Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I thought I would change my Epson 3880 settings to let Qimage take control of the printer colour rather than the printer driver do it.  After much confusion, the result of reading the manual and searching the forums which caused information overload, I think I've got the settings sussed.  Can I confirm that I should alter the paper profile in Qimage whenever I change paper type?  This might imply it doesn't matter which paper type I select in the Printer Setup in the Epson Properties dialogue box.  I'm using Off (no colour adjustment) option also in the Epson Properties box, not the ICM option.  Am I on the right track? 

I've been using Studiio, now starting on Ultimate

I'm away for a 2 or 3 days so please forgive me if I don't respond to any answers in that time.

Sandy

Yes, Sandy, sounds like you are on the right track.
The profile you use is designed for each paper type and printed and ink.
You didn't mention if you use Epson paper, but for the sake of example, if you do, then you need to download all the FREE printer profiles offered for your printer from the Epson site.

The Prem. Glossy is used when you print on EPPG paper, and the Premium Luster profile for the Luster paper, etc. etc.

Fred

Hi Sandy,


You have to set the Epson driver to the same settings as suggested by the supplier of the profile - eg. speed/quality/paper type etc., but then, as you say, no colour adjustmet in driver, and set set 'Ptr ICC' in Qimage (or 'Let printer/driver manage colour' in qimage, and select the profile in the printer driver - which does not allow soft proofing within Qimage).

Best wishes,

Ray

Thanks Fred and Ray.  I loaded the various Epson profiles when I got the printer but I've been using the "Printer manages colour" option so far and have been delighted with the results.  But on the basis of - if things are going well, meddle - I wanted to try the Qimage manages colour option but didn't want to waste a load of paper and ink with nonsense settings.  Anyway, I am back and tried a couple of pictures with Qimage in control and settings as per my earlier post.  These are fine (as you would hope). 

Ray's response puzzled me, possibly because my question wasn't clear.  If I use Qimage manages colour settings and I select the paper profile in Qimage (Lustre, glossy, etc) do I also have to set it in the Epson Printer properties dialogue ie set Lustre in both Qimage AND in Epson printer properties?  I would have thought not.

Sandy

Sandy, Let's make this simple.
In Qimage, you need to select a proper printer profile based on the paper type and printer you have. These profiles come free from Epson.

OK Now have a look at the attached screen snaps.
22 shows the profile in the color management box in Qimage
23 shows how the job property box should look in Qimage when the profile in installed (except yours will say Epson Stylus Pro 3880  etc) See snap 25

Snap 24 shows the driver setting for the 3880.

Let me know if you need clarification.

Fred

Hi Sandy,

You select the icc printer profile in one place only, either in the printer driver, or in qimage, as Fred and I mentioned. If you set it in the printer driver, then you can not use qimage to soft proof the image (search qimage help for 'soft proof'.)

However, the printer driver allows you to select other things too, such as quality, high speed, paper/canvas type, etc. It is important that you set these correctly. This is critical if you are using other brands of papers. If you purchase, say, a Hahnemuhle Photo Rag SATIN, then when you prepare a test print for the supplier to prepare an icc profile for your specific printer, they will tell you the settings for paper type, quality, etc, that are required to make that test print. Subsequently it will be necessary for you to use the same settings for that paper type when you use the icc profile they provide when printing with that paper. It is exactly the same if you prepare your own profiles using, say profile prism, or purchase a profile, or use any profile provided by the paper manufacturer - you must use the correct paper type settings in the driver. In the same way, if you stick with Epson papers, you will not get the best results if you were to set the correct profile for glossy paper, but set the paper type in the driver to 'plain paper', say.

The icc profile is basically a colour conversion lookup table, it does not control anything else, other than the amount and colour of ink to be laid on the paper, sort of. It does not know or care if you are using different paper, ink or printer, it does not set anything up for you. Nothing is physically stopping you from printing using a monitor profile, for example. (you may not 'like' the result, however). Afaik, you can not set paper type in Qimage, only in the printer driver -which you can open from Qimage).

I was pointing out that even if you have correctly installed the profile, other aspects are important, too.

I hope that is a bit clearer now.

Best wishes,

Ray

Sandy, (Ray)
I know Ray means well, and is very knowledgeable, but let's get the system printing properly on good old Epson paper before we tackle the Hahnemuhle, and other expensive papers.
I am waiting for your confirmation that you have seen the screen snaps and have made it to that point OK. Then we will tackle the other settings like Quality, Paper type, speed, etc.
Then we will learn to save that complete setup in Qimage, so you can recall it at the click of a mouse. All the driver settings and Qimage settings that we are working on today will magically reappear in the proper place and ready to print.
We will save a setup for each paper type, and even each paper size and type, and before the week is out, you will be able to click FILE, RECALL, click "P" for printer, and select from a list that you made:
8 x 10 Epson Prem Glossy
4 x 6 Epson Prem glossy,
8 x 19 Epson Prem Luster
and so on and so forth.

If you have more than one printer, you can even make printer setups for your other printers, and Qimage will change printer drivers for you and set that driver up correctly too.

Fred

Thank you gentlemen for your thorough responses.  Sorry, we were grandchild minding yesterday and got back a bit too late for me to check your replies properly.   Fred, my Qimage dialogue boxes correspond with yours and although I haven't used profiles for a non-Epson paper I wouldn't anticipate problems.  I note Fred's reply to a current (2400?) thread re a "generic" profile.  I had seen this setting previously and it had contributed to my initial doubts as to whether I was really doing the right things.  But that's another matter.

From what you, Ray and Fred, say and Fred's response to the current 2400 thread I do need to select paper type in both the Qimage dialogue box AND in the Epson printer set up dialogue box when using Qimage to control colour.  No problem.

I do use the job/file recall facility, especially for Christmas cards, etc.  Very useful - except when your hard disc crashes and you have to construct them again!  Perhaps I'll start a thread on what one could/should back up from Qimage to save reloading jobs, thumbs, etc. 

Sandy

As far as I know, there's no place in Qimage to select paper, unless  you are thinking about getting to the printer driver through Qimage Printer/ Page setup. That's still the printer driver.
The special profile designated /prgb.icm is to be used when you click from within Qimage, Let Printer manage color. That profile is automatic.
That's what I meant when I said, let's keep it as simple as we can.

Fred

Actually, selecting the ICC profile in Qimage is akin to selecting the paper since you need to have the right paper icc selected. In the Epson driver you need to select the right paper "type" to control ink flow, among other things. In the Epson driver, settings in the "media settings" on the "main" page must be correct for the paper you are using. Be sure to set "mode" to "NO color adjustments". That will force Qimage to control the icc profiles. Then set the proper ICC profile in Qimage in the "Job Properties" under PRTR ICC. After you get it, SAVE the settings in Qimage as a Printer Setup.