QTR-Quadtone RIP

A few days ago I managed to print the ink separation.tiff successfully, however I've now forgotten how to do it (note to self, write down absolutely everything).

The print procedure using PS Elements 11 in Apple OSX 10.8.2 is different to that shown in all the documentation I've read, which doesn't help matters.

The procedure documents say to use no colour management and print space should be same as source.  (There is a post in this group which recommends setting image space to Adobe RGB for this stage, I don't think this is right and it doesn't work).

The only place I can find to set no colour management is in Elements Editor.  This is in Edit: Color Settings.

On selecting File: Print, the first dialogue shows the print preview, selecting the More options Button gives me a few options under Color Management, I can select Color Handling, giving options of Photoshop Elements or Printer Handles Colors.  Image Space is shown as Untagged RGB.  There then follows an option box for Printer Profile, which is where I think I need to match the image space.  There is no option to select same as source, but there is a very long list of options.  The RGB ones given are; sRGB IEC61966-2.1, Adobe RGB (1998), Apple RGB, Color Match RGB, Camera RGB Profile, e-sRGB,  Generic RGB Profile, QTR RGB Lab, QTR_RGB_Matte_Paper, QTR_RGB_Photo_Paper, ROMM-RGB.  There is no Untagged RGB.

There is only one further option available for colour management, which comes up when the next print button is pressed, this is "color matching", when this is selected there are two options, Color Sync and QuadToneRIP, which are both greyed out and non selectable.

As I say, I think I got this right a couple of days ago, but now I'm not even sure.  I got a lot of prints where it was obvious the different channels were mixing across the strips and one which seemed to have separate strips of each separate channel.

I have resorted to home-brewed beer which is comforting, but not resolving the situation.  I have also used between 1/3 and 1/2 of my ink carts in four days, mainly printing failed tests and would like to raise my success rates.

Any advice welcome.

regards

Ross

Once again, having slept on the problem I think I've come up with a solution, but I don't think it's the ideal or correct solution.  I don't think I am able to use the original colour space used for this image and this is throwing my calibration and profiling out.

In Elements Edit: Color Settings, I have selected "Always Optimise for Printing"
With File:Print selected: More Options: Color Management: Color Handling Photoshop Elements, the Color Space is showing as Adobe RGB (1998).  I feel this may be being assigned somewhere in elements, rather than being the original colour space.

The next dialogue box shows under Color Matching that Color Sync is selected, there is an alternative selection for QuadToneRIP, but both these are greyed out so are non selectable.  I can then print in QTR calibration mode.  I have no option for "no colour management" at the printing stage, however I think I've read that although Color Sync is selected, it doesn't necessarily mean it's doing anything, so may be equal to no colour management.

The calibration prints are showing Ink 1 (UT14-4-K Eboni Matte Blk) step wedges which are very dark.  Having reset the ink limit, in this case to 30%, paper white has a density of 0.08, the 5% step is 0.28, 50% is 1.29, 70% is 1.51 going up to 100% in increments of 0.03 to 0.01.  I would have thought this wedge should be lighter and much more even.

Does anyone know what the original colour space was for the inkseparation6.tiff was?  
Is there a copy of this in one of the options I have available?; sRGB IEC61966-2.1, Adobe RGB (1998), Apple RGB, Color Match RGB, Camera RGB Profile, e-sRGB, Generic RGB Profile, QTR RGB Lab, QTR_RGB_Matte_Paper, QTR_RGB_Photo_Paper.

Any advice welcome.

Ross


--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "rossfmj"  wrote:

>
> A few days ago I managed to print the ink separation.tiff successfully, however I've now forgotten how to do it (note to self, write down absolutely everything).
> 
> The print procedure using PS Elements 11 in Apple OSX 10.8.2 is different to that shown in all the documentation I've read, which doesn't help matters.

Ross,
    I don't have any recent experience with PS Elements, and none with QTR and Elements.  But, in recent versions of PS on the Mac, it is impossible to turn off color management.  There are two ways that I know of to print without color management:

An Adobe utility: http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/no-color-management-option-missing.html

Roy's QTR-Print-Tool program:http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRprinttool.html

For the ink separation page, it is also important to choose the "Quadtone Rip Calibration" mode in the QTR panel of the print dialog.

I haven't used either of these much, but I just tried the Adobe utility, and it seems to do what it is supposed to, at least with OS 10.6.8

I hope this is helpful.

