Printer profile

Ok, I calibrated my monitor with Colorvision Spyder 2 but now I would like to

see the benefits on my printer HP 8450. I'm using the standard driver and

setting the right paper and leave to PS the color managemnt but it looks like

that there isn't a real good corrispondence with monitor.

So I would like to know if it's the right way could be to download (but I don't

know where) a target to print in order to make adjustments on the driver to

achieve a real good print.

 

Thanks

Hey Domenico.

 

It wuold help if you are being a bit more detailed with what you do when you print. I

assume you are using "print with preview" and then setting source as "adobe1998" (or

whatever your document is) and then "print space - profile" as the same type of paper you

are using ? etc etc. If you aren't doing t all exactly right then profiling your printer won't

help. I recently started using a paper that included a free profile with it. They gave me a

target and I printed it and sent it back to them and they sent me a special profile for my

printer/paper. It was okay, but not perfect, then I realised after about 8 prints [of which

two were utter rubbish] that I hadn't set all the controls exactly as needed! Since then my

prints are excellent.

 

My understanding of profileing is that to get it done right you need to get someone to do

it for you. The place I used uses all sorts of spectrometer type stuff and this is why they

normally charge about $100 for a profile. I can send you the target they sent me if you

like, including the instructions as to how to set everything up. This may be a help - it may

not. It will give you something to work with or think about though.

 

 

What I do find important is to use the "soft proof" in PS before you print. This is because if

you are using proper profiles (even if they are just generic ones for your paper/printer,

rather than specific ones) what you see on screen in adobe 1998 (or whatever profile you

use in PS) is not the same as what you will see on your print. Often it is pretty close

anyway, but the adobe1998 color space is much bigger than almost all paper/printer color

spaces. If you use "soft proof" you will see an approxiamation of what you are going to

print, compared to what is on your screen. I hope I am not telling you something you

already know. Use it as follows.

 

With file open and ready to print - go to "VIEW>PROOF SET-UP>CUSTOM"

 

A window will open. Under "profile" scroll down until you get to the profile of the printer/

paper you are using. You should probably click the "black point compensation" box.

"simulate paper white" is up to you. [i don't anymore, only because I was told not to for my

specific profile] Then you have four different "intents". You will usually find that

"Perceptual" or "Relative colormetric" is probably best.

 

By clicking the "preview" box on and off you can see the difference that will occur.

 

I will normally then clcik OK then go back to the file, which will now be being displayed in

"proof colours" [you can now toggle this on/off in the "VIEW" menu] and then add in

another adjustment layer which I call "final proof curve" or whatever, to bump the ifnal

print closer to what I want.

 

When you print, make sure that in the "PRINT SPACE" part, you have all the same setting as

in your proof part [ie set the same paper proflie, black point comp on/off, and the same

"intent"]

 

The point is that only when you compare the final print to what you see on screen in

"PROOF" mode can you have a fair comparison.

 

Does that help ?

 

Robert X<div></div>

How close are your results to what you see on the monitor?

 

What kind of light level are you working in?

 

A good book as a guide to better quality digital printing is Harald Johnson's "Mastering

Digital Printing" second edition.

Thanks a lot Robert, your explanation is perfect. Generally I did't used a new curve after a proof color applyed so I belive that my workflow could be improved. In any case you could try to send me a target just to have an idea.

The target is only goign to be useful if you have the reference values included inthe profilign

software with the reference values and a photospectrometer to read the patches o nthe

sample you printed.

 

You can do it your self but you'll nned to spend at a minimum about $1500 -1800 for the set

up. see the gretagmacbeth Eye One Photo kit or the Monaco Pulse Elite : http://

www.xritephoto.com/product/pulse system.

 

It also helps to have Chromix 's ColorThink 2.2 software.

Domenico -

 

I have sent you the target plus the explanation. However, as Ellis quiet rightly says, this is

going to be of no use for you in profiling your printer, as it is not something that you can do

by eye alone, but I have sent it so that you can read through the explanation as this should

give you a good idea of whether you are setting things up/printing properly. If you do all that

and still aren't getting close prints, then maybe you should get a profile done.....

 

Robert

just to double check some things:

 

Are you using HP paper and HP inks?

 

do you have the profile for that specific ink/paper and printer profile installed in a location

that Photoshop can utilize it?

 

what version of Photoshop are you using? Ps 7, PsCS, PsCs2, Elements 3 or Elements 4?

 

if the answer to the above questions are: yes, yes and PsCS or psCS2 (i've never used

Elements so I can't offer any guidance there but I'm sure someone else here can)

 

Try these steps:

 

-duplicate the image (Image > Duplicate) and save the duplicate with a name that includes

HP8450. Working with that dupe image go View > Proof Setup >Custom > and choose the

right profile. Now turn on Proof Colors and compare the original to the dupe. How

different are they in appearance on your screen? At this point you can optionally use the

Gamut Warning tool as well ( View > Gamut Warning) to show what areas are out of the

range of your printer/ink/paper combination. You also need to check what the Rendering

Intent (Perceptual, Saturation, Relative Colormetric , or Absolute Colormetric) setting is

(Perceptual or Relative Colormetric are the usual choice for photographic images) and

whether or not Black point Compensation is turned on (it should be) and also turn on

Simulate Paper Color. You should now be seeing a pretty good on-screen rendering of

how the image will look when printed, and for that reason, this process is known as "soft

proofing.' Bruce Fraser and Andrew "The Digital Dog" Rodney both recommend that you

look away from the screen for a few seconds as you turn on the "Proof Colors" tool. this

lets your eyes see the image fresh.

 

 

There are a couple of caveats to note:

 

1.) If the soft proof image is way off of what your original and the print look like you most

likely have a bad or corrupted profile. Go to HP's website and downloaded the most recent

profile for the printer/paper/ink combination you are using.

 

2.) Good Soft Proofing will get you about 90-95% of the way to a good looking print, which

is close enough for most people.

 

3.) Good Soft proofing and indeed all critical color work is dependent on good and

consistent working conditions like ambient light brightness and color.

 

if you want to go further with this: Get Andrew Rodney's bbok "Color Management for

Photographers" book.

One last post in this thread for me:<P>

 

If you don't use HP inks and papers all bets are definitely off and you'll need a custom profile

for each combination.<P>

 

<A HREF = http://tinyurl.com/ekpgo> ColorValet Custom profiles<a> does an excellent job

of this.