Interactive image-enhancement for the desktop printing of digital photographs

Abstract

The proportion of digital photographs that are printed at home by the consumer continues to plummet, and commercial printers continue to capture an increasing share of this market. A principal reason for this trend is due to the frustration expressed by consumers over their disappointment with the quality of desk-top prints, and their inability to effect the outcome, since the tools provided by the desk-top printing industry are generally inadequate, technically complicated or ineffective. This dissatisfaction is compounded by the fact that the digital camera industry has not yet provided either image-acquisition technologies or post-processing facilities that allow the consumer to control the rendition of flesh tones and faces to personal preference, long known to be the key to consumer satisfaction. The author will describe the basic imaging principles brought together for a simple user-friendly solution to this problem, allowing custom selection of flesh tones by non-technical consumers on the basis of individual preference. Results from among those for a large number of typical consumer images will be demonstrated.