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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Help with Printer Profiles (Long Post)
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 09/09/2007 08:42:18 AM · #1
I am very confused about printer profiles. It is either a lot simpler than I think or a lot more complicated.

I use a Canon S820 (6 tank) printer. It is about 5 years old. I have searched for printer profiles but have found none (as the printer is too old).
Of what I’ve read it suggests that you let Photoshop handle the printing process.

When I look at the Photoshop (CS2) Print Preview page I select (under Print) – Document (Profile sRGB IEC61966-2.1)
In the “Options” area I have :
Colour Handling : “Let Photoshop Determine Colurs”
Printer Profile: It is set to Working RGB- sRGB IEC61966-2.1. This is where I’m unsure. Should this be the same setting as the “Document”? When I click on the tab here I get a lot of dropdown choices including “BJ Colour Printing Profile 200” , a host of other settings (LAB, Japan, North America etc) as well as my “Spyderexpress2” (which as far as I know is the monitor calibration – not a printer one). I assume this is where a printer profile would be if I had one.
Rendering Intent: Relative Colormetric”
P
Now to make a printer profile I’m not sure what the procedure is.
In the Canon S820 Preferences in the section where it has Colour Management it has a Automatic or Manual setting. It indicates that it has CNBJPRN2 as the default setting. If I select Manual and go to Add – it again has a heap of profiles including the Spyder2express and a sRGB Color Space Profile. Do I change anything here ?

In the Printer Preferences : (This is where I assume I make the profile) This is the main printer drive page and has 5 main tabs – Main Page; Page Setup; Stamp/Background; Effects; Profiles
On the Main Page it starts off with
Media Type it has a list of Canon Paper types ( Photo Paper Pro; Photo Paper plus glossy; Matte Photo paper; Glossy Photo Paper etc) I assume I select the closest paper to the one I’m using.
Print Quality: This has a list of High; Standard; Draft; Custom (I assume I select High for the best quality prints) If I click on Custom I get a Set Print Quality with 2 tabs. One is Quality (Fast to Fine) I have set on Fine. And Another for Halftoning. 3 settings (Auto; Differ; Diffusion) So should Print Quality be set on High or Custom (Diffusion) ?
Color Adjustment: This has Auto and Manual (which do I select ?) If I click on Manual box I get Color Balance (for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) - I assume I leave these alone (if Photoshop is going to handle the printing);
Intensity (again I assume I leave it alone); Enable ICM (which again I assume I leave unchecked). This comes to the last box which is Print type. I have 4 choices here (Photo, Auto, Graphic, None). Do I chose Auto or None (does None let Photoshop handle the printing ?)

The other pages (Page setup; Stamp/Background; Effects) I have nothing checked.
This leads me to the last page Profiles. On the left side it has Printer Profiles (the only ones listed are Default and Current) On the right side it has Details ( Listing the details of settings in the tabs above – Media Type; Print Quality; Color Adjustment off etc). Under all this it has a Add to Profiles. Click on this and I get List a name; Icon; Description. Is this where I make a profile ? I looked on the Ilford site – they didn’t have a profile for my printer but had a vague setting for S Canon printers which had Media Type: High Gloss Photo Film; Print Quality: High; Color: Auto. Are these the only 3 settings I need to make a profile ?

Long winded I know – but bear with me – I really need it spelt out for me – a step at a time. My questions are:
(1) To make a printer profile, is it as the Ilford site indicated. Done on the Printer Preferences page?
• Basically everything turned off except for Media Type, Print Quality, Color ?
• Should Print Quality be High or Custom (with it set to Diffusion) ?
• Print Type – should this be on Auto, Photo or None (to let Photoshop handle Printing) ?
If I make a profile using the info above and I call it “Haveago2”
(2) In the Canon S820 Preferences do I change the Colour Management to my “Haveago2” profile or leave it as Automatic ?
(3) In the Photoshop Print Preview page do I change the Printer Profile to “Haveago2” or do I leave it as Working RGB-sRGBIEC61966-2.1 (or another setting) ?

