spyder arrived

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ian lincoln - 28 Apr 2006 00:11 GMT

don't think much of the print fix plus but the spyder itself and the 2.1
software seems okay. It does ask you to do alot of adjustment before the
calibration but after a few screens it also suggests factory default.
anyway looking at the before and after all i can see is that my screen is
now slightly dimmer.

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Stacey - 28 Apr 2006 00:44 GMT

> don't think much of the print fix plus but the spyder itself and the 2.1
> software seems okay. It does ask you to do alot of adjustment before the
> calibration but after a few screens it also suggests factory default.
> anyway looking at the before and after all i can see is that my screen is
> now slightly dimmer.

For most people Adobe gama is close enough. You did disable adobe gama from
the startup menu if you have used this in the past didn't you? :-)

IMHO a custom printer profile will do more for you than a super fine
calibration of the monitor will if you have to chose between the two.

Signature

Stacey

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RW+/- - 28 Apr 2006 05:55 GMT

>> don't think much of the print fix plus but the spyder itself and the 2.1
>> software seems okay. It does ask you to do alot of adjustment before the
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> IMHO a custom printer profile will do more for you than a super fine
> calibration of the monitor will if you have to chose between the two.

WOW! Now that is a mouthful!

Stacey, have you any pointers on this issue? I've recently been digging
around about this subject and I have to tell you it is really frustrating.
It seems to depend a lot on what brand printer one uses. Since most comm'l
printers use standard profiles, if you send them one done up in aRGB I can
see where one would get back photo's that would be less than satisfactory.

I don't know yet what most programs use for their printer output files and
sRGB can loose a lot of colors depending on what you are looking for. I see
no printer profiles in my computer other than sRGB.

Any clues for one just getting serious about digital photography?
At this point I'd rather do it the "old fashioned way". :)

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ian lincoln - 28 Apr 2006 10:21 GMT

>> don't think much of the print fix plus but the spyder itself and the 2.1
>> software seems okay. It does ask you to do alot of adjustment before the
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Stacey

it was installed by default but i have removed it from startup. only thing
in the folder is the wacom tablet driver.

as for removing gamma completely (there is still an icon in control panel, i
have no idea).

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Siggy - 28 Apr 2006 12:50 GMT

> it was installed by default but i have removed it from startup. only
> thing in the folder is the wacom tablet driver.
>
> as for removing gamma completely (there is still an icon in control
> panel, i have no idea).

It doesn't affect things by being in Control Panel. That is simply a listing
of 'applets' one can invoke on demand.

I am interested in your comments about the Printfix, though, as I am
presently considering such measures to create profiles of various papers I
use in my printer. I really am having difficulty understanding just how a
software only approach can be of any real use. Can you explain how it is
supposed to work, please?

Kind regards
Nigel

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ian lincoln - 28 Apr 2006 16:30 GMT

>> it was installed by default but i have removed it from startup. only
>> thing in the folder is the wacom tablet driver.
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Kind regards
> Nigel

i will use my epson r300 as an example. Go into advanced mode. select icm
in colour control. then tick the 'no colour adjustment' checkbox. you then
print a test image (supplied). there is a control for moving the test print
around the page so you can do for at a timew. once printed you compare to
on screen print. in photoshop. there is a whole array of colour
adjustment, brightness, contrast, lightness slide bars. then print another
one. once happy do a final print and exit. a custom profile is created for
the printer. use it in colourmanagment on the print menu. in the print
driver continue to use the no colour adjustment settings. This is really
only necessary if you don't use epsons own paper and ink. a pack of paper
and six inks later or so and you have paid for it if you go third party.
you can create as many profiles as you like for each paper and ink
combination.

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Siggy - 28 Apr 2006 18:27 GMT

> i will use my epson r300 as an example. Go into advanced mode. select
> icm in colour control. then tick the 'no colour adjustment' checkbox.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> paid for it if you go third party. you can create as many profiles as you
> like for each paper and ink combination.

Ian, thanks for taking the trouble
As I suspected, it is both wasteful on consumables, and too inaccurate for
my purposes.

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ian lincoln - 28 Apr 2006 19:34 GMT

>> i will use my epson r300 as an example. Go into advanced mode. select
>> icm in colour control. then tick the 'no colour adjustment' checkbox.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> As I suspected, it is both wasteful on consumables, and too inaccurate for
> my purposes.

then you want printfix pro. £480. calibrate monitor with sypder 2. then
print out one large array of patches. Then use the colorimeter to scan the
print. hey presto.

given the choice i probably wouldn't buy the same suite again. i would
just go for the spyder 2 for £65.

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Siggy - 28 Apr 2006 19:46 GMT

>>> i will use my epson r300 as an example. Go into advanced mode. select
>>> icm in colour control. then tick the 'no colour adjustment' checkbox.
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> print out one large array of patches. Then use the colorimeter to scan
> the print. hey presto.

Thanks. My supplier wants £493 inc VAT for the PrintFix Pro. Who is yours?

cheers

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bob crownfield - 28 Apr 2006 20:38 GMT

big difference. I do not agree.

the reason for the monitor color balancing
is so that the monitor is trusted color and contrast.
without that, your monitor image means nothing.

I know that with a profiled monitor,
what I output in the file is correct.
not for just one printer,
but for all printers and all websites.

profiling a printer is required
if you want THAT printer to work correctly.
but it must work with a corrected file, not a bad file.

trying to correct a printer for a screen image
when the screen image is not correct does not make sense.

my monitor does not look right with adobe gammaloader.
remove it and the profiled screen is instantly obviously correct.

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Siggy - 28 Apr 2006 22:47 GMT

> big difference. I do not agree.
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> my monitor does not look right with adobe gammaloader.
> remove it and the profiled screen is instantly obviously correct.

Thanks Bob, and no need to worry on my account as I have never disputed the
need for accurate monitor calibration. In fact, you need all your hardware
singing from the same song sheet or there can only be discord. :-D

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