Topic awaiting preservation: Inkjet as proof printer

A thread here a while back was asking something about this. Interesting regardless.

quote:

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how this concept can extended so that they can use their own inkjet printer as a proofing printer. In this short tutorial I describe the steps involved.

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http://www.computer-darkroom.com/epson2100/proof_1.htm

NoJive,

I looked at your tutorial. I found it a bit hard to follow. Probably because I don't have PhotoShop open and am not really familiar with the process of setting up a print profile.

The link to Soft Proof Preview tutorial
gets a 404. I wanted to read what you had to say about using the screen as a proofing device, but couldn't find the article.

I also would like to read more about creating your own print profile. You mentioned that a person could do itif there is not one available from the print shop. I understand that setting up your own print profile is probably a complex process outside the scope of the article about using the inkjet printer as a proof device, but it would be interesting if you could link to an article that discusses creating up the profile.



.

-- not necessarily stoned... just beautiful.

Well genrating a profile requires a photo Spectrometer, most are not realy cost effective for consumer device, expecally if you are only going to calibrate a single device. For most consumer inkjet custom profiles would be a waste, I would stick with the vendor supplied profiles, unless none exist, or using a custom paper or ink.


As using them for a proofing device, I don't know if I would trust it for color, other then use as a spec proof. As paper, ink, tempture and humity all effect your output. Even highend inkjets proofing devices are very picky about humity, and tempture. Dupont Digial waterproof (Epson Heads) would drift considerably, if the tempture or humity drifted 2 - 3 degrees or percent. Proofing in the spring time realy sucked even in a controled enviroment.

That not to say profiles aren't useful for inkjets; custom profiles will still aid in maintaining consistant color output, it's just proofing requires more acurracy then most low end inkjets can support.

At one time there was a low cost, solution that involved a flatbedscanner, but I can't imaging it being acurate enough for color proofs. In fact if i rember correctly some of the Xerox Docucolor, come with just such a self calibration system.

There are also service that provide profileing for around $70-200 dollars, they provide you with a file, you print it, and then you supply them the print which they will use to generate a custom profile. This is a much more cost effective for your sub $1500 devices.


J. Staurt J.

hype: Not 'my' tutorial. =)

You can get to the 'soft' via the front end... the first tutorial 'Inkjet... ' link at the top works from there.

Other good info there too
http://www.computer-darkroom.com/home.htm

jstu: As you note, the 'variables' involved can be pretty staggering but when it comes to bad hacks like me... everything I brain suck from you and elsewhere....makes it a bit easier. =)

This is similar to something I'm trying to do but have hit a dead end. I just calibrated my monitor using the Spyder 2 device. I wanted my printed colors to match the screen colors. Everything said to calibrate your monitor, so I did. But the colors still don't match. The folks at Colorvision (Spyder 2) said I had to use the correct printer profile (ICC) for my printer in Photoshop. I have a HP 1220c printer and can NOT find any printer profile for it in Photoshop or anywhere else. What am I missing? I use Windows XP Pro. Ultimately, how can I get the printed colors to match the screen colors?
Thanks,
MG

aghh! Double post, laggy system.

(Edited by jstuartj on 05-05-2005 06:28)

Well here is a starting point: http://www.scanhelp.com/repository/ they are pc profiles but they provide an applescript that will convert them to colorSync.

There are several HP Printer drivers, I would start with the HP_colorsmart, That should get you as close, not as accurate as a custom profile, but unless you want to spend $70-200 dollars for a custom profile its as close as your will get. And a custom profile is only going to be accurate, until you change paper stock an install new ink.

The most important thing is to make sure you are only applying calibration to you monitor once, Besure adobe gamma loader installed and whatever if anything the spyder2 software installs. The most common problems I see are multipul correction.

I would suggest you use one of the preset color setting in Photoshop, I perfer US Prepress Defaults, using AdobeRGB as my default working space.

If you are using Photoshop, you should realy read through their documentation titled " Producing Consistent Color" in the CS Help system.

Here is some addtional info: http://www.normankoren.com/color_management_2.html

Thank-you for your kind reply.

This difference on printer output verses on screen display became more noticeable when I switched from a CRT monitor to a LED monitor. It sure does seem to be an area where half-truths and outright mis-information are the rule. I now question the necessity of even calibrating the monitor. Didn't seem to help my situation in any way. (maybe another ploy to get suckers like me to buy more software and devices).

Anyway thank you much for the links. I've read them once and will go through them again to 'wrap my mind' around the info a little better.

BTW, you mentioned about being sure the adobe gamma loader was installed...I took that out of the Startup menu because the Spyder calibration resulted in its own monitor profile, so if I have the Spyder calibration profile then do I need the adobe gamma loader also? Also, the Spyder calibration said to take it (adobe gamma loader) out for the calibration process and didn't say anything about putting it back???

Sorry I screwed up, that should have been, NOT INSTALLED. I was a bit fried after working on a Privacy Policy most of the day, and couldn't think strait any more.

J. Staurt J.