Sorry it is so long and I hope it is clear enough.


09/09/2007 09:07:49 AM · #2
Chances are, your printer will be using the sRGB colorspace. I will admit that I didn't make it all the way through your post:)

sRGB is pretty much the standard for most printers, monitors, and commercial photo printing sites.

1) Let photoshop determine colors
2) Decide on your working space. For me, I use Adobe RGB or even better PhotoPro RGB. BUT, there WILL be clipping from these spaces to the sRGB space (primarily in the deep reds). I use Adobe or PhotoPro RGB because I like to see the full gamut of what is there.
3) This leads me to #3, if you work in Adobe RGB or some other non-sRGB space, make sure you SOFT PROOF in the sRGB to make sure that you are printing the colors you want.

Here is my workflow:

I set photoshop to determine colors
I edit my photos in AdobeRGB (PhotoPro for RAWs)
If I want to share my work, I convert to sRGB (you HAVE to for the web)
When I print on my dye-sub printer, I select to soft proof with the DPP-EX50 profile. Make any last edits for gamut clipping and I print.

I can share more optimal settings later when I'm at my main computer.
 09/09/2007 02:41:30 PM · #3
Here are the settings I use:

Note..NONE of this will matter if you don't calibrate your monitor.

Preferences > File Handling
Check Ignore EXIF profile tag (YOU will control this)
Hit OK.

Next, do Edit > Color Settings

Select US Prepress Default (this changes the default space to AdobeRGB

Now, when you are working, look at the lower left of your screen. If you don't see AdobeRGB, click the black triangle. Then Show > Document profile. Work and edit your photo.

When you want to print, select Color Management.
Select Document then, set these options:

Color Handling : Let photoshop determine colors. Hold your mouse over the exclamation point. Read that. VERY IMPORTANT...disable color management (ICM) in your printer driver box!!! Photoshop is doing the work.

Printer profile : If your printer has a specific profile, select it here. I believe you said you didn't have one, so use sRGB

Rendering Intent : Chose relative colorimetric and make sure Use Black Point Compensation is checked.

PRINT. Now, if your printer is indeed in the sRGB space, AND your monitor is calibrated, the print and monitor should look similar. UNLESS, you have some deep reds. They may get mapped to another color.

So, how do you get around this? Hard proofing is what you are doing. Comparing the print to the monitor. But, soft proofing can tell you what will probably happen before you print.

Click View > Proof Setup > Custom. Select sRGB for device to emulate. Rendering intent : relative colorimetrics and black point compensation checked. Hit ok. Look at the top of your screen, you should see RGB with an asterix and then a / and then the profile. If not, hit Control-Y (Command-Y) to SOFT PROOF. This is how it should print out. Now, Go back to the proof setup and change the intent from relative to perceptual. Notice a difference? If not, keep relative. If you do, select the intent you like best.

Now, when you print, your print should match the soft proof.

Other may have a different workflow. This is mine and it works for me.

Paul

09/09/2007 05:25:25 PM · #4
Just found this yesterday myself. It's for 'pros' but has a lot of valuable info for any of us.

go to:
Kodak Professional papers

and click the the ICC tutorial button on the right. It's a video about 15 min long and really does make things clearer. Yes it's about their products, but you'll understand a lot more.

09/10/2007 12:33:12 AM · #5
Thanks Paul
I noticed you use (in your colour setting) "US Prepress Default" and not "North American General Purpose" (which is what mine is set to). Is there a reason for this ?
Also - when I set the Printer (in my case Canon S820) I select my Media type (or nearest) and under that it has "Colour Adjustment" There are two choices (Auto & Manual) - which one should I select ?

Thanks Glen
I had a look at that - very informative. Only trouble is they are using Printer Profiles - which I don't have and is causing me all the confusion.
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