- Can I use a generic printer profile?
- There is really no such thing as a
generic profile. Each Rip or Driver has its own ink
configurations that effect the profile. There are dramatic
differences between them which would cause serious color
inaccuracies.
|
- What is a profile in simple terms?
- In order for the ink to properly lay
down accurate color, it must be told the exact percentages of
each color ink to spray onto the media. A profile must be made
for each Rip (Driver), Media, Ink Set, Printer, and Resolution
combination. The profile creates a Complimentary Data Structure
of the color spectrum that balances the amount of ink sprayed
onto the media, thus producing accurate color.
- Basically all these elements, Rip,
Media, Ink Set, Printer, and Resolution, are Non Linear
and dumb. They do not have the ability to accurately lay down
color. What is basically created is a "Complimentary Non Linear
Controller"
- If without a profile the Greens were
too Magenta and the Magentas were too Green, how would you
control that. A profile can structures the data to be able to
accurately balance every color.
|
- Should I use the widest RGB color space in my image
captures?
- Yes. It never hurts to have a wide
gamut, but understand that it does not mean that you can print
it. An RGB color space such as ProPhoto has an extremely wide
color space and even though new advances in our ink as well as
Epson have increased the printing color space, an RGB color
space is still far greater and will mislead you to how some
colors will print.
- I would always want a larger color
space, because as developments in printing technology improve
the color space potential will also increase. For instance: if
we add more color inks to the mix of our 4 colors, the color
printing space will increase and you may be able to reproduce
colors you were never able to before.
- You view your RGB color space on a
Monitor. A monitor is like a transparency offering great
luminosity. Bright rich colors virtually glow on the screen. A
print is reflective and therefore would not be able to be as
glowing as your monitor. For starters, 255 Blue, Green, and Red
can not be reproduced. They are out of the color printing space.
|
- How do I know if I can reproduce my RGB image?
- First you must learn how to access and
place your profiles. Both Mac and PC have color profile folders.
Mac has ColorSync and PC has Color. The PC Color Profile folder
resides deep in it structure. Here is how to access it. Go the
My Computer/C Drive/WNNT/System 32/Spool/Drivers/Color. These
are the folder that your printing profiles should be placed.
- In Photoshop go to Edit/Color
Settings. Here you can choose your RGB profiles and your CMYK.
If you are printing with CMYK profiles and you have already
placed your profile in the folders described above, then choose
that profile. Close the window and go back to your image and on
your keyboard, for Mac hit Apple Y and on A PC hit Ctrl Y.
Now you are looking at your image through the printing profile.
This is called Soft Proofing. This will show you how the
image will print. Just remember you should be using a calibrated
monitor!
- If you are using a RGB printing
profile, In Photoshop go to View/Proof Colors and choose your
printing RGB profile.
|
- Is my printer a RGB or a CMYK device?
- All printers a CMYK devices, because
they are based on Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black ink. There
are some printers that use more colors, but the basic Primary
group are CMYK. You could not make Yellow from RGB inks.
|
- If my printer is a CMYK device, why must I use a RGB
profile?
- The Driver (RIP) supplied by the
manufacturer hides the CMYK controls from you, so you can not
make your own CMYK profiles.
- When you see a setting such as Premium
Gloss it is the CMYK setup that is hidden from you.
- You must make a RGB profile utilizing
the hidden back end CMYK Profile, ink linearization, and Ink
Limit.
- These settings basically set the
potential gamut.
- If you are using Symphonic
Photographic Ink you should make a RGB profile using a wider
color space than that of your media, such as using Gloss Photo,
instead of watercolor paper. This will help you take advantage
of our wider gamut ink. If you do not know how to make a RGB
profile contact us. We will shortly have training CDs.
|
- Is a CMYK profile better to make than an RGB?
- If you are using a third party Rip,
the answer is yes. Making a CMYK profile takes full advantage of
the dynamics of the ink and media. You can control light to dark
ink blends better, and produce more accurate profiles. That is
why we are offering Giclée
Evolution Rip.
|
- What is a driver and what is a Rip?
- A Rip that comes with a printer is
called a driver. A Rip is the link between the pixel image, line
art, of data containing fonts and the printer that produces the
file using sprays of dots. A Rip converts these files into dot
data. A Rip may have other added features such as layout, color
control, templates, ink control, and much more.
|
- Is it difficult to learn how to make profiles?
- The answer is no. Some experts would
like you to believe that it is difficult, however once you
understand what steps you need to take it becomes almost
mechanical. To make a good profile you need to control the ink
from the Rip. Most of the effort is in setting up the Rip in
order to make the profile. We provide a step by step guide.
|
- Can I buy a good profile maker for less than $150.00
- Can you buy a good lens for little
money, when great lenses cost big bucks. The top end Color
Management packages are somewhat pricey, but they have come down
in cost. Monaco, which we sell, offers their Pulse,
Spectrophotometer, with a profiling package for about $1,500
depending on the particular package. A good spectrophotometer
such as the Pulse costs $1,500 alone. By merely buying the
package without training does not guarantee the making of good
profiles. Making your own profiles will set you free to get
great results from any quality media.
|