Paul
since we make your profiles I thought I'd better chip in to help.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> My original file was transparent, the theory being that if there is
> nothing there, nothing should print!
yeah, transparent prints <white> - try a flatten, you always get a white border.
> Out of interest, I converted this to profile and then selected "same
> as source" in the print dialogue box. When I printed, hey presto, a
> clean background! Is this a correct way of working?
yes it is, see why below. It can sometimes be a better way.
> Do I see the colour management experts on the list holding their
> heads in their hands!?
If that means me - only a bit, only since there's a bit of well meaning
disinformation being generated in replies to this thread.
> For the record, I am using a custom profile - this was made about 18
> months ago. Obviously all my settings are the same as the ones used
> for the original test prints, and as far as I understand my upgrading
> to OSX from OS 9, and using PS 7 makes no difference to how the
> profile works.
It <should> be the same, but occasionally updating an Epson driver has
altered printer performance enough to make a profile less usable. The
update to X has of course necessitated a new driver, so performance
could be different under X. Are you in a position to try back in 9
and compare?
>
> When I convert to profile the whites read 254 254 254. Does this
> suggest that the profile is not working properly or that I am making
> an error somewhere in my workflow?
I'd think you're OK with 254 254 254, as I'll explain later, but
profiling technology moves on, there are new patches [more, better
patches, especially formulated for inkjets] and software improves
constantly of course. It's also true to say that the printer probably
changes a bit as it wears.
> After a posting from Dave Greenwood, I tried converting to profile, then
> selecting same as source in the print dialogue box. This does get rid of the
> tone in the white space.
Good idea
It has been confirmed by gurus at Adobe that the conversion made in the
source/printer section of the printer dialogue box uses a different
engine to convert, probably the default set in the OS prefs. The Adobe
ACE, which we prefer, is only used for conversions inside Adobe
products, I guess that's pretty obvious. But what's not obvious is that
the conversion made in the souce/printer section of the printer
dialogue box is apparently not qualifying as [inside photoshop].
I'm guessing that you've been successfully using the profile but only
get the problem with a multilayered image. Or were multilayered images
OK before OSX? ANyway, I'd suggest that perhaps the conversion done
within the print dialogue is sufficiently different to add some tone
just in those circumstances?
There are implications to profile conversions made on layered images
too, always best to copy and flatten before converting/printing.
It seems that the 254 254 254 you get after an inside Photoshop
converison is not the issue, since you have printed successfully by
converting in Photoshop and using same as source. Which process plainly
uses the 254 white level. However, whatever white level results from a
conversion in the print dialogue is apparently an issue.
That tint in white areas is sometimes the result of a scum dot. Like the Lyson
read me which was quoted here says, multiple profile edits don't help
either, they seem pretty miguided to me unless you're sitting next to a problem printer
that is.
Scum dots can be the result of using profiles with an even number of
grid points in the A>B tags. Newer [well, newer and good] profiling SW
tends to be built with this in mind. I guess I'm saying everything
marches on. [send me the profile if you like and I'll take a look at
the gridpoint numbers].
I'm sure we can do you [and anyone else in this position] a nice deal
for a re-profile with the new driver, the new big patchset and new SW
too. Please contact me offlist if you'd like to do that.
Regards
NeilB
- - - - Consulting in Imaging & Colour Management - - - -
custom scanner and printer profiles, training on Trident & Imacon Scanning
- - - - - we supply Gretag and eyeOne, also XRite & OptiCal - - - - - -
p:44 (0)1273 774704 m:44 (0)7778 160201 http://www.neilbarstow.co.uk/
http://www.apple.com/uk/creative/neilbarstow/
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