Printer Profiling

I have recently changed from the Epson 1280 to the 2200. I am now working at getting the color on the 2200 "dialed in." The monitor is profiled with Colorvision's Spyder and I've been using the "out of box" Epson printer profiles (via PS 7). Printer dialog is set at ICM, No Printer Color Management.

With the Epson profiles, I'm getting blues that are too cyan and there is a yellow cast to the brightest highlights. I have tried custom profiles created with Monaco EZColor with similar results. The color problems can be about 75% corrected in PS using a correction layer before printing, close, but not enough.

Moreover, the Monaco profiles work great (better than Epson) for topside shots.

Before I start spending time, paper and ink editing profiles, I thought I'd ask for input from the forum. Anyone else out there with similar experience? Advise?

Regards,

Are these scanned or digital camera images? I remember this topic coming up before in the UW photography forum. I dont seem to be able to find to the archives, but I found this post in my inbox from way back. Maybe it helps?

>be satisfied with the lighter blues in my UW shots. These are especially

>difficult in shots that are angled upward. The printer seems unable to

>make the smooth transition from darker to lighter without printing a very

>magenta area. Has anyone else on the list experienced this or is this

>user/technique related? How about the Epson 2200?

>

>This problem occurs only with my underwater shots - of course that's where

>the most blues are.

I noticed a similar problem in prints I was making with my Epson 1270, but

then realized that in my case the problem was in my source files. I tracked

the problem to the NikonScan software and it's color management system; it

was creating a band in the Red channel around the sunbursts. Once I turned

scanner software color management off, the problem was mostly solved. This

situation occurred with both the Nikon LS-2000 as well as LS-4000.

Once the source files were clean, the Epson output started to look good

without much further tweaking. Now I don't notice any particular problems

anymore, I'm printing from Photoshop 7 with the Epson drivers' Printer

Color Management on, not using ColorSync.

Thanks, not scanned, but from D100.

I had similar problems with the Nikon Scan color management when I used to scan slides.

The problem I'm having is not transitions but a color cast.

Regards,

Don,

I've gone through the same transition, with some wierd results. When I get back to my computer at home, I'll run you through the color management steps to get you back on track. It's been quite an education.

First, I profile/calibrate the monitor with the Spyder. This will get your monitor controls set properly. Make sure the profile is in the correct directory.

Second, in PS, Edit/Color Settings. If you are shooting AdobeRGB, set RGB working space to AdobeRGB. Conversion options Adobe (ACE), intent Relative Colorimetric, check black point compensation.

By default, Photoshop 7 brings up the Print with Preview

dialog instead of the regular Print dialog. Ensure you are

requesting the Print with Preview dialog. At the bottom is a

Show More Options checkbox that when checked will reveal a

pop-up menu. Select Color Management in the pop-up menu.

Adobe uses the term “Source Space” to refer to the profile

assigned to the document you have chosen to print, e.g. AdobeRGB. The profile

listed here is the document's assigned profile.

Adobe uses the term “Print Space” to refer to the destination

profile. Under Print Space, select the Paper Profile you will be using. I set my intent to Relative Colorimetric with Black Point Compensation.

3) In the Print Space section of the Color Management dialog,

select the profile for your printer and media. Make sure you are using the correct profile for the paper and the correct black ink for the paper. Photoshop will

do the color conversion at print time. When setting your

printer drivers’ color management features, ensure that they

don’t also use ICC-based color management. Go to the Printer Properties Advanced menu. You want to check ICM in the Color Management box. Very important, check No Color Management under the ICC profile. This prevents "double" management, by PS and by the printer.

4) Now, in PS, go to View/Proof Setup/Custom. For profile, select the paper profile you are using. DO NOT SELECT Preserve Color Numbers. Again, I choose Intent Relative Colorimetric. A desription of the effect of this option will take some time, so I will skip it. I check black point compensation and somtimes Paper White depending on the paper I am using. Save it.

5) View/Proof Colors. This changes your screen display to try to match the color output that will occur on your print. This simulates the results of the profile trying to adjust any out of gamut colors and should come the closest to a screen/print match.

Hope this helps.

P.S. If you are using non-Epson paper. Search the paper manufacturer's web site for 2200 profiles. Many of them are now supplying free generic profiles for their papers.

Helps a LOT - thanks for the complete and well detailed response!

Regards,

That's what happens when you let Scorpio_fish loose in a Thom Hogan seminar... :-)

Cheers

James

That's what happens when you let Scorpio_fish loose in a Thom Hogan seminar... :-)

Nope, not Thom Hogan.

I've sworn off all technical aspects of photography unless needed for the creative side of the equation. But then I was forced back into the techno-crap out of need. When my end product was specifically prints and not underwater where color is whatever we say it is or want it to be, and the prints would be done via several methods (inkjet, continuous tone, 4 color press), plus different paper stocks, things fell apart.

Getting technical advice from Epson such, "Be sure to use only genuine Epson paper and inks" was just pissing me off.

Getting conflicting advice from various sources saying, "Set this to that and change this to that, then do this" was only modestly successful. When it wasn't, I didn't know why.

I needed to understand what I was doing. So in my normal excessive-compulsive mode, I read every bit of information I could on Color Management and Color Theory.

It's all becoming clear.

Read anything and everything by Bruce Fraser.

Signed,

Future Color Geek