David



--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "rossfmj"  wrote:

>
> Once again, having slept on the problem I think I've come up with a solution, but I don't think it's the ideal or correct solution.  I don't think I am able to use the original colour space used for this image and this is throwing my calibration and profiling out.
> 
> In Elements Edit: Color Settings, I have selected "Always Optimise for Printing"
> With File:Print selected: More Options: Color Management: Color Handling Photoshop Elements, the Color Space is showing as Adobe RGB (1998).  I feel this may be being assigned somewhere in elements, rather than being the original colour space.
> 
> The next dialogue box shows under Color Matching that Color Sync is selected, there is an alternative selection for QuadToneRIP, but both these are greyed out so are non selectable.  I can then print in QTR calibration mode.  I have no option for "no colour management" at the printing stage, however I think I've read that although Color Sync is selected, it doesn't necessarily mean it's doing anything, so may be equal to no colour management.
> 
> The calibration prints are showing Ink 1 (UT14-4-K Eboni Matte Blk) step wedges which are very dark.  Having reset the ink limit, in this case to 30%, paper white has a density of 0.08, the 5% step is 0.28, 50% is 1.29, 70% is 1.51 going up to 100% in increments of 0.03 to 0.01.  I would have thought this wedge should be lighter and much more even.
> 
> Does anyone know what the original colour space was for the inkseparation6.tiff was?  
> Is there a copy of this in one of the options I have available?; sRGB IEC61966-2.1, Adobe RGB (1998), Apple RGB, Color Match RGB, Camera RGB Profile, e-sRGB, Generic RGB Profile, QTR RGB Lab, QTR_RGB_Matte_Paper, QTR_RGB_Photo_Paper.
> 
> Any advice welcome.
> 
> Ross
> 
> 
> --- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "rossfmj"  wrote:
> >
> > A few days ago I managed to print the ink separation.tiff successfully, however I've now forgotten how to do it (note to self, write down absolutely everything).
> > 
> > The print procedure using PS Elements 11 in Apple OSX 10.8.2 is different to that shown in all the documentation I've read, which doesn't help matters.
>

David

Thanks for that.  I've tried using both of these, however neither will take me through QTR.  This means I can't run the calibration mode.  

There may be something simple and obvious I am missing, but whatever that may be I am at a loss to know.  I am going back to printing via sRGB IEC61966-2.1 as this seems close.  Maybe it's fine, but as I said, from 50% up there is little noticable difference in tone, visually.  A bit like the top end of a 50 step wedge.

regards

Ross
--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "David"  wrote:

>
> Ross,
>     I don't have any recent experience with PS Elements, and none with QTR and Elements.  But, in recent versions of PS on the Mac, it is impossible to turn off color management.  There are two ways that I know of to print without color management:
> 
> An Adobe utility: http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/no-color-management-option-missing.html
> 
> Roy's QTR-Print-Tool program:http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRprinttool.html
> 
> For the ink separation page, it is also important to choose the "Quadtone Rip Calibration" mode in the QTR panel of the print dialog.
> 
> I haven't used either of these much, but I just tried the Adobe utility, and it seems to do what it is supposed to, at least with OS 10.6.8
> 
> I hope this is helpful.
> 
> David
>

Oh no!  I tell a lie, just found a button that gets the QTR page up, Doh!  (Slaps forehead many times)

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "rossfmj"  wrote:

>
> David
> 
> Thanks for that.  I've tried using both of these, however neither will take me through QTR.  This means I can't run the calibration mode.  
> 
> There may be something simple and obvious I am missing, but whatever that may be I am at a loss to know.  I am going back to printing via sRGB IEC61966-2.1 as this seems close.  Maybe it's fine, but as I said, from 50% up there is little noticable difference in tone, visually.  A bit like the top end of a 50 step wedge.
> 
> regards
> 
> Ross
> --- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "David"  wrote:
> >
> > Ross,
> >     I don't have any recent experience with PS Elements, and none with QTR and Elements.  But, in recent versions of PS on the Mac, it is impossible to turn off color management.  There are two ways that I know of to print without color management:
> > 
> > An Adobe utility: http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/no-color-management-option-missing.html
> > 
> > Roy's QTR-Print-Tool program:http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRprinttool.html
> > 
> > For the ink separation page, it is also important to choose the "Quadtone Rip Calibration" mode in the QTR panel of the print dialog.
> > 
> > I haven't used either of these much, but I just tried the Adobe utility, and it seems to do what it is supposed to, at least with OS 10.6.8
> > 
> > I hope this is helpful.
> > 
> > David
> >
>