Datacolor User to User Support Group.

I've just received PrintFix Pro and I've a question using it with the 
Epson R2400.It's known that in the R2400 printer driver you can choose 
different settings refferring to different DPI.usually i pick "Best 
Photo" (2880 DPI) and sometimes "RPM" (5760 PPI).What is advisable to 
pick, printing the PrintFix Pro targets (and then using the profiles)?
Is there any real difference in the quality of the profiles? Or is it 
advisable to make different profiles for each different DPI?
Thank you in advance

Luca

>I've just received PrintFix Pro and I've a question using it with the
>Epson R2400.It's known that in the R2400 printer driver you can choose
>different settings refferring to different DPI.usually i pick "Best
>Photo" (2880 DPI) and sometimes "RPM" (5760 PPI).What is advisable to
>pick, printing the PrintFix Pro targets (and then using the profiles)?
>Is there any real difference in the quality of the profiles? Or is it
>advisable to make different profiles for each different DPI?
>Thank you in advance
>
>Luca
>
>

Luca,

The DPI setting in the driver for the R2400 is going to affect print
quality (or "not", depending on whether you'll actually be able to "see"
the difference in output quality between Best Photo and RPM on whatever
paper you're printing on.)

Your mileage will vary. Personally, I've skipped printing with RPM (on the
R800 that I'm using as one of my test printers) just to keep my print times
down.

Whatever quality difference you may or may not see here will be in from
the higher resolution output of the printer, however; it won't have anything
directly to do with whatever profiles you end up building.

With that said, yes, if you're going to print on a given paper type and
want the best possible profile, you will want to use PFP to print its
target(s) at each resolution and to build a separate profile, for each
resolution, for the same paper. There are almost certainly going to be subtle
differences in the way that the target patches print, based on the resolution
you print the target at and the same resolution you would be using the
PF profile with when you print.

The same comment applies if you're going to drop down to even lower resolution,
in case you want to build profiles specifically for lower res prints.

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

In addition, you might discover that different DPI settings (and  
especially the use of "super" resolutions and/or microweaving if it's  
an option) will have an impact on the ink density you are able to use  
on the paper. One brand of matte paper I was trying to profile was  
very splotchy unless I reduced the amount of ink (advanced settings  
in the 2200 driver, I think) by 20% or 30%. By turning on the highest  
resolution and microweaving the printing slowed down to the point  
where it looked good with only a 15% reduction in ink... an amount  
that had no impact on maximum black on the paper. (-30% was starting  
to affect the darkest tones) I suspect this is not an issue for most  
papers.

The paper that could not accept an Epson-Enhanced-Matte-setting  
amount of ink was Legion Matte paper, which I otherwise like. The  
inks were MIS Pro. The Legion coating simply could not absorb enough  
of the ink fast enough, so it (apparently) combined into larger drops  
on the surface, producing a splotchy pattern. (None of the other  
paper settings available on my printer were any better, either.)

I couldn't figure out any way through manipulating the profile to  
avoid the need for using a special ink-density setting for the paper.  
Is it possible? Legion has a profile available online that seems to  
work quite nicely without the need for any special settings.

And for what it's worth, Moab Kayenta (matte alpha cellulose paper)  
prints quite nicely with an Epson R220, MIS Pro inks (the regular  
ones for printers like the C86 and 2200), and set for Epson Premium  
Semigloss Paper (the closest thing to matter paper that allows a  
Photo RPM setting). These are the same inks that gave Legion Matte  
trouble. There isn't a hint of surface problem with Kayenta (which  
I'll profile after the print dries overnight).

Myron

>> ...It's known that in the R2400 printer driver you can choose
>> different settings refferring to different DPI.usually i pick "Best
>> Photo" (2880 DPI) and sometimes "RPM" (5760 PPI).What is advisable to
>> pick, printing the PrintFix Pro targets (and then using the  
>> profiles)?
>> Is there any real difference in the quality of the profiles? Or is it
>> advisable to make different profiles for each different DPI?
>

> Your mileage will vary. Personally, I've skipped printing with RPM  
> (on the
> R800 that I'm using as one of my test printers) just to keep my  
> print times
> down.
>
> Whatever quality difference you may or may not see here will be in  
> from
> the higher resolution output of the printer, however; it won't have  
> anything
> directly to do with whatever profiles you end up building.
>
> With that said, yes, if you're going to print on a given paper type  
> and
> want the best possible profile, you will want to use PFP to print its
> target(s) at each resolution and to build a separate profile, for each
> resolution, for the same paper. There are almost certainly going to  
> be subtle
> differences in the way that the target patches print, based on the  
> resolution
> you print the target at and the same resolution you would be using the
> PF profile with when you print.

--- Luca,
> 
> The DPI setting in the driver for the R2400 is going to affect 
print
> quality (or "not", depending on whether you'll actually be able 
to "see"
> the difference in output quality between Best Photo and RPM on 
whatever
> paper you're printing on.)
> 
> Your mileage will vary. Personally, I've skipped printing with RPM 
(on the
> R800 that I'm using as one of my test printers) just to keep my 
print times
> down.
> 
> Whatever quality difference you may or may not see here will be in 
from
> the higher resolution output of the printer, however; it won't 
have anything
> directly to do with whatever profiles you end up building.
> 
> With that said, yes, if you're going to print on a given paper 
type and
> want the best possible profile, you will want to use PFP to print 
its
> target(s) at each resolution and to build a separate profile, for 
each
> resolution, for the same paper. There are almost certainly going 
to be subtle
> differences in the way that the target patches print, based on the 
resolution
> you print the target at and the same resolution you would be using 
the
> PF profile with when you print.
> 
> The same comment applies if you're going to drop down to even 
lower resolution,
> in case you want to build profiles specifically for lower res 
prints.
> 
> -- 
> David Miller
> Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
> ColorVision
>
David,
Thank you for your reply.Actually I print RPM only when using 
Pictorico Hi-Gloss White Film and just because it's suggested in the 
Pictorico site.I confess I never tried to see what happens with Best 
Photo on Hi-Gloss:that's a too much expensive paper for proofing :-)
Anyway, it's so easy to build profiles with PrintFix Pro that I think
I'll try to have one for each resolution setting.