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Epson 3800 Very Dark Prints

Epson 3800 Very Dark Prints

2009-02-23 by hmpart1

Hello All,

I recently did a clean install of OS 10.5.6 on my Mac Tower along with
upgrading the printer driver to my Epson 3800. Prior to the system and
printer driver update my profiled papers all worked well. New profiles
created are now very very dark. The following is some additional
information about what I did and noticed.

I reinstalled my Spyder Elite and Spyder 3 Print software then
proceeded to re-calibrate my monitor (went just fine) and then create
a new paper profile. I noticed when printing the target, the new Epson
Driver v. 6.11's drop down menu lists "color matching". Here you have
a choice of color sync or printer color management. When color sync
radio button is selected you have additional choices of all your
profiles or automatic, PLUS under "printer settings" you can also
choose the color mode of either CM on with the various epson choices
or off. 

When I print from photoshop and choose color management off,
options are not available under "color matching". However when
printing a new target from Sypder Print, I have all available options
under "color matching" even when color management is turned off under
printer settings. I wonder if this has created the new problem with
new profiles.

Additionally when I look at an on screen proof using the newly created
profile the photo looks fine and not too dark. Finally, printing from
photoshop with standard canned epson profiles is working just fine.
This entire episode is driving me nuts. I know I must be doing
something wrong but can't seem to figure it out.

I hope the above is understandable.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Howard

Re: [colorvision_group] Epson 3800 Very Dark Prints

2009-02-23 by David Miller

On Feb 23, 2009, at 4:06 PM, hmpart1 wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> I recently did a clean install of OS 10.5.6 on my Mac Tower along with
> upgrading the printer driver to my Epson 3800. Prior to the system and
> printer driver update my profiled papers all worked well. New profiles
> created are now very very dark. The following is some additional
> information about what I did and noticed.
>
> I reinstalled my Spyder Elite and Spyder 3 Print software then
> proceeded to re-calibrate my monitor (went just fine) and then create
> a new paper profile. I noticed when printing the target, the new Epson
> Driver v. 6.11's drop down menu lists "color matching". Here you have
> a choice of color sync or printer color management.
>

That's the first thing:

When you're printing a TARGET from inside Spyder3Print, you must
NOT choose ColorSync here. (Choose "Printer Color Management" if
that's how the other radio button is labelled. On some Epson
drivers, it will be named "Epson Color Controls".)

> When color sync
> radio button is selected
>

(wrong!) :-) Don't do that...:-)

Whenever you're printing from inside Spyder3Print, "ColorSync" is
the wrong choice to make, because it will give you an Epson profile  
inside
the 3800 driver, regardless of whether or not you turn color management
off in the 3800-specific part of the driver.
> you have additional choices of all your
> profiles or automatic, PLUS under "printer settings" you can also
> choose the color mode of either CM on with the various epson choices
> or off.
>
>
When you do NOT choose ColorSync, the only additional choices you'll
have (when printing the target from inside Spyder3Print) will be the
paper type, output quality/res/speed, and color management (turn it  
OFF),
in the 3800-specific settins area.

Print the target this way, and you'll get the usual "dark", non-color- 
managed
target print that you're used to getting. That's what you need to  
measure, to
build a proper profile.
> When I print from photoshop and choose color management off,
> options are not available under "color matching". However when
> printing a new target from Sypder Print, I have all available options
> under "color matching" even when color management is turned off under
> printer settings. I wonder if this has created the new problem with
> new profiles.
>
>
When you've printed the TARGET from inside Spyder3Print as described  
above,
measured and built a profile, then you'll want to print, using the  
profile,
from inside Photoshop.

As usual: use the Photoshop Print dialog; choose "Photoshop Manages  
Colors",
choose the printer profile underneath that, go by our recommendation for
using the Saturation intent, and turn black point compensation off.  
Nothing
unusual there, that's how you'd have done it in the past.

