QTR-Quadtone RIP

Hi,

I suppose this one should be addressed to C. David Tobie, if he's 
still around, since it relates to problems using a Colorvision 
product, but I would appreciate if someone else could give me some 
help on this issue. I'm using a PrintFix PRO (Datacolor 1005) 
spectrocolorimeter and PrintFix PRO 1.1 software to read the QTR 
linearization 21-step targets, and although the spectro makes the 
readings, and I can see them on the software's "measure" window, when 
I export the values, the corresponding .txt file is created, but 
without any data in it (it creates a blank text page), so I can't use 
it. I  tried it on two different computers (G4 Powerbook and an Intel 
iMac, both running Tiger).

I've used this spectro with PrintFixPRO 1.1 before, on my former G4 
Dual (running Panther), and it worked fine then (saved the 
measurements files normally and I could use them to generate the 
linearization data with QTR's linearizing script), so it seemed to me 
that this might be an issue related to some bug of the software with 
Tiger. But when I installed and tried Spyder3Print, the new version 
of their print profiling software (which I suppose should haver no 
problems wth Tiger, since it's made to run even on Leopard), I got 
the same results (on both computers).

Since the measurements can be seen on screen, I believe the spectro 
cannot be blamed. To verify this, I also tried reading some targets 
in color profiling mode, and it saves the .xml files with the 
corresponding data (I haven't actually generated any color profiles, 
though).  I've contacted Colorvision's web-based support, but I 
suppose it could take them some time to get back to me.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions,
Paulo

Paulo,
I use the SpyderPrint3 and spectrometer to read the random step wedges with the 
measure function and it works perfectly. It creates a text file that when dropped on the 
linearization applet results in the expected output.

The process I use is:
open the software.
Click on tools\calibrate
click the spectrometer to calibrate.
Click on Tools\Measure.
Click on the Export to... button and input a file name. (This has to be done before any 
measurements are taken.
Click OK
Click on the "Include Line Numbers box
Click on the Lab radio button
Do measurements left to right top to bottom for the 21 X 4 random step wedge.

Click on Done.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
David

David,
thanks for your reply. I've already solved the problem, which turned 
out to be a rather silly mistake of my part: having not used the 
software for a few months, I forgot the part that you described as 
"Click on the Export to... button and input a file name. (This has to 
be done before any measurements are taken". I was trying to take the 
readings without first giving a name to the .txt that is created by 
the software in the "Data>Export" folder (I assumed that the software 
would store the readings and would then export them to a text file 
when a name was given to it). Once I realized this, everything worked 
ok, both with PrintFixPRO and Spyder3Print (which has an easier 
interface on the Measure module, with the dedicated QTR measuring functions).
As I said, absolutely my mistake. At least I've found that there's 
nothing wrong with the hardware/software :)
I should note, as an aside, that before I figured that out, I 
contacted Colorvision/Datacolor through their support web page and 
that David Miller, their Senior Software Developer, was most 
responsive in trying to clear things up.
Best,
Paulo

At 19:44 28/2/2008, you wrote:
>Paulo,
>I use the SpyderPrint3 and spectrometer to read the random step 
>wedges with the
>measure function and it works perfectly. It creates a text file that 
>when dropped on the
>linearization applet results in the expected output.
>
>The process I use is:
>open the software.
>Click on tools\calibrate
>click the spectrometer to calibrate.
>Click on Tools\Measure.
>Click on the Export to... button and input a file name. (This has to 
>be done before any
>measurements are taken.
>Click OK
>Click on the "Include Line Numbers box
>Click on the Lab radio button
>Do measurements left to right top to bottom for the 21 X 4 random step wedge.
>
>Click on Done.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>Regards,
>David


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