Editing Colorist (section)

==Digital color==
Colorist [[Steve Oliff]] and his company [[Olyoptics]] were one of the first to use computers to do color separations. Although other companies at the time were experimenting with computers, Oliff and his crew were the first to blend the color guide artist with the separator.<ref name="Khoury">{{Cite book |last=Khoury |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xjVEjumBEIgC&dq=akira+digital+coloring&pg=PA177 |title=Image Comics: The Road to Independence |date=2007 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=978-1-893905-71-9 |language=en}}</ref> In 1987, the Japanese [[manga]] ''[[Akira (manga)|Akira]]'' was in preparation to be translated and published by [[Marvel Comics]]'s [[Epic Comics]] line. Oliff was chosen as the colorist, and he convinced Marvel that it was time to try computer color.<ref>Gravett, Paul. Manga: ''Sixty Years of Japanese Comics'' (Laurence King Publishing, 2004). </ref> After the publication of ''Akira'' in 1988, computer coloring became increasingly prevalent in the comics industry.<ref name="Khoury" />

By the early 1990s, even though the larger comics publishers were using computers, there were variations within the field. DC Comics allowed only a 64-color palette, while Marvel had expanded it to 125 colors. [[Dark Horse Comics]] allowed even more variations.<ref name="color guides">Hollingsworth, Matt. [http://matthollingsworth.net/content/view/22/1/ "Color Guides," MattHollingsworth.net.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008024428/http://matthollingsworth.net/content/view/22/1/ |date=2008-10-08 }} Accessed Apr. 6, 2009.</ref> The dominant programs in use during that time were Color Prep and Tint Prep, both originally implemented by Olyoptics. This software was invented and written by "Pixel Craft", the first company to create software that used a personal computer that could output files for a digital image setter to make negatives for color printing. Pixel craft was a small company in Long Island, New York, created by Kenneth Giordano and Khouri Giordano. The father and son team went on to accomplish many first in the computerization of color print.<ref name="color guides" /> In 1993, [[Image Comics]]' use of computer color and more advanced color separation technology propelled DC and Marvel to further upgrade their coloring techniques. Finally, in the mid-1990s, Digital Chameleon's facility with [[Adobe Photoshop]] helped make that program the industry standard.<ref name="color guides" />

The improvements in the technology used for coloring have had a great impact on the way comics are drawn. Before the use of computers, artists would often use the pen or brush to put in detailed [[shading]] effects; now the artist is more likely to leave the drawing open and leave it to the colorist to insert shading through variation in color tones or through adding a layer of [[translucent]] black. Most contemporary colorists work in [[digital media]] using tools.<ref>Sierra, Jerry A. [http://www.historyofcuba.com/jas/Articles/color2.htm "Digital Chameleon Colors The Vertigo Universe - Part Two,"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081114200553/http://www.historyofcuba.com/jas/Articles/color2.htm |date=2008-11-14 }} ''Publish'' (July 1994). Accessed Apr. 6, 2009.</ref>