Digital BW, The Print

OK, with a lot of help (see discussion in the EpsonWideFormat group, I
came up with the following For Dummies summary:

     Creating and Using Your Own Grayscale Profiles (Windows)

Based on information gleaned from Eric Chan, Giorgio Trucco, Stephen
Best, and Walker Blackwell.

1.  Acquire the necessary tools

- A spectrophotometer (I think it has to be the I1.)

- QuadTone RIP (QTR includes a Step 51 Gray chart which you print and
measure and the software that creates the profile. On Windows, go to
http://software.sbillard.org/QTRgui.htm )

- MeasureTool from GretagMacbeth (Download the GretagMacbeth
ProfileMaker demo version and install the MeasureTool.  MeasureTool
will run without a dongle, so you don't need to actually buy the
expensive ProfileMaker to use it.)

2.  Make the test print

-  Open QTR\eye-one\Step-51-gray.tif into Photoshop, telling Photoshop
"don't color manage"

-  Print it onto the paper for which you are making the profile

      - In the Photoshop print dialog box, select "no color management"

      - In the print driver dialog box, specify Advanced Black and
White with whatever other settings you want to use for this paper.
Giorgio Trucco recommends "…using the Dark  setting for better linearity."

      - Let the print dry

3.  Use MeasureTool and your spectrophotometer to read the target

-  Open MeasureTool

-  Select "Configuring"

      -  Specify "reflection" (for measuring paper) and leave Spectral
toggles unchecked (this exports as LAB values) 

      -  Specify your measurement device. I found I had to select it
even if it already appeared in the dropdown window.

-  Select "Measuring"

      - Select the chart you printed (QTR 51 Gray) (I think I remember
that I had to copy QTR-Gray-51.txt from the QTR program files folder
into C:\Program Files\GretagMacbeth\ProfileMaker Professional
5.0.8\Reference Files\Printer)

      - Follow the instructions to measure the chart

- Select File/SaveAs to save the result as .txt

4.  Turn the .txt file into a profile

-  Copy the .txt file to QTR\eye-one (WARNING: on Windows Vista I
found I had to copy QTR_Create_ICC.exe to a regular directory, one
that is not UAC controlled, and put the .txt file in the same directory)

- Drag/drop the .txt file into QTR_Create_ICC.exe (If no .icc file
appears check the –out.txt file (also created by QTR_Create_ICC.exe).
There may be an explanatory warning message at the bottom.)

-  Put the new profile into where your color profiles are kept. On
Windows/Vista, that is C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color

5.  To use the gray profile to soft proof

-  Works just like a color profile

-  Rendering intent must be Perceptual

-  Do use black point compensation

6.  To use the gray profile to print

-  Make sure your image is in mode RGB – convert it if necessary

-  In Photoshop print dialog

      -  Let Photoshop determine colors

      -  Select the QTR profile

      -  Select "perceptual" rendering intent because QTR only
supports perceptual

      -  Do check black point compensation

-  In the printer driver dialog set the driver to the same settings as
used to print the QTR 51 Gray chart.

Hope this is correct and helpful. Any improvements/suggestions are
welcome; eventually this file should be posted to the Web somewhere
for others to find (I don't have a Web site).

  - susan