Printing Adobe RGB? - FM Forums

Register · Software · Search · Image Upload · Buy & Sell · Reviews · Hosting

Moderated by: Hendrik, guardian

Visit the FM Store · Image Upload · Buy & Sell
FM Actions & Plugins support
Workflow Guidelines

FM Forums | Post-processing & Printing | Join Image Upload
end

Maggot
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #1 · Printing Adobe RGB?

I recently bought a Epson 3800 and I have noticed that some seem to set their prints to Adobe RGB. Of course, I edit in this color space, but when I print, I always convert the profile of the file to sRGB. When I had the Canon i9900, I could see the difference between the two. The Adobe print looked bad as I often read it would. But now, I'm reading the opposite with this printer? I realize the Canon 5100 has a plugin that bypasses the 8bit windows driver. Is it recommended to print in the Adobe RGB color space on the Epson 3800? I thought this printer was still an 8bit device essentialy like most monitors?

Oct 10, 2008 at 07:20 PM

jerryrock
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #2 · Printing Adobe RGB?

Adobe RGB is a wider color space than sRGB. Ink jet printers produced today can support Adobe RGB some have even wider gamuts. There is no reason to reduce the color gamut of your image to sRGB when sending it to a Canon Image Prograf printer or an Epson 3800.

You should be using Photoshop to manage the color, in which case the image is being converted to the printer and paper icc profile before being sent to the printer. This profile will often have a wider gamut than sRGB. While you can reduce the color gamut without noticeable effect, increasing the gamut to a wider color space can have unpredictable results.

When printing with my Canon iPF 5000, I edit the image in Adobe RGB or PhotoPro RGB and then convert to my custom printer profile before sending the image to print.

Another point is that bit depth and color space are two entirely different things. OSX can output 16 bit to a printer and Photoshop CS4 will also support this feature on a Mac.

Oct 10, 2008 at 08:12 PM

fizzy
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #3 · Printing Adobe RGB?

First, do it whichever way looks best to you. That's the only criterion.
Second, this printer, with more ink colors, has a wider gamut than your old Canon, so yes, it probably exceeds sRGB space. You converted your old files to sRGB as a rough way to convert them to the Canon printer's narrower gamut. If you have the apparatus to produce actual printer profiles on different papers, do it; otherwise, print out of Adobe RGB and let the driver handle the conversion to the printer's space.

Oct 10, 2008 at 08:15 PM

Maggot
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #4 · Printing Adobe RGB?

Thanks to everyone for the information. I'll tinker around with printing the file in Adobe RGB color space.

Oct 11, 2008 at 03:53 AM

timgangloff
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #5 · Printing Adobe RGB?

I always use the 3800 in aRGB and not sRGB when possible. While I've not done the critical comparisons, it is just part of my work flow and why not use it if it is available. Seems a moot point especially if you are already in aRGB for editing.

Oct 13, 2008 at 12:50 AM


FM Forums \| Post-processing & Printing \| Join Image Upload end