QTR-Quadtone RIP

>> I have made a suggestion to Mike Chaney (author of Profile Prism)  
>> that
>> he could extend PP to be able to measure 21 or 100 step grey scale
>> wedges produced from QTR calibration mode to generate the  
>> limearization
>> curves.  I believe this would be quite simple to de.  It won't be as
>> accurate as using a proper desimete, but better than nothing.
>>
>> Anyone think this would be a ggod idea - would you buy PP if it were
>> extended to do this?
>
> No.
>
> PP is a scanner based color printer profiling system, and even the
> best of those is not worth bothering with.

Can you explain *why* this is so? The basic approach of PP *appears*  
to me to be sound: print a defined or known source file with no  
printer corrections at all, scan it at the same time as a target of  
known colours and densities, once again with no corrections at all,  
and then create a profile based on comparing the printed target with  
the standard target. The resulting profiles are unique to the  
equipment, of course, but why would they be inherently faulty?  [I  
just bought PP!!]

> ... If I were not capable of writing a tool to measure
> grayscale densities using a scanner, I would consider buying a lower
> priced tool intended specifically for that purpose. But not something
> carrying color profiling baggage.

Can you suggest such a "tool to measure grayscale densities using a  
scanner" for those of us who have insufficient time or talent to do  
it for ourselves. Is there anything out there you would recommend?  
Most of us have scanners, and a decent "software densitometer" would  
be helpful.

Myron