Digital BW, The Print

Thanks Martin.  I've been working in Photoshop for years (since 
2.5), but haven't really spent any time working on calibration to 
this extent.  I've only recently determined that I can print a good 
enough quality photographic print on an inkjet printer.  It just 
wasn't worth even trying on the Canon laser printer and thermal 
printers that I was using in school.  Now, it seems that inkjet 
printers are rivaling that of traditional processes so it's time to 
make some changes.  Thanks for helping me along in the 
transition!

Andy




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Martin Wesley" <
mwesley250@e...> wrote:
> Andy,
> 
> The profile generated by the Colorvision software from the 
spyder data is
> only good for use as a monitor profile. This profile, in Windows 
at least,
> is applied as the system boots up and is in use for all 
applications. In
> Photoshop with the monitor profile running you get an accurate 
translation
> of the data from the color space of the file to your screen.
> 
> Unfortunately this profile is for the monitor only and will not 
help you
> directly in controlling the printer although it is an essential and 
first
> step in getting color management under control. For printing 
you need a
> printer profile that is specific for the printer, ink and paper in 
use.
> These are generated by programs like Colorvision's RGB or 
CYMK Profiler or
> Profiler Pro. Just like the monitor profiler they need data 
feedback about
> the print in order to create an accurate profile. RGB and CYMK 
Profiler use
> data from a scan of a printed test target. Profiler Pro can use 
data
> gathered by measuring a test target with a photospectrometer.
> 
> The problem is that these programs and others are designed 
for color
> printing. I know that Profiler Pro will give you a profile of a 
grayscale
> ink set that is good enough for previewing more accurately on 
screen but is
> not good enough for use in actual printing. I understand that 
some of the
> high end software from companies like Gretag produce 
useable print profiles
> but I have not seen the results.
> 
> So we really can't get true WYSIWYG for grayscale printing, 
unless there is
> something out there I haven't seen yet. Perhaps ImagePrint 4 
provides a good
> screen to print match. However, we can get good 
approximations. Also keep in
> mind that in the darkroom we are literally running blind to start 
with. You
> make some test strips and then a print and based on that print 
adjust your
> exposure for the next one. We are a bit ahead of that but not as 
much as I
> would like.
> 
> The simplest approach to getting a good on screen view is to 
print out a
> step wedge using your chosen workflow. Then use Tyler 
Boley's procedure for
> creating and using a custom dot gain curve. You can find this 
in the Files
> section of the group homepage in the folder:
> 
> Files > Image processing
> 
> This method will give you good results. It can be enhanced 
further if you
> have access to a photospectrometer that will give you actual 
measured dot %
> values to use in the Dot Gain curve.
> 
> I work on my files in RGB if I intend to print then using MIS-VM 
and the
> Epson driver. For this I have a profile generated with Profiler 
Pro using
> data from a Spectrocam photospectrometer. (Once again 
thanks to Tyler for
> helping me set this up.) Using this in a soft proof mode I can 
see a
> reasonable representation of what the print will look like not 
only in terms
> of grayscale tones but in terms of the hue of both the ink and 
the paper. A
> very nice way to work but the software and hardware represent 
a $2,200
> investment. I wish I could share the profile but my software 
license does
> not permit that.
> 
> In term of getting all the color management setting of 
Photoshop and the
> print drive set properly, that will depend upon the particular 
workflow you
> choose.
> 
> I hope that helps some and if there are any errors or 
omissions, I trust
> others will correct me as I cannot lay any claim to being an 
expert in color
> management. Still makes my head spin.
> 
> Martin Wesley
> http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "akivisuals" <akivisuals@y...>
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y...>
> Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 12:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Matching the Monitor to the Print
> 
> 
> > Does anyone know of a good workflow online that describes 
this
> > process of setting up profiles, assigning profiles, choosing
> > settings on the Epson print dialog box, etc. for color
> > management?  I just got a Colorvision monitor spyder to
> > calibrate my monitor, but don't know whether to assign that
> > profile or the Adobe RGB (1998) profile to my images prior to
> > adjusting them.  Still trying to get settled on this color / B&W
> > profiling thing...
> >
> > Andy
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" <
> > paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> > > Ericka,
> > >
> > > The preview method outlined below is just for the file while 
in
> > grayscale.
> > > You will print the file in the normal way, and you'll find when 
you
> > contert
> > > to RGB the preview is no longer active and the monitor 
image
> > will look
> > > darker -- like it did before the preview was applied to the g/
s
> > image.  The
> > > preview is just a monitor adjustment and does not affect 
the
> > file.  Convert
> > > to RGB and apply the tone curve as usual.
> > >
> > > Paul
> > >
> > > _______________________________
> > >   -----Original Message-----
> > >   From: ericka_akcire [mailto:ericka_akcire@y...]
> > >   Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2002 9:22 AM
> > >   To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y...
> > >   Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Matching the Monitor to the Print
> > >
> > >
> > >   I'm working on matching my monitor to my prints & I plan 
to
> > use
> > >   the "tyler method" below because that seems to be the
> > favored way. I
> > >   just have a quick quesion:
> > >
> > >   When I print out this print that I'll be trying to match to the
> > >   screen, do I convert to RBG and use the curve (i.e. vmp8-
> > nc16.acv)
> > >   that I plan to use? or is there something I'm missing?
> > >
> > >   Thanks,
> > >   Ericka Menchen
> > >   www.erickamenchen.net
> > >
> > >   --------------------------------------
> > >   I've addressed this often with friends, and it never 
seemed
> > that
> > >   clear for PS6, so I thought I'd post it for posterity here 
since
> > >   I finally have a handle on it. It works well for any printing
> > method
> > >   that starts with a gray scale file. Print out an image, many 
like
> > the
> > >   step wedge but a full scale image works better for me,
> > >   with the gray scale pasted in to it. Save the file, let the print
> > dry.
> > >
> > >   1) Open the file, go to image/ mode/ assign profile, select
> > "don't
> > >   color manage this document".
> > >
> > >   2) Go to edit/ color settings. Check Advanced Mode, check
> > preview. At
> > >   working spaces, scroll gray up to "custom dot gain".
> > >
> > >   3) Adjust the curve so that the image on the monitor 
matches
> > your
> > >   print, name the curve in the space provided. Click OK.
> > >
> > >   4) You should now see your curve as the gray working 
space,
> > click on
> > >   it and scroll up to save gray, it should automatically
> > >   have selected your colorsync profile folder on the Mac, no
> > idea
> > >   where it goes on a PC, hopefully PS automatically brought 
up
> > the
> > >   right location by default. No need to rename it, save.
> > >
> > >   5) You should now still have the color settings box open, 
don't
> > hit
> > >   ok! Hit cancel so all you working spaces will remain as
> > >   before, this new curve will only be used for preview.
> > >
> > >   6) Go to View/ Proof setup/ Custom. Scroll down to the
> > bottom, your
> > >   new curve should be there, select it. Check "preserve
> > >   Color Numbers", unlike previewing with color profiles. Hit 
ok.
> > >
> > >   You can now toggle it on and off, and use it to preview any
> > gray
> > >   scale file that is tagged in any space. It's been working 
well
> > >   to use while making tonal adjustments on files to be 
printed
> > with
> > >   quads. My apologies if you all had this squared away 
before.
> > For some
> > >   reason it eluded me for a bit in PS6.
> > >
> > >   Tyler
> > >
> > >
> > >
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