Datacolor User to User Support Group.

Printed 729 patches on 3 pages last night. Waited 24hrs for them to dry 
and took measurements.

It was quite an effort. Luckily for me i got the idea from a reviewer 
on the net which had a picture of using an additional lamp to light up 
the area or else it would have been quite difficult to tell if the 
aperture is correctly on top of the patch. I had to sit on a smaller 
stool to bring the entire thing up to my face so that I can see whether 
the unit is correctly placed. gonna try to put some white or silver 
marking to the aperture to enable better visibility of where the thing 
is.

I think it took me not less than 30 minutes or so for all the patches 
to be read - I didn't take note of the time. 

Problem - I really don't understand the part where i'm to set the 
reference white and black controls. What should i be doing to those 
functions for better softproofing? I have read the help files but 
couldn't understand it.

Can someone explain to me how i should be manipulating the reference 
white and reference black values/functions.
Thanks.

Ed.

>Printed 729 patches on 3 pages last night. Waited 24hrs for them to dry
>and took measurements.
>
>It was quite an effort. Luckily for me i got the idea from a reviewer
>on the net which had a picture of using an additional lamp to light up
>the area or else it would have been quite difficult to tell if the
>aperture is correctly on top of the patch. I had to sit on a smaller
>stool to bring the entire thing up to my face so that I can see whether
>the unit is correctly placed. gonna try to put some white or silver
>marking to the aperture to enable better visibility of where the thing
>is.

My suggestions:

If you haven't already done so: download the 1.1.1 software from the
ColorVision web site, and run that instead of earlier 1.0 and 1.1 versions.

Print the patches larger! Particularly on Windows, which has default
margins that are much larger than necessary (1" all around) and which results
in small patches. (We added a "nag" alert about this in the 1.1 software to
nudge people in that direction).

Put the sheet down on a table and look at the sheet and instrument from
an angle, not directly from overhead. When I measure patches, I would say
I'm looking at the tip of the sensor from 12" or so to the side. I don't
seem to have any problems seeing the spectro's nose on the patches when I
do it this way.

Make sure you put a sheet of blank paper (the same paper) underneath your
target sheet when you print.

Now that you've done a 729 patch profile, print out the 225 patch target,
measure it's much smaller number of patches, build a profile, and compare
prints. If you can't tell the difference (and you very well might not), then
save yourself the time and effort of doing 729 patch profiles and stick
with 225. The way that the 225 patch target designed is VERY good in the areas
that need extra color measurements and I think you'll be extremely pleased
with the results.



>I think it took me not less than 30 minutes or so for all the patches
>to be read - I didn't take note of the time.
>
>Problem - I really don't understand the part where i'm to set the
>reference white and black controls. What should i be doing to those
>functions for better softproofing? I have read the help files but
>couldn't understand it.

Don't worry about those for now; build the profiles without adjusting those,
to begin with; get the printed results first, and then decide whether you
want to make further adjustments with those controls, for softproofing.


Best regards,

-- 
David Miller
Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
ColorVision

Ed,
A little trick I use to help speed up the scans and insure they are read correctly. I took a 
1/16 thick sheet of lexan and made small "V" grooves that matched the pitch of the 
patches. Now you can just slide the reader along the lexan, the "V" groove locates the 
sensor in the x direction and you don't even have to look at the patches. Just slide the 
lexan from row to row. No strain! The longest time is waiting for the sample to be taken. If 
you'd like some more explination or a pic., let me know.
know.

Ed 

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, "ed_limmy" <ed_limmy@...> wrote:

>
> Printed 729 patches on 3 pages last night. Waited 24hrs for them to dry 
> and took measurements.
> 
> It was quite an effort. Luckily for me i got the idea from a reviewer 
> on the net which had a picture of using an additional lamp to light up 
> the area or else it would have been quite difficult to tell if the 
> aperture is correctly on top of the patch. I had to sit on a smaller 
> stool to bring the entire thing up to my face so that I can see whether 
> the unit is correctly placed. gonna try to put some white or silver 
> marking to the aperture to enable better visibility of where the thing 
> is.
> 
> I think it took me not less than 30 minutes or so for all the patches 
> to be read - I didn't take note of the time. 
> 
> Problem - I really don't understand the part where i'm to set the 
> reference white and black controls. What should i be doing to those 
> functions for better softproofing? I have read the help files but 
> couldn't understand it.
> 
> Can someone explain to me how i should be manipulating the reference 
> white and reference black values/functions.
> Thanks.
> 
> Ed.
>

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, "ed_limmy" <ed_limmy@...> wrote:
>
> I think it took me not less than 30 minutes or so for all the patches 
> to be read - I didn't take note of the time.  
> Ed.

Also if you are on a Mac you can use my AppleScript tutorial to semi-automate the patch 
reading to make target reading faster.

http://homepage.mac.com/johnvito/printfix_applescript/printfix_pro_applescript.html

If on Window's there's free app called HotKeys - I think? - that will do the same.

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, "ed_limmy" <ed_limmy@...> wrote:
>
> I think it took me not less than 30 minutes or so for all the patches 
> to be read - I didn't take note of the time. 
> Ed.

The correct Windows name is called AutoHotKeys not HotKeys as mentioned.

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, "edwweaver" <edwweaver@...> 
wrote:
>
> Ed,
> A little trick I use to help speed up the scans and insure they are 
read correctly. I took a 
> 1/16 thick sheet of lexan and made small "V" grooves that matched 
the pitch of the 
> patches. Now you can just slide the reader along the lexan, the "V" 
groove locates the 
> sensor in the x direction and you don't even have to look at the 
patches. Just slide the 
> lexan from row to row. No strain! The longest time is waiting for 
the sample to be taken. If 
> you'd like some more explination or a pic., let me know.
> know.
> 
> Ed 

Ed,
I sure would like to see your setup, Any pics you have with the 
sensor in place, taking readings, so I can better understand your set 
up. Thanks 

KeithR

Hi Keith,
The special setup is not me.

Ed.



--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, "Keith R." <kjrslr@...> 
wrote:
>
> --- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, "edwweaver" <edwweaver@> 
> wrote:
> >
> > Ed,
> > A little trick I use to help speed up the scans and insure they 
are 
> read correctly. I took a 
> > 1/16 thick sheet of lexan and made small "V" grooves that matched 
> the pitch of the 
> > patches. Now you can just slide the reader along the lexan, 
the "V" 
> groove locates the 
> > sensor in the x direction and you don't even have to look at the 
> patches. Just slide the 
> > lexan from row to row. No strain! The longest time is waiting for 
> the sample to be taken. If 
> > you'd like some more explination or a pic., let me know.
> > know.
> > 
> > Ed 
> 
> Ed,
> I sure would like to see your setup, Any pics you have with the 
> sensor in place, taking readings, so I can better understand your 
set 

> up. Thanks 
> 
> KeithR
>