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Author Topic: Question - Z3100 Color Management?  (Read 25579 times)
bgrigor
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« Reply #15 on: February 06, 2012, 08:52:34 PM »

You read that he is using an off brand paper for which there is no profile supplied for that specialized paper.

Peters has created a custom profile using the built-in spectrophotometer of the Z3100. I'm running a couple of dozen Z3100-generated custom profiles myself with awesome (according to my clients) results. So this is not an inherent problem unless the medium is one of a very few that are so brightened with OBAs or fluorescing agents that the built-in system can't get a proper reading. I have encountered only one such case in my time and it was one of HP's own canvasses! HP posted a bulletin and I found myself another canvas!

Even so, one would expect even a bad profile to produce the same results from different workflows if they use the  same profile with proper and consistent settings. I think that's the issue here.
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bgrigor
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« Reply #16 on: February 06, 2012, 08:56:04 PM »

Please send me a link to both if you get a chance and i will check when i get back.

Thanks for all the assist.  Appreciate it.

My contact info and a submission link are on my website at http://www.turningpointarts.com. If you prefer to use Dropbox, just drop me an email and I'll invite to a shared folder.

Cheers!

Brad
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Ernst Dinkla
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« Reply #17 on: February 06, 2012, 09:16:24 PM »

Peter, is it possible that the profiles on the printer are out of sync with the profiles on the computer? Because when you choose Prtr ICC = "Let printer/driver manage color" in QU, you're using the profile on the printer. When you choose Prtr ICC = "some profile" in QU, you're using the copy of the profile on the system. It can't hurt to re-sync them using the HP Print Utility Color Center.

Brad

Brad,

My understanding is that it is not that simple, when printer driver CM is used the color management is based on internal LUTs (so not the OEM ICC printer profile) and the driver expects either sRGB or AdobeRGB assigned images. There is not a complete color engine in that driver that will use the OEM profile and can work with more than the two color spaces mentioned. Nevertheless the print results are very close to what Qimage will do with an OEM driver and the same image.

I agree that the integrated spectrometer and Color Center do a decent job in profile creation though not better than the HP profiles for HP media are (they are created with other software). The optional APS software does a better job on the Z3100 in my opinion. On the Z3200 both are equal and better than Color Center on the Z3100, HP improved its own profile creator for the Z3200 while little has been done by X-Rite on APS.

I agree with Fred that Peters should first make prints in as much an identical path as possible with both driver CM and Qimage CM before blaming Qimage CM.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst
Shareware too:
330+ paper white spectral plots:
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
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Fred A
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« Reply #18 on: February 06, 2012, 09:55:30 PM »

Quote
Even so, one would expect even a bad profile to produce the same results from different workflows if they use the  same profile with proper and consistent settings. I think that's the issue here

Brad,
As I understand it, Peter is getting decent prints using Let Printer manage color.
That uses a wide gamut color feed from Qimage and lets the DRIVER invoke whatever setting you use, ICM or Color, Argb or sRGB.
It makes no difference.
If you use the same settings in Photo Shop as in Qimage, same driver settings and paper selection etc, you will get the same color either way.
I have been doing this a long time. I have had to prove, over and over again that there is no such thing as PS prints fine and Qimage with a color shift if all other parameters are set the same.
People just refuse to believe that Photo Shop can fool them. It does. With color  space, with sizing, with saving.... 
People refuse to believe that a profile could be less than perfect too, sometimes corrupt.

We will find the discrepancy, but you have to maintain logic as you make tests.
If I can see the image and ascertain the profile embedded in the image, and also have Peter make a few other prints using HP paper and an HP matching printer profile, we will have the answer.
We might have a bad profile. We might have some kind of brand of paper that doesn't like his inks. We might have a situation where he made a profile with the driver set to color, and prints using the profile with the driver set to Printer OFF.
I don't know the answer.
I do know that all settings equal, and same profile in use, Photo Shop and Qimage will produce the same color.

Brad,
MOST OF THE TIME, (I capitalized for effect to get your attention) I have found in an overwhelming number of issues like this, the person trying to get the prints to come out right, ARE NOT ACTUALLY PRINTING. THEY ARE USING PRINT PREVIEW instead.

That is worthless. As Terry said earlier, there is no color management incorporated in the preview.
I have also been stymied by being told about misguided printer profiles and prints, (Being told: "I get better color using the XYZ profile from RED River paper on my Canon paper than the Canon profile")
After probing I find out that the person with the question found it wasting too much ink or paper to actually make prints so he found it more expedient to use SOFT PROOF instead.
This may be cheaper but not definitive and almost of no value.
So forgive me if I dig my heels in. Experience talking!
Brad, I get, on average, a dozen phone calls a week with similar questions.... I make them print real prints, or don't waste my time!
The results of that are eye openers.... Problems are solved.

Fred
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bgrigor
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« Reply #19 on: February 06, 2012, 11:07:41 PM »

Brad,
MOST OF THE TIME, (I capitalized for effect to get your attention) I have found in an overwhelming number of issues like this, the person trying to get the prints to come out right, ARE NOT ACTUALLY PRINTING. THEY ARE USING PRINT PREVIEW instead.

