIZO ColorEdge monitor, the EIZO software ColorNavigator can be used. But Spyder3 is not just one of only a few calibrator units that are natively supported by EIZO in that software.

It is also the one sensor that the most highly recognized monitor vendor in the world is recommending and using exclusively, as EIZO Europe bundles the Spyder3 with the ColorEdge monitors. If you have experienced the high quality the Spyder3 sensor delivers, this doesn't come as a surprise. With the combination of the best monitor brand on the market and the best color calibration unit, 100% accurate colors, contrast and creative control are guaranteed.

An avid adventurer, conservationist, teacher, and outdoor photographer is what Andy Biggs calls himself - and he leaves no doubt whatsoever, that all of those are true. His photography celebrates the African landscape and its rich wildlife, people, and culture. With a deep respect and understanding for African wildlife, Andy unfolds the world of the Serengeti onto our doorstep with striking emotional depth. Photographers looking for a destination of a lifetime, should definitely check out his photographic safaris - Andy promises not only to enhance your understanding of photography, lighting, and wildlife, but will have you develop a life-long admiration for Africa's beauty and culture. His key to shooting a great photo? Andy makes it a priority to shoot when the light is most dramatic, notably the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset.

On our new SpyderCube product, Andy states "This is the first product on the market that can make the good old grey card obsolete. I like the SpyderCube's ability to measure both the main light and the secondary (artificial / catchlight)!!"

You can find a link to Andy's website, where you can follow his fascinating blog and learn more about his workshops, in our Friends With Vision section at www.datacolor.eu/fwv.

Using the Spyder3 to calibrate your screen is very easy; the software guides you through all necessary steps. However, there are a few additional expert tips, that many are unaware of. When you calibrate your screen, keep the following in mind:

Ensure that your ambient light is pretty dark and stable. The display should be the brightest light source in your field of vision. You might have heard advice, that using two different profiles can compensate for everything. Ignore that. Daylight isn't only much too bright for your work, it's also not stable. A neutral gray would seem reddishly tinted on your screen in the early morning hours and in the evening, because your eyes adapt to the bluish light from outside. A similar effect will occur with unstable light sources in daylight brightness: sunshine, clouds, fog - all of these will influence your visual abilities. Shut the blinds and use an indirect and weak light source in your studio. You can use a D65 neon tube to ensure that the white point between your display and your environment matches - independent of time of day or weather conditions. As a reminder: Re-calibrate your screen on a regular basis. Ideally, do it twice a month and warm up your monitor for at least 60 minutes before you begin.

As with many things in color management, RAW calibration is a topic that is often perceived as something complex; something that only real high-end professionals should worry about. However, both of these assumptions are not true. Capturing colors properly when shooting, can not only enhance your further color workflow dramatically, it is also very easy to do, using SpyderCube. In fact, it's so easy, that it can be explained in three basic steps:

1. Take a shot with SpyderCube in it. The brighter face of the cube in the shot will be used for setting the parameters.
2. Open the RAW file in your RAW conversion software Using the white balance (eyedropper) tool, click in brighter gray area of the cube. Then adjust the exposure slider until the brighter white area is very bright, but still has texture. Set the black slider to show a clear distinction between the black in the black trap (without any texture), and that of the surrounding black face (with clearly visible texture). Now save these adjustments in "Presets".
3. Other shots taken under the same lighting conditions, can now be opened with these presets.

It's amazing what you can learn in just one day! These seminars are geared toward creatives and include seminars on CS4 for Photographers, Lightroom 2 and a brand new tour Location Lighting. These seminars are taught by amazing trainers who are artists, authors and experts in their field. They are very affordable and we highly recommend them! Adobe and NAPP are offering our customers $10 off any Kelby Training seminar when they sign up using code "DATACOLOR" when checking out online. Just an FYI: Registrants receive $10 off when they sign up 21 days prior to the event, so this would be a great benefit to anyone signing up early giving you $20 off.

Find a complete list of seminars here.