Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Post-processing & Printing | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2017 · Beginner with a few icc profile q's

  
 
hillsford
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Beginner with a few icc profile q's


Thank you for any advice in advance.

I like the color and dynamic range I get with Epson velvet fine art paper for my landscapes and wanted to use it for my 17" roll feed on my Espon SureColor P800. However, they don't make that paper in rolls. I'm printing 17"x30" and longer for some pano's.
I bought the Canson discovery pack in 8.5x11 to test print on that using the correct icc profile for each paper that I can get in 17 inch rolls. I have found that using the icc profile for the paper I loaded - BKF Rives - it came out with less color (not as rich) and looks a bit flat with the detail, if that makes sense. However it was the new icc profile for this paper and I am using the old style paper, that might be a problem too?
My question, can I use BFK Rives paper with the Epson Velvet fine Art paper icc profile instead of the BFK Rives icc profile to get that same look I like on the Epson paper? I don't understand why I am using a different icc profile for each paper I load? I have not used any other paper yet because I'm thinking of printing on the other rag test paper using the Epson icc profile instead. Is this a bad idea? I know rag papers vary with texture, color, thickness, etc and that will have an impact on the final look, so maybe this paper is "this look" and I need to test all papers with each correct icc profile before I jump to any conclusions.
I'm following RedRiver instructions to print using CS6 on my mac. I let Photoshop control the color using the icc profile and a few other options offered like black point compensation and match print colors when printing.
I apologize for sounding like an idiot, but I am new to the printing world and I am confused and holding off on my test printing until I find answers. For now I feel I am just wasting ink, paper, and time until I have a better understanding of what to do. Thanks again for any help with my lack of knowledge.



Dec 07, 2017 at 03:04 PM
dclark
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Beginner with a few icc profile q's


hillsford wrote:
Thank you for any advice in advance.

I like the color and dynamic range I get with Epson velvet fine art paper for my landscapes and wanted to use it for my 17" roll feed on my Espon SureColor P800. However, they don't make that paper in rolls. I'm printing 17"x30" and longer for some pano's.
I bought the Canson discovery pack in 8.5x11 to test print on that using the correct icc profile for each paper that I can get in 17 inch rolls. I have found that using the icc profile for the paper I loaded - BKF Rives -
...Show more

See comments embedded above. You may need to click on "show more".

I am surprised Canson does not provide the correct profiles for the papers in their "Discovery Packs". I took a quick look at the Canson site and I don't see BKF Rives in the packs and the profiles list one that says it replaces BFK (sic). You may need to correspond with Canson to get the right profiles.

BTW, you seem to have discovered the RedRiver site. You may want to ask them which of their papers is a close match to the Epson paper you like. They are usually pretty helpful and always have profiles for their papers.

Dave





Dec 07, 2017 at 10:29 PM
dmcphoto
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Beginner with a few icc profile q's


A profile for any device, like a monitor or printer, maps the color space you are working in to the color space of the hardware device. Suppose your image file is in the ProPhoto RGB color space. That file on your computer is mapped through your monitor's color profile to the color space of the monitor when you view it on the monitor. When you print that file it is mapped to the color space of the printer, but that's a little more complicated. The color space of the printer depends on the printer itself, the ink being used, and the paper being used. Typically the printer and ink are fixed and only the paper changes, so you need a different profile for each paper.

Just remember that changing any one of printer, paper, or ink requires a different profile. Different models of the same printer brand typically need different profiles if they use different print heads, different dithering patterns, or different inks because all of those things affect the color space of the printer. Some people use third party inks and unless the inks are exactly matched to the OEM inks the third party inks need different profiles. Some older printers were not consistent from unit to unit, and for those you needed custom made profiles for every printer. Today things are better and many use "canned" profiles from the printer manufacturer (like Epson if you're using Epson paper on an Epson printer) or from the paper manufacturer for their 3rd party paper on a given printer brand and model. But there are lots of bad profiles in the world, especially from some paper manufacturers. Epson profiles for their papers are typically excellent. For the ultimate results, even on the newest printers, custom profiles are the most accurate but I wouldn't do that starting out. Good "canned" profiles will get you 98% of the way there.

So to try a new paper that's not an Epson paper get the paper manufacturer's profile for that paper on your P800. Find a good test image file that has lots of different colored objects and shades of gray. Google "printer test image" to find some. Print the image and look at it. If the grays have color casts then the profile is bad. If a strawberry, orange, or apple looks "off", it's a bad profile. If skin tones look wrong, it's a bad profile. If colors are accurate but dark tones block up (too much ink) it's a bad profile. You get the idea.

It's tedious but not hard. Starting out you can't go too wrong with Epson paper and their profiles. In fact making a test print on that for comparing other papers with isn't a bad idea either. Just remember they will not match *exactly*, but they should be very close.

I hope that helps.



Dec 07, 2017 at 10:46 PM
hillsford
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Beginner with a few icc profile q's


Thank you Dave and dmcphoto for your in-depth responses to my questions. You helped me get back at it with a better understanding of what to do and why I am doing it. This all is important to me as I need to understand not only what I am doing, but why as well for me to fully take advantage of my printer and the process that comes with it. I really appreciate your time and help along with all the advice. Thanks again, and yes I am using a calibrated monitor and soft proofing as well. Happy holidays to you and your families!


Dec 08, 2017 at 01:46 PM





FM Forums | Post-processing & Printing | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.