Monitor Calibration and icc Profile Creation

[havanai]

<p>These questions have been on my mind for some time, but I am about to buy a new printer and now they are more urgent. Over the years, I have had two outside services create icc printer profiles for my printer and the papers I use. But they are both out of business now. In my experience, the profiles I have had custom made have yielded better results than the profiles provided by the paper manufacturers. So, I now would like to buy one of the calibrating packages that will calibrate my monitor AND enable me to create icc profiles for my printer/paper combinations. <br>

Are there any strong reasons to select one calibration package over another? Spyder, ColorMunki, i1…what else is there? I am using an HP ZR22w monitor. My workroom has a lot of windows and, even with adjustable blinds, the light is variable during the day. It's very different in here when days are cloudy or bright. And sometimes I work at night too. If one device has a meaningful and reliable response mechanism to changing light conditions, that might be valuable to me. I am likely upgrade from an Epson 1400 to the 3880. I’ve been using HahneMuhle Bamboo and Inkpress Luster papers. I’d like to try some others, maybe from Red River or Canson, or some of the Epson papers.<br>

Can anyone recommend, for my consideration, one of the packages that calibrates monitors and makes icc profiles for printers with various papers? Thanks for any input.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>double post - go to http://www.photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00cDvB?unified_p=1 where there are already answers.</p>