Well let's hope that's not the case with Peters!  Smiley
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peters
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« Reply #20 on: February 12, 2012, 01:56:25 PM »

I'm back.

According to the Printer the FW is TR12-TR_7.0.0.3  OS TR_2.1.2

Driver is version 61.101.366.41 (from Color Control Panel)  But this is a 2010 driver (HPL3).

Are there later versions of either I should download?

Thanks
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Ernst Dinkla
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« Reply #21 on: February 14, 2012, 08:13:58 AM »

I'm back.

According to the Printer the FW is TR12-TR_7.0.0.3  OS TR_2.1.2

Driver is version 61.101.366.41 (from Color Control Panel)  But this is a 2010 driver (HPL3).

Are there later versions of either I should download?

Thanks

The driver I have is the same version, it is called PCL3 to my knowledge.
Firmware is also the same:  TR. 12-TR_7.0.0.3

I am not aware of a later version and it has not been that long ago that I upgraded the firmware.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst
Shareware too:
330+ paper white spectral plots:
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
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peters
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« Reply #22 on: March 01, 2012, 01:41:09 AM »

ALRIGHT!

It is now printing perfectly with the program handling the color management.

What was the difference you ask?

I was using a Calumet Brilliant Luster paper.  No matter how many times I profiled it, the color management in the program would oversaturate the colors.  The Printer Managed was MUCH better.

Ok, so I figured why fight it.  Went and bought a roll of HP Professional Photo Satin.  Perfect.  In fact the color match when using QImage is MUCH better than the Printer Managed.  Now I know, don't experiment.

So, I am asking this group now,

"Which Satin Papers?"
"Which Matte Papers?"

I really did like the look of the Calumet, it was also about $100 per 100ft. x 24" roll, which was nice.

Please let me know what you are successfully using.

Also, began to get the drive belt breakup issue with the Z3100.  Found a REAL CHEAP solution there and simply put some double-stick tap inside the printer on the metal plate which runs under the drive belt.  Now the droppings, when there are any, are caught by the plate and don't end up on the print.  Eventually I will have to get a new drive belt, but not looking forward to doing the service myself (not going to spend $1,500 that HP wants).

Thanks

Peter
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Ernst Dinkla
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« Reply #23 on: March 05, 2012, 08:43:48 AM »


I was using a Calumet Brilliant Luster paper.  No matter how many times I profiled it, the color management in the program would oversaturate the colors.  The Printer Managed was MUCH better.

Ok, so I figured why fight it.  Went and bought a roll of HP Professional Photo Satin.  Perfect.  In fact the color match when using QImage is MUCH better than the Printer Managed.  Now I know, don't experiment.

So, I am asking this group now,

"Which Satin Papers?"
"Which Matte Papers?"

I really did like the look of the Calumet, it was also about $100 per 100ft. x 24" roll, which was nice.


Peter,

There are no Calumet papers in my SpectrumViz spectral plot collection but given the "Brilliant" I expect it is one of the papers with a very high load of Optical Brightening Agents. Your Z3100 spectrometer does not measure into UV light spectrally and extrapolates the numbers below 400 NM from the numbers between 400 and 700 NM. That may work nicely with low OBA or non OBA papers but not with high OBA paper content. The OBA compensation or what is more often called Fluorescence Whitening Agent compensation build in the profile creator is more suited for the average OBA content.

I am sorry to say that while HP Prof Photo Satin is a very nice paper to print on it also shifts its paper white quite fast in time. The OBA content is high and the OBA degrades fast due to light or oxygen. See www.Aardenburg-Imaging.com tests. In general avoid high OBA content papers and check both the OBA content in my SpectrumViz application and the paper white fading at Aardenburg. That is if you are interested in long term stability of the prints. Aardenburg has a very good test for the Canon Heavyweight Satin Photographic RC paper, Called Glacier Photo Quality in Europe. There are more there that tested quite good but not as good, HP and Epson brands. Some Lasal RC qualities show a similar spectral plot to the Canon ones so may be related but are not tested at Aardenburg.

If you check the spectral plots of matte papers against the HP paper spectral plots in the same matte category you will get an idea what should fit. HP's HM Smooth Fine Art is similar to HM Photorag, the Texture version is similar to HM William Turner. HP's Matte Litho-Realistic is a nice, cheap, heavy paper in itself. not rag though. Tests for all at Aardenburg. There are good and lasting papers ranging from the cheap Red River Aurora Natural rag (dual sided) to expensive Canson qualities with low OBA content that will print good on the HP Z3100 and will profile nicely too. The Aurora will not have the gamut of the Canson Rag Photographique and it has a slightly warmer white but at that price one shouldn't complain.

I will measure the spectral reflectance of papers that are not yet in my SpectrumViz catalog, preferably from two A4 sheets as I also want to measure Dmax from one print too later on. So I can measure the Calumet paper or more types you have that are not in my list. Mail address is at my site.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst
Shareware too:
330+ paper white spectral plots:
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm



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