In the Leopard print dialog that comes up next: if you look in the Color
Matching section, you'll see that the two radio button choices  
(ColorSync,
and whatever the other radio button is labelled) are still there, but  
that
they'll be dimmed, and that ColorSync will be automatically selected.  
Just
pretend you didn't see that. It looks wrong, but it's misleading. The  
driver
will actually do the right thing, and a ColorSync profile will NOT be
applied. So this isn't a problem, and don't be alarmed if you see this.

In the 3800-specific section of the driver, set everything the way you  
had
it when printing the target (including color management OFF).

That's all there is to it: you should get a perfect print.

David Miller
Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
Datacolor

Re: [colorvision_group] Epson 3800 Very Dark Prints

2009-02-23 by C D Tobie

On Feb 23, 2009, at 4:06 PM, hmpart1 wrote:

> I recently did a clean install of OS 10.5.6 on my Mac Tower along with
> upgrading the printer driver to my Epson 3800. Prior to the system and
> printer driver update my profiled papers all worked well.

Then you know the process, and it must be some change in settings  
causing the problem...

> New profiles
> created are now very very dark.

Definately sounds like a driver settings issue...

> The following is some additional
> information about what I did and noticed.
>
> I reinstalled my Spyder Elite and Spyder 3 Print software then
> proceeded to re-calibrate my monitor (went just fine) and then create
> a new paper profile. I noticed when printing the target, the new Epson
> Driver v. 6.11's drop down menu lists "color matching". Here you have
> a choice of color sync or printer color management. When color sync
> radio button is selected you have additional choices of all your
> profiles or automatic,

Any of those will apply a profile, which won't work for printing  
targets...

> PLUS under "printer settings" you can also
> choose the color mode of either CM on with the various epson choices
> or off.

Ideally you would choose off, though life is full of suprises with how  
OS updates and driver versions interact...
>
>
> When I print from photoshop and choose color management off,
> options are not available under "color matching". However when
> printing a new target from Sypder Print, I have all available options
> under "color matching" even when color management is turned off under
> printer settings. I wonder if this has created the new problem with
> new profiles.

Unfortuately, you don't tell us which of this many configurations you  
actually printed your targets using...
>
>
> Additionally when I look at an on screen proof using the newly created
> profile the photo looks fine and not too dark.

Are you saying the softproof from SpyderProof looks good? But that  
prints from Photoshop look dark? Well, if actual prints from  
SpyderProof look good as well, then the issue is settings at print  
time in Photoshop, but I don't have enough info to be sure thats whats  
happening...

> Finally, printing from
> photoshop with standard canned epson profiles is working just fine.

Again, not enough info. If you mean choosing the profiles in the  
driver works fine, thats a different route than the one you use with a  
custom profile. You would have to have the profiles available from  
Photoshop, and choose them there, like a custom profile, and set the  
driver to no color management, in order to prove that the custom  
profile printing route from Photoshop to your new driver, under your  
new OS is working properly.

>
> This entire episode is driving me nuts. I know I must be doing
> something wrong but can't seem to figure it out.

Several possibilities. If you can fill in the blanks above, we may be  
able to assist further.

C. David Tobie
Global Product Technology Manager
Digital Imaging & Home Theater
CDTobie@...

Re: Epson 3800 Very Dark Prints

2009-02-23 by hmpart1

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, David Miller <dm2363@...> wrote:
>
> 
> 
> That's the first thing:
> 
> When you're printing a TARGET from inside Spyder3Print, you must
> NOT choose ColorSync here. (Choose "Printer Color Management" if
> that's how the other radio button is labelled. On some Epson
> drivers, it will be named "Epson Color Controls".)
> 
> David Miller
> Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
> Datacolor
>
David,

Thanks so much for the very quick response!! I am printing a new target as we "speak". 
The target is much darker after selecting the "epson color controls" (it wasn't called 
"printer color management" I misspoke but same difference) instead of color sync from the 
color matching drop down menu. I bet this will fix the problem.

I'll a try and create a new profile in the AM so I can let the new target print dry overnight. 

Thanks again!

