# Flatter

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{{short description|Comics colorist}}
{{about||the giving of compliments|flattery|the micropayments system|Flattr}}
{{inline|date=June 2017}}

A '''flatter''' is a [coloring](/source/colorist) specialist within the [comic book industry](/source/comic_book) that prepares the inked or sketched comic book page for the colorist with digital art software such as [Adobe Photoshop](/source/Adobe_Photoshop). The specialist does so by selecting the objects on the page and filling them in with a solid color called a "flat", so that the "flats" can be used by the colorist by way of the "magic wand" tool. In this way, the colorist may select each object during the rendering process—to the exclusion of the other objects on the page—so that the object's base color may be changed, or to render the colors.

Because each colorist has preferences as to how the flats are to be done flatters usually work as freelancers commissioned directly by the colorist. Pricing for flats vary but as of early 2010 one common going rate for a flatted page was $15 if the page were inked and of regular difficulty ($30 for a double page) with $20 for a sketched page of regular difficulty ($40 for a double sketched page).{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}}

Notable flatters include Jeremiah Embs and Neil Fraser that obtained published credit for flats while working for the colorist Brian Buccellato on the comic book series ''Witchblade'' (issues #72, 73, 74) for [Top Cow](/source/Top_Cow_Productions) in 2003–2004. Other notable flatters include Alex Petretich, Talon Kelley, and Fredric Paculba, who have worked for the colorist [Dave Stewart](/source/Dave_Stewart_(artist)) on such series as [Hellboy](/source/Hellboy), [BPRD](/source/Bureau_for_Paranormal_Research_and_Defense) and received published credits for the comic [Shaolin Cowboy](/source/Shaolin_Cowboy).

== References ==
*Tinsley, Kevin, (1999) ''Digital Prepress for Comics Books : The Definitive Desktop Production Guide'', Stickman Graphics.
*Chiarello & Klein, (2004) ''DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering Comics'', Watson-Guptill .
*Miller, Brian & Kristy (2008) ''Hi_Fi Color for Comics : Digital Techniques for Professional Results'', Impact.

Category:Comics terminology
Category:Visual arts occupations
Category:Comics creators
Flatter

{{comics-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Flatter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatter) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatter?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.