Datacolor User to User Support Group.

> Thanks for your responses regarding Qimage. I have downloaded the
demo copy
> abd had a look. It appears that Qimage does not have it's own driver so,
> printing would use the manufacturers driver or another like QuadtoneRIP.
> Correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> If that's correct, then both the media setting check and printing of the
> profiling target could be done in S3Print, could it not, or is there a
> reason to print them through Qimage.
> 
> It seems all printer setup including paper size, which is what
started me on
> this, is done through the driver. Given that it doesn't do that, and
does
> add some complication to the printing process, what do people see as the
> primary advantage to using Qimage? I guess this question may be OT w.r.t
> this list. If so, sorry, don't answer it.
> 
> Tom Moore
>

Hi Tom,

   You're correct that Qimage uses the manufacturer's driver for
printing. On the surface, it's easy to not see the value of Qimage.
Use it for a little while, though, and you'll be amazed at how well it
handles all facets of printing. I use Qimage for my printing and can
think of a few reasons why it works for me:

1) Very effective print scaling and sharpening are provided in Qimage.
For me, it means that I don't have to worry about this in Photoshop. I
typically do my image manipulation in Photoshop and save the file.
When I need to print I fire up Qimage and size/crop to the desired
print output size and print.
2) After initially setting up the printer driver for the particular
paper type, profile, and size I can then save this setup in Qimage.
From that point on I can recall this setup by name anytime I need to
print a file. In other words, I only need to access and setup through
the printer driver once. I have several printers and use quite a few
different paper types. Without Qimage I'd have to remember how to set
up all the different profiles and paper types each time I print a job.
3) Qimage's automated job log is real handy when I need to print
something I did at an earlier point in time. I just scroll through the
log and recall the exact setup, including the printer profiles and
print files as well.
3) Print layout is a breeze with Qimage. I can very quickly layout
multiple prints/page including multiple print sizes per page.
Typically not very easy to do in Photoshop.

   If you only print occasionally, with a small number of paper types
 then Qimage may be overkill. However, it doesn't cost a lot and it
has a lot of value. You just need to use it a little more in order to
see this.

Regards,
Jim