Best,

Howard

Re: Epson 3800 Very Dark Prints

2009-02-23 by hmpart1

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, C D Tobie <CDTobie@...> wrote:

> Several possibilities. If you can fill in the blanks above, we may be  
> able to assist further.
> 
> C. David Tobie
> Global Product Technology Manager
> Digital Imaging & Home Theater
> CDTobie@...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Datacolor
> www.datacolor.com/Spyder3
>

Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!! I believe that David Miller nailed the 
problem. It looks like I printed the target incorrectly with the new epson driver. The target 
print I just created is much darker and therefore I bet the new profile generated from it 
will be accurate and I suspect the color managed print from photoshop will be fine. I will 
report back in the AM after creating a new icc profile.

Thanks again,

Howard

Epson 3800 Very Dark Prints-Thank You!

2009-02-24 by hmpart1

> On Feb 23, 2009, at 4:06 PM, hmpart1 wrote:
> 
> > Hello All,
> >
> > I recently did a clean install of OS 10.5.6 on my Mac Tower along with
> > upgrading the printer driver to my Epson 3800. Prior to the system and
> > printer driver update my profiled papers all worked well. New profiles
> > created are now very very dark. The following is some additional
> > information about what I did and noticed.
> >
> > I reinstalled my Spyder Elite and Spyder 3 Print software then
> > proceeded to re-calibrate my monitor (went just fine) and then create
> > a new paper profile. I noticed when printing the target, the new Epson
> > Driver v. 6.11's drop down menu lists "color matching". Here you have
> > a choice of color sync or printer color management.
> >

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, David Miller <dm2363@...> wrote:
>
> That's the first thing:
> 
> When you're printing a TARGET from inside Spyder3Print, you must
> NOT choose ColorSync here. (Choose "Printer Color Management" if
> that's how the other radio button is labelled. On some Epson
> drivers, it will be named "Epson Color Controls".)
> 

> That's all there is to it: you should get a perfect print.
> 
> David Miller
> Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
> Datacolor
>

David,

Your suggestion fixed the problem. I did get a perfect print from the newly created icc 
profile. 

Customer support from Datacolor is truly remarkable and appreciated. 

Thanks once again for your help.

Best,

Howard

Re: [colorvision_group] Epson 3800 Very Dark Prints-Thank You!

2009-02-24 by David Miller

On Feb 24, 2009, at 6:59 AM, hmpart1 wrote:

> > On Feb 23, 2009, at 4:06 PM, hmpart1 wrote:
> >
> > > Hello All,
> > >
> > > I recently did a clean install of OS 10.5.6 on my Mac Tower  
> along with
> > > upgrading the printer driver to my Epson 3800. Prior to the  
> system and
> > > printer driver update my profiled papers all worked well. New  
> profiles
> > > created are now very very dark. The following is some additional
> > > information about what I did and noticed.
> > >
> > > I reinstalled my Spyder Elite and Spyder 3 Print software then
> > > proceeded to re-calibrate my monitor (went just fine) and then  
> create
> > > a new paper profile. I noticed when printing the target, the new  
> Epson
> > > Driver v. 6.11's drop down menu lists "color matching". Here you  
> have
> > > a choice of color sync or printer color management.
> > >
>
> --- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, David Miller <dm2363@...>  
> wrote:
> >
> > That's the first thing:
> >
> > When you're printing a TARGET from inside Spyder3Print, you must
> > NOT choose ColorSync here. (Choose "Printer Color Management" if
> > that's how the other radio button is labelled. On some Epson
> > drivers, it will be named "Epson Color Controls".)
> >
>
> > That's all there is to it: you should get a perfect print.
> >
> > David Miller
> > Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
> > Datacolor
> >
>
> David,
>
> Your suggestion fixed the problem. I did get a perfect print from  
> the newly created icc
> profile.
>
> Customer support from Datacolor is truly remarkable and appreciated.
>
> Thanks once again for your help.
>
> Best,
>
> Howard
>
>



You're welcome!


David Miller
Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
Datacolor

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