 - Mitch Spence  Contact Mitch Spence Mitch Spence's Gallery |
How to Use Printer Profiles I am aware that one can sometimes download printer profiles for specific papers and for specific printers. Should I find an appropriate one though, I really don't know how to use it. That is, I don't know where or how to install it, nor do I know how exactly to use it. Help?
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David Earls |
Mitch, If you're using a Windows machine, it's pretty easy. All the ICC profiles go into a single Windows folder, and if you download one, the vendor should provide you with very specific instructions as to where it goes. Using profiles depends on what kind of printer you have - different printers gain access to them different way - and what application you're printing from. There are two ways to use them. You can apply them in image edit mode, and turn color management off when you print; or you leave color management off and invoke the profile when you print. The latter is the more common approach. If you'll post back with some specific information about the application you're printing from and the printer you have, I'm sure someone can help you with specifics.
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- Mitch Spence Contact Mitch Spence Mitch Spence's Gallery |
David, thanks for your response. The information is very helpful. Perhaps the following info will further clarify. I have a Canon i900D printer and Windows. I can print from several programs, including Photoshop 7, Broderbund Printshop, and Nikon Capture. I have not come upon too much in the way of specific profiles for this particular printer--generally they're for a little more recent or higher powered Canon printers--but I'm thinking, since this Canon is a 6 ink tank photo printer, some of those profiles might work also.
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David Earls |
Mitch, Profiles are based first and foremost around inks and paper. Different makes of ink are made differently, and two different brands of ink may be absorbed into the same sheet of paper at different rates - affecting image quality. Likewise, different makes of paper absorb the same ink at different rates - affecting image quality. The third variable in the equation is the printer itself, because two different printers may spray ink differently to the same sheets, and even using the same inks. There are relatively inexpensive software products you can buy to make your own profiles - Prism Magic comes to mind. If you have a reliable, predictable scanner, you can use these products to make your own profiles. The chances of a profile that works for one printer, set of inks, and paper stock working for another set-up seem remote, but anything is possible. Google print profiling and color management - there's a lot of information out there, and a good place to start is with the background. Understanding where you're going is easier if you understand where you're coming from.
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- Mitch Spence Contact Mitch Spence Mitch Spence's Gallery |
My thanks again, David. Whoa, it really does get pretty complex, doesn't it. I'd just bought some nice watercolor paper for a particular project and with this one especially, I didn't want to waste it unnecessarily while I muddled about. But sometimes, I'm sure, that's the only way to proceed, with experimentation. With certain papers, I've gotten accustomed to their individual peculiarities and can adjust reasonably well to them, but this is a new one. And then, of course, there's always having someone else print it for you. But I will look into it further, as you suggest. And once again, I appreciate your reply.
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David Earls |
Mitch, Color management can get as complicated as you want it to. There's almost no end to it. Is your watercolor paper suitable for inkjet? Most inkjet papers are coated - even the matte sheets. Try cutting a small piece out of one sheet and testing with that - unless the paper is coated, it will probably absorb too much ink, and the colors will get muddy where the ink blends. There are all sorts of specialty art papers made specifically for inkjets. The vendors for these papers almost always have profiles for them - the paper is too expensive to waste.
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- Mitch Spence Contact Mitch Spence Mitch Spence's Gallery |
Yes, it is an inkjet watercolor, by a company called Pictorico. I read some very interesting reviews about their paper and decided to give it a try for a particular print I'd really like to do nicely. I know that the do have some profiles on their site, but as I recall from when I first visited it, there wasn't one for my specific printer, only other Canons. I'll go look again to double check, but I'm pretty sure that's the case. Come to think of it though, they might have suggestions about my printer even if they don't have a specific profile for it. The generalized sheets packed with the paper really aren't specific enough to make one feel very comfortable.
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David Earls |
Mitch, I don't know enough about the Canon printer line, but if there's a Canon printer similar to yours - that uses the same number of inks, for starters, that profile would be a good place st start. You might check the Canon site to see what other models are similar to yours - frequently, printer models vary only by carriage size.
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