Best Source for Paper Profiles

[photolandscape]

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I print with a aging but excellent Epson 4000. I typically use Epson Velvet, Epson Premium Luster, and occasionally some of the uncoated Crane's Museo and Hahnemuhle papers.

 

I have calibrated my monitor carefully. I test the printer regularly to make sure all colors are firing and in register. But I still see some significant differences between my monitor and my prints.

 

Before I try anything else, I'd like to order profiles for 2-3 papers. I have had someone do it locally, but the results weren't great. Does anyone know of a source in the US that they'd heartily recommend as a source for excellent paper profiles? I used Uwe Steinmueller a couple of years ago, and thought his were pretty good. But there must be some other good sources these days.

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[RSL]

Steve, Have you considered Color Vision's PrintFix Pro? Version 2 software is out for that now and it seems to do an awesome job, both for color and black and white. I calibrate my monitor with Spyder 2 Pro and each printer/paper combination with PrintFix Pro. The prints correspond almost exactly with what I see on the screen. The earlier PrintFix was a mess, but the new one is the real thing.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Steve, if the profiles from the paper manufacturer don't work, contact Edmund Ronald. He profiles printers in his business.

 

If you've seen his C1 profiles for the M8, you know how they'd work.

[httivals]

Andrew Rodney, aka the Digital Dog, does the best profiles. (Search Google for his name and digital dog, he'll pop up.) He's being making them for probably 10 years now. He's one of the long-standing Photoshop/color sync gurus. He's one of the inventors of Photokit Sharpener, too. Rodney charges $100 per profile. He uses Bill Atkinson's targets which contain a huge number of patches. I had two profiles made for my Epson 2400 about 6 months ago and they're still spot on. Before going to Andrew Rodney, I tried Cathy's profiles, and they were horrible.

[Jamie Roberts]

Andrew's great, and so is Ethan Hanson over at Dry Creek Photo.

 

I just picked up Print Fix Pro 2. I talked with the president of MOAB paper (now Legion / MOAB) and he was really impressed with it. I have to admit, it does some things that my GM system doesn't--for about one-sixth the price!

 

Once I dig into that I'll let folks know what I think. But if it works as well as everyone says it does, for $499 it's worth it (if you want to do the work, of course )

[eronald]

Andrew's great, and so is Ethan Hanson over at Dry Creek Photo.

 

I just picked up Print Fix Pro 2. I talked with the president of MOAB paper (now Legion / MOAB) and he was really impressed with it. I have to admit, it does some things that my GM system doesn't--for about one-sixth the price!

 

Once I dig into that I'll let folks know what I think. But if it works as well as everyone says it does, for $499 it's worth it (if you want to do the work, of course )

 

Photolandscape -

 

I do paper profiles on a "pay if you like the result" basis. Andrew and Rodney are amongst the best in the field. I'm not going to claim to be better than them. Add Steve Upton at Chromix to the list, too. But profiles are like treatments for backache, you go around until you find one which works well for you, then stay there. My particularity is that I take time over Skype or phone to talk to a potential client and make sure they understand the process.

 

Jamie -

What do you find so good about the Printfix Pro software ?

 

Edmund

[rwfreund]

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i1 photo does a good job and costs just a fraction of a lens.

I make my own and re-do them from time to time as ink and paper lots shift.

I was completely frustrated until I gave in and just bought my own profiling capability.

-bob

 

er, and also it depends on your monitor profile and the print viewing conditions.

[Jamie Roberts]

{snipped}Jamie -

What do you find so good about the Printfix Pro software

 

Edmund, first I have to say that I used the original Print Fix--mini scanner and all--and it was, to be mild about it, absolutely awful. Just terrible. Can I say that again?

 

So imagine my surprise when the MOAB guys showed me some absolutely stunning (and I mean stunning) prints on their newest "fibre" paper (not available yet), and when I asked them how they did it, the president pulled me aside and said that he used PrintFix2.

 

We're talking RIP-like output from the K3 drivers and inks. Perfectly neutral BWs, very detailed colour.

 

From what I could surmise from talking with ColorVision, the included spectro is, evidently, very, very good. But it's the software that sealed it for me, Edmund. You know I have GM PM5, Eye One, and Fuji FFI--and for many tricky papers, the Fuji is hands down the best profile maker of them all.

 

But the profile control over colour and monochrome in the new PrintFix is impressive as all get out. We're talking gray scale balancing and linearisation; custom curves and tones within each profile, and XML output for the whole thing.

 

So given it doesn't cost that much, I thought I'd run it head to head with Fuji and see what it does.

 

(FWIW, PM5 still shifts towards magenta with saturated reds and browns on certain fine art papers with my 4000, which, with matte black, is the same as the K3 set, too. Fuji simply doesn't do this. And you all thought the M8 was the only device with a magenta problem )

[eronald]

But the profile control over colour and monochrome in the new PrintFix is impressive as all get out. We're talking gray scale balancing and linearisation; custom curves and tones within each profile, and XML output for the whole thing.

 

So given it doesn't cost that much, I thought I'd run it head to head with Fuji and see what it does.

 

Jamie - can the software use readings from other instruments ?

I use Monaco for customer profiles, prefer their renderings.

I think we should have that phone conversation latter part of this week ...

Edmund