Datacolor User to User Support Group.

On Jan 20, 2008, at 4:45 AM, boborlehanneton wrote:

> PrintFixPro 2
> I read the message about "Show Edits in Preview" box.
>
> My prints are good and are similar to my screen. But the soft proof is
> not contrasted as if there were a veil.
>

That "veil" is from your measured black. PrintFIX PRO 2 (which, by
the way, you should upgrade to Spyder3Print) always softproofs using
the measured black; which is never going to be a "perfect" RGB black.
This produces reduced contrast in the softproof; more so if you're
profiling a matte paper (higher "L" values for black, usually in the
18-24 range) rather than glossy or luster (much lower "L" values for
black, usually in the 3 to 5 range).

There's nothing you can do to change this in our software; Show Edits
won't affect this. But in Photoshop, you can softproof with black ink
simulation turned off (this is Photoshop's default). Go into View:
Proof Setup:Custom in Photoshop, select the printer profile and
rendering intent, and check the Preview box.

>
> Another issue:
> - if I use the calibration base to calibrate the spectroclorimeter,
>
The word "if" should not appear here...:-)

You should ALWAYS calibrate the spectro on the base; never on
anything else!
>
> there is a blue cast on the white patch. If I don't compensate the
> white point, white appears blue on soft proof (prints are good). If I
> compensate the white point, soft proof is yellow.
>

There's supposed to be a blue cast on the white patch (meaning:
the white of the paper that you're profiling/measuring); because that's
the color of the paper. Most papers measure with a slight blue cast.

When you softproof through the profile in PFP, the paper white is  
simulated
that way because... that's how the paper measured...:-) "By the  
numbers",
it's correct. We don't have a way in our software of turning off  
either the
black ink simulation or paper white simulation in our softproof; if  
you want
to softproof images that way, when you're printing real images after  
building
a profile, you should be softproofing in Photoshop, which is where  
you'll
actually be printing your images from. (So this comment goes along  
with the
first one, about leaving black ink simulation turned off while  
softproofing
in Photoshop; you'll probably find the closest perceptual match  
between your
calibrated display, and print, by softproofing in Photoshop with both
black ink and paper white simulation turned off)

>
> - if I calibrate the spectrocolorimeter on the paper (without white
> point compensation), everything is ok (except contrast) and the prints
> are nearly perfect. I know it is not the good way, but the result is
> better...
>
>
That's right, its not the good way, and it will throw all of your  
measurements
off in subtle ways, so.... don't do it...!

*** Spyder3Print

All existing PrintFIX PRO users can download and install the latest  
(newly renamed)
version of the software, Spyder3Print 3.0. You can download the  
installer from the
Support:Software Updates download page. It has download links for both  
the OSX and
Windows versions. I've attached a copy of the Update Notes to this  
ticket (please
read these to see what the new features are, and also about how to  
install and how
to copy over your older measurement files).

Spyder3Print 3.0 can be initialized with your existing PrintFIX PRO  
serial number,
and there are no changes in the Targets or the measurement file  
format, so it's
completely backward compatible with everything you've already done.


David Miller
Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
Colorvision