Photo-D Automatic Image Correction System at PMA

February 15, 2005 | Mark Goldstein | PMA Show 2005 | Comment |

KlearVision Press Release

Photo-D Automatic Image Correction System Makes North American Debut at PMA

Asian and European Photojournalists, Minilab Chains & Consumers On-Board Since Photokina Demonstrations

Acclaimed Family of Products Simplifies Digital File Processing for Professionals, Labs, Consumers

ORLANDO, February 20, 2005 –KlearVision Digital Ltd., led by veteran executives of leading graphic arts companies and other high-tech institutions; is debuting its Photo-D family of automatic image correction products at PMA. Photo-D automatically optimizes and enhances digital image files, preparing them for printing or viewing.  Photo-D versions for consumers, professional photographers, photo labs and OEM partners are being demonstrated at KlearVision’s booth #2294 here at PMA, from February 20 through 23.

All four Photo-D products feature an even more user-friendly user interface (UI) updated from the versions shown at Photokina 2004, where demonstrations resulted in high levels of adoption among Asian and European professionals and consumers.  In addition, the home product – Photo-D Charmer – now comes in a Mac OS version as well as a Windows version. Although implemented specifically for the U.S. market, which puts a high premium on ease of use, the upgraded UI will benefit everyone who uses Photo-D.

Built-In Intelligence Emulates Expert Human Decision-Making
Photo-D is a comprehensive, rule-based “expert system” that automatically optimizes and enhances digital image files, preparing them for printing or viewing. Relying on proprietary “fuzzy logic” and “artificial intelligence” (AI) algorithms, Photo-D, in effect, emulates the decision-making expertise of a digital imaging professional to analyze, correct and produce high-quality image files.  >From these files, anyone – from a photo lab technician to a photo hobbyist; from a publishing house to a minilab at the corner drug store – can create exceptional images that are accurate in every way.

Photokina Fuels International Adoption
In Europe, Photo-D is being used by photojournalists, mini-lab operators and graphic arts houses as well as by a growing group of consumers. TV news coverage triggered 70,000 hits on the KlearVision web site, and 4,000 consumers downloaded Photo-D to their home computers.

On December 28, 2004, KlearVision announced a licensing agreement with Singapore-based JinCheng Technology to integrate Photo-D technology in all of the company’s LCOS digital mini-labs.  JinCheng has units operating throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the Western Hemisphere. 

“KlearVision’s Photo-D technology in every way provides the level of imaging excellence and ease of use that we seek to offer our customers,” says Tay Keng Soon, managing director of JinCheng Technology.

“For all the benefits of digital photography, its greatest drawback has been its complexity in creating a print that accurately reflects what was seen in the viewfinder,” says Moshe Keydar, KlearVision’s chairman of the board.  “Most of us involved in digital photography, but especially consumers, remember the experience we had with film – simplicity, predictability and a reliable, quality image at the end of the day.  Now with Photo-D you can take a picture, ‘process’ it often with just one mouse click, and produce an accurate image file that will give you the picture you expected.  Photo-D is the most ‘automatic’ system that can be devised.”

“Statistics indicate that barely a quarter of all digital photos taken are ever printed,” says David Zwang, KlearVision’s director of business development for the U.S.  “This is largely due to the frustration people experience due to the difficulty they face managing the image file as well as the poor quality of many of the resulting prints.  Photo-D overcomes both of those frustrations and restores the enjoyment in taking pictures, and getting what you expected in the final print.” 

Photo-D Product Line
The Photo-D family is comprised of four distinct products designed for four distinct groups of digital imagers:

Photo-D Pro I targets professional photographers who use digital cameras at public events, such as weddings, and need up to 1,000 high-quality optimized image files per day with short delivery terms.  Pro I allows users to modify the expert system’s parameters to their liking, and to process large amounts of photos according to professional-level requirements.  It also is ideal for smaller minilab operations that must deliver consistent quality reliably, quickly and economically.

Photo-D Pro II was developed for photofinishers and photo labs of all sizes that need to process automatically very large numbers of photos, and need that process to be incorporated in their workflow.  Pro II offers such professional features as built-in “hot folder” workflow and fully automatic “red eye” correction. The entire process is unmanned.  This version of Photo-D processes up to 5,000 image files per hour.

Photo-D O.E.M. is designed for digital imaging vendors and solution providers interested in the simplified image optimization and enhanced functionality that Photo-D provides included in their own product offerings, and also at digital camera and cellular vendors in need of embedded solutions.

Finally, it seems, the challenge of getting a predictable, accurate, high-quality picture from a digital image file is as easy to solve as it is to describe.  More information on   Photo-D and its creators at KlearVision is available via e-mail at:  [email protected].  Or call KlearVision at 972-3-5597125.  In the U.S., contact David Zwang at 203-743-2275.

About KlearVision Digital
K.V.D. KlearVision Digital LTD is a leading provider of automatic digital photo correction expert systems for the digital imaging world. Moshe Keydar, a leading color imaging expert, together with colleagues from the Image Processing and Imaging Technology sectors, founded KlearVision Digital in 2000. For more information, please visit: http://www.klearvision.com