Digital BW, The Print

In a message dated 5/10/07 10:30:46 PM, dnj@... writes:


> 
> 1. How does a color-managed (ie, ICC profile based) workflow for B&W with 
> grayscale inks
> work? Unlike a color workflow, we're trying to get different warm/cold 
> tonings, so the print
> shouldn't match what's on screen anyway.
> 
> 2. Paul Roark's description seems to assume that you combine his curves with 
> profiling to
> generate the ICC profile. Why do you need to do this, and how would you 
> generate the
> curve for a new paper?
> 
> 3. Is there a simpler way to overcome my problems?
> -

There are two things being called an "ICC profile", so its confusing. Lets 
look at the two ways to profile the UT3D (or even the UT7 inks you are currently 
using). First is to use QTR, and to print patches, then linearize using QTR's 
linearization function. Next you would print a linearized set of patches and 
build a set of curves with CreateICC (more or less automatically), which hides 
these curves in the shell of an ICC profile, along with some preview data, so 
that you can both print and preview via the pseudoprofile.

For contrast, the other process (using PFP) would be to print the PrintFIX 
PRO2 225 patch target via your inkset and the printer's RGB driver, read those 
patches with PrintFIX PRO, using the standard 225 patch template (not reading 
them using the PrintFIX PRO2 measurement export tool for QTR, as you would for 
the linearization and CreateICC patches above) and build an ICC profile from 
that. This method is a traditional ICC profile with both print and preview 
functions, for use with the RGB driver.

Since both of these processes can be done using PrintFIX PRO2 to measure and 
record the patch values, its easy to see how they could be confused. Since 
both forms of ICC profile are just referred to as a profile, its easy to see how 
they could be confused as well. Here's an analogy for it, if it helps:

The PrintFIX PRO ICC profile is like your own personal luggage in your own 
personal carryon suitcase. It contains your cloths, your medicines, your 
toiletries, as would be expected of your luggage (or of a typical ICC profile, in our 
analogy). The CreateICC profile for QTR is a similar carry on luggage case, 
but lts been left empty inside, and instead is being used to cleverly carry 
something else, in the front slip pocket. As long as you understand that you 
won't find typical luggage stuff (3d look up tables describing the state of a 
printer, for instance <G>) inside the CreateICC profile, it all works   out 
fine... but if you try to pass the CreateICC profile by HomeLand Security (or 
through any ICC process that expects a standard profile) it may cause problems.

Since we are speaking of using PrintFIX PRO specifically for this process, we 
assume the user has the product, and which process is used to profile the 
printer depends on what printer model it is, what work is being printed, and what 
process the user prefers. For those using other measurement devices, or no 
device at all, the process would inevitably be different.

C. David Tobie
Product Technology Manager
ColorVision Business Unit
Datacolor Inc.
CDTobie@...
www.colorvision.com


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