Digital BW, The Print

More info on the X-rite 880:
My e-bay purchase of the X-rite 880 came home in great shape and I have got it running with data download/control via RS-232 into Cutecom under OpenBSD.  I need to calibrate it (waiting for a calibration strip, $25 from X-rite) and then it can measure paper reflection over 0 to 2.5D with +/-0.02D accuracy and +/- 0.01D repeatability and a Status A spectral response.  As is, I fed it with a 21 step gray scale printout on Canon MP-101 matte paper using Eboni-Black ink diluted with Paul Roark's generic "Open Source" dilution formula (slightly modified) for each of the four ink positions in an Epson C88+.  I am using Gutenprint 5.2 and Photoprint 0.4.0 for eventual 16bit printing and full nozzle control. To create the linearization transforms, there is also a program called ArgyllCMS that runs under BSD/Linux which can control some similar X-rite instruments and I am hoping to dig into its source code and modify that to use it for controlling and reading the x-880.  I can also read film or negative strips over 0 to 4.0D with a Status M spectral response.  All in all, I think the X-rite 880 is a great (obsolete) machine for around $25.00!  There are more of them coming up for sale on e-bay...
Anyway, I should take this thread off this group since it is drifting away from printing to programming.  If there are interested parties developing fully opensource Ink Jet Control and Open Printing using Gutenprint et.al. I would love to hear from them here on on other forums.

Unny

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "unnytg" <erissery@...> wrote:
>
> I found the manual for the X-rite 880 on their website, here is a short description of its functions (I quote):
> The X-Rite 880 is an automated instrument that will read film control strips, paper control strips, and printer balance
> strips. Simply insert strip into unit for motorized, automatic measurements.
> The instrument automatically measures many types of control strips (ex., EP2, C41, RA-4, etc.), sorts the data for
> measured fields such as: HD, LD, & Stain; and then displays and simultaneously transmits the data to the minilab printer.
> The strip formats are broken down into three categories:
> � Paper (EP2, RA-4, CP-21, AP-92, R-3, P-3, etc.).
> � Film (C-41, KBM, CN-16, etc.).
> � Printer Balance (White Ringed Bull's-Eyes, Black Ringed Bull's-Eyes, Cropped Bull's-Eyes, etc.).
> 
> I can post more on the unit (condition etc) once I get it; it is on its way.  I live in southern Ontario, Canada, so it will be a week or so before it arrives.  The seller has a 100% positive rating ( after selling 1340 items) in e-bay, and the unit's photo is the same as the picture in the Xrite manual, so I hope everything turns out fine!
> Unny
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@...m, C D Tobie <CDTobie@> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > On Apr 30, 2009, at 7:19 AM, robert49brake wrote:
> > 
> > > A while back I was looking for a used UV Densitometer and kept  
> > > running into cheap densitometers on ebay.  They were mostly 2nd  
> > > party branded and had come as OEM equipment included with large  
> > > commercial presses.  No documentation, no software, same disclaimer:  
> > > powers up fine but unable to test (No Software!)  Never did find out  
> > > what they were designed to measure and no idea of what software  
> > > might be needed, or cost, just for a simple density measurement and  
> > > definitely no profile making software without spending hundreds.
> > 
> > ICC profiles cannot be built with a densitometer, at least not the  
> > kind the ICC defines, since color values are needed. Densitometers can  
> > linearize color ramps, but they can't actually tell what color they  
> > are... so densitometers can create channel curves, but not color  
> > profiles.
> > 
> > C. David Tobie
> > Global Product Technology Manager
> > Digital Imaging & Home Theater
> > CDTobie@
> > 
> > 
> >   ----------
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Datacolor
> > www.datacolor.com/Spyder3
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>