Datacolor User to User Support Group.

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, "jackyonn" <jackyonn@...> wrote:
>
> Can someone tell me the workflow for building a profile with the 
> Extended Gray?
> Do you first read and build a color profile from say, the "Fast Target" 
> then read the Extended Gray target?
> It seems when I attempt to build a profile with the Gary it wipes out 
> the color profile and then tells me "...you can't build a profile from 
> just the gray target...".

Here's a step-by-step provided by David Miller the Senior Software Developer - Datacolor:


Using our method: you'll print a color target; AND an Extended Grays  
target; measure both,
separately; then build a "super" RGB profile (with both measurement  
files selected in the UI)
that will give you more accurate neutrals and near-neutrals when you  
print through that
profile.

You'll be using all of your inks when you do so, using the "normal"  
printing mode of the Epson
driver for both the targets and printing via the profile afterwards.

Because you get an RGB profile from this,  you can softproof through  
it in Photoshop (unlike
Advanced B&W mode)

You can use the Advanced sliders in Spyder3Print (get it if you  
haven't already done so, it's
a free upgrade download) to apply tints and crosstints when you're  
building the profile.

Here are notes on exactly how to do it (I've posted these here several  
times in the past):

******

First, print one of the color targets (either 225 or 729 patches; I'd  
suggest
starting with 225, to keep things simple, then try again with 729  
later if you
like).

Then print the Extended Grays target. If you do the 225 colors and the  
238
extended grays, you'll have two sheets of letter size targets ready to  
measure.

It's extremely important that you print both of these on the same  
paper, using
the same driver settings.

Then, on the Read Patches screen, measure each one of them. Before you  
step
forward into that screen, you need to set "which" kind of target  
you're going
to be measuring on the Select Target screen. So: Select Target: 225;  
click
Next; Save Measurements To...; then Read Patches. Step back to Select  
Target:
Extended Grays; click Next; Save Measurements To...; Read Patches  
again. Now
you have measurements saved for colors, and for grays.

Visually check them, too, for accuracy. Open up the Target window for  
each,
switch to Measured mode so you can see only the measured colors, drag  
on the
lower right corner to make the window even larger, then visually  
compare to
your target print. You should see a reasonably close match. Look for  
"bad"
measurements, which (if they exist) will typically be too-light  
patches that
stand out among their neighbors in the darker regions; they should be  
easy
to spot. Remeasure any bad ones (arrow keys to locate the patch, then  
measure
again).

Now that you've got these, you can Build.

The Extended Grays are used as a supplement to the colors; but you  
don't build
a profile straight from them; that why if you select them in the  
measurement
list, you can't step forward to the Build screen. (We have to let them  
show
UP in that popup, though, because you need a way to measure and  
preview and
possibly remeasure them).

Instead, this is what you do:

- Select your COLOR measurements in the main popup on the Read Patches  
screen.

- Once you do this, another checkbox and popup (smaller) will show up  
below
that, and your Extended Grays measurements will be in THAT popup. (All
Extended Grays measurements that are in your Data:PRO folder will show  
up in
this supplementary popup below the main popup). Use that smaller popup  
to
select "which" extended grays measurements you want to use; and then  
CHECK
the checkbox if you want them to actually be USED when you build the  
profile.
(If the checkbox isn't checked, then when you build, only the color  
measurements
will be used when you build the profile).

- To summarize: to build a profile with Extended Grays used as part of  
the
profiling process:

- Measure a color target and a grays target

- Select the color target in the main popup

- Select the extended grays target in the supplementary popup that  
appears
below it; and also CHECK the "Use extended grays" checkbox.


The End!