 Underwater-Photoshop :: Prerequisites Hardware
Hardware Requirements
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Prerequisites – Hardware Requirements
It is recommended that you have 4Gb of RAM for
CS5
. It should go without saying that if you can afford more RAM then you should obtain
it. Likewise get the fastest processor that you can afford. I can give no other
recommendations on this because, of course, processing power constantly changes.
Wacom
It is also recommended to get some accessories that will make your graphic editing
easier, e.g. a Wacom tablet. This is a graphics tablet with a pen that allows you
much finer control than a mouse and is also touch sensitive.
Monitors
It is recommended that you get the largest screen with the fastest refresh rate
that you can. Some people recommend dual monitors but this is not necessary, a large
screen should enable you to open your Photoshop window with all the toolbars, image,
and palettes open, and give you plenty of spare screen real estate.
Dual monitors are a luxury but are helpful. You don’t just get more screen
‘real estate’ you can use it more effectively. For example you can have
the help file (or our course) open on one screen and Photoshop open in the other!
The problem is that you need a video card with two screen outputs to run dual monitors
– or you have to add another video card!
Or, you could just buy a new monitor that is as big as two screens! If you don’t
have two screens hanging around doing nothing this may be the cheaper option. Only
a bit of research will tell you which is most cost effective.
It is worth checking at this time whether your screen actually displays sufficient
colors for photo editing. If you are a PC user, right click on the desktop, select
properties and check the monitor is set to 1024 x 78 pixels or greater and that
the
color
s are set to millions. Also check the default
color
temperature of your monitor, set the target white point to d65 or 6500K. This is
roughly equivalent to the same
color
temperature as daylight. Also select a gamma of 2.2.
The only way to be absolutely certain that your monitor is calibrated to show accurate
color
is to use a device specifically designed for that purpose. Several manufacturers
produce such devices, I personally
favor
the Spyder from Datacolor and we have a video on the subject of how to calibrate
your monitor using the Spyder.
Set your monitor to 6500 degrees Kelvin with a gamma of 2.2 (even if it is a Macintosh),
and 100-140 candelas per square
meter
.
Consider where you site your monitor, keep it away from any bright light sources
that can reflect off it, such as windows behind you.
Video Card
Photoshop
CS5
leverages the graphics display card's GPU, instead of the computer's main processor
(the CPU) to speed its screen redraw. For Photoshop to access the GPU, your display
card must contain a GPU that supports OpenGL and has enough RAM to support Photoshop
functions--at least 128 MB of RAM--and a display driver that supports OpenGL 2.0
and Shader Model 3.0.
Card reader
A card reader is a fairly standard option on most computers these days but - just
checking!
Backup
A USB external hard drive of a couple of Terrabytes should do it!
Next >> Photoshop Versions
Psssst! Have you seen our U/W Photo course yet? It's the best course to learn underwater photography the easy way online.
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