Printing Mode "Custom"

[artie_kapell5]

Hi there!

 

I am running PS7 with an Epson 2200. My monitor and scanner are calibrated,

and I use the paper profiles that come with the printer. I have read before

that in the Print-Properties menu, one should select "Custom" as opposed

to "Automatic", and that under "Advanced" (which appears when I

select "Custom", I should be selecting "No color adjustment" under the color

management section. This doesn't work with my prints at all, and I have been

wondering what selecting custom versus automatic does. What profiles is it

affecting/not affecting? Thanks for your time.

 

Artie K

[William Kahn]

There are some other steps needed before you get to the print dialog. First, Edit>Color Settings, select "North American Prepress 2" at the top (in PS7, this may still be "U.S. Prepress" - cant' remember). Then, File>Print With Preview, under options near the bottom, select Color Handling = "Let Photoshop Determine Colors", Printer Profile = (Epson profile for the paper you use), and Rendering Intent = "Relative Colorimetric" Again, these may be slightly different for PS7.

 

Back at the Epson print dialog box, "No Color Adjustment" is what you want.

 

The basic idea is that you can have either PS do the color management, or Epson, but not both if you want the prints to match your monitor image.

 

The full set of instructions can be downloaded from the Epson site, and I believe they're set up for PS7, if the above doesn't work for you.

[artie_kapell5]

Thanks for the very quick response William. Is there some difference between selecting "Custom" at the top of Edit>Color Settings and "North American Prepress"? (I actually only have European Prepress as a selection). What is this selecting?

 

I did try the following, and got the same very dark photos that I've gotten before when using the Custom>No color adjustment:

 

Towards the bottom of the File>Print with Preview screen, I have the choices of "Output" or "Color Management". I selected the latter (which I assume would be similar to your "let photoshop determine colors". I then have a selection for the source space (for which I chose Adobe RGB) and the print space. For print space, the selections are all the usual profiles, including one "Stylus Photo 2100/2200", and one for Intent (which has relative colorimetric). I tried using the "Stylus Photo...". I then chose the paper type and Custom>No color adjustment. There are also the choice of Custom>Color Controls. Could that be the proper selection under Custom?

 

Any suggestions? I do enjoy assisting with enriching Epson, but our local paper recyclers are feeling overwhelmed.

 

Thanks again.

[William Kahn]

Hmmmm....Artie, is your PS7 a European version? It appears there are some differences between U.S. Prepress and European Prepress. I dug out my printout of the Epson guide, so let me run through that:

 

In Edit>Color Settings: If you don't have "U.S. Prepress Defaults" as an option in the settings dropdown menu, select "Custom", then:

 

RGB = Adobe RGB (1998)

 

CMYK = U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2

 

Gray = Dot Gain 20%

 

Spot = Dot Gain 20%

 

 

In "Color Management Policies":

All three menus should show "Preserve Embedded Profiles"

(Note: The assumption here is that Adobe RGB (1998) is the embedded profile for your image.)

 

Then, with the image open, go to File>Print with Preview:

 

(If you haven't already done so, select Page Setup, select your printer, paper size and orientation.)

 

Click on "Show More Options", select "Color Management" from the pulldown window.

 

Under "Source Space", "Document" should be checked.

 

Under "Print Space":

Profile = the profile for your paper (you should download paper profiles for the 2200 from Epson, if you haven't already).

Intent = Relative Colorimetric

Check "Use Black Point Compensation"

 

After setting up your print size, click on "Print"

Select "Advanced"

Select paper type, size, resolution, etc.

Turn off the High Speed and Edge Smoothing options

Under "Color Management", select ICM

Select "No Color Adjustment"

 

Cross your fingers

 

Print

 

If everything else is properly set up (monitor calibration etc.) you should get a print that looks reasonably like you monitor image.

[artie_kapell5]

William,

 

Once and once again, thanks for your help. I've found at least part of the problem - I downloaded updated paper profiles from Epson and, voila, I could now choose the paper profiles under Print Space->Profile.

 

My Mode->Custom Settings->Advanced doesn't work as shown in the document provided by epson on their web site for using the profiles, but I did manage to get a good print using your method. Hooray!. So I am now in the lengthy process of downloading an updated printer driver just to make sure everything is okay.

 

Funny, I had downloaded a couple of the updated paper profiles a month or so ago and never installed them. I had also never bothered to download the help document along with it. Live and learn. If you're ever in Richmond, VA I'll buy you a beer. Thanks.

[William Kahn]

Hey, allright! Glad it worked out. I'm not that far away (Crossville, TN), so make it a Coors Light. :-))

[artie_kapell5]

Ironically, I used to live in Golden, CO. Haven't drunk Coors since. Could we make it a Guinness?