XRite i1Pro3plus (large aperture) review
XRite brings back polarized, transmissive and large aperture measurements with the i1Pro3plus spectrophotometer.
Quick overview
The i1Pro3plus spectrophotometer contains a new LED illuminant that allows for simultaneous M0, M1, M2 measurement in a single pass. The large 8mm aperture (vs the i1Pro2’s 3.5mm) translates into rich, extreme shadow measurements and averaging of uneven surfaces and large dot patterns.…
Quick 2019 RAID Evaluation
I had a chance to setup a few new RAID systems last week at different client sites. I always like to do a Blackmagic Disk Speed Test and thought it would be fun to share. Manufacturer's speed claims are one thing but real world performance is another, and much more meaningful.
Here's a Drobo 5D3 connected via Thunderbolt 3 on a new, maxed out iMac. This 5 bay enclosure costs $678 without drives and comes with two Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports and one USB 3.0 port.
30 years of Photoshop and counting
I just realized it's been 30 years since I first got my hands on a Photoshop beta in 1989 at MD Anderson's Imaging center in HTX. I never saved that beta but have kept every copy of Photoshop I've ever used since. Here's a screen grab from my application folder:
Every copy of Photoshop since the betas
They kinda screwed up the alphanumeric sequencing with CC but heck, I want to see what happens next.
ChromaMax Part 4: Printer Profiling
The final RIP calibration step is profiling. If the base calibration steps performed beforehand aren’t done properly, you won’t get a get profile. But even if the previous steps are performed perfectly, there is a surprising amount of profiling variables that are important to discuss to ensure we get the best ICC profile possible. ChromaMax targets use bottom weighted patches that allow us to characterize deep shadow color better than traditional targets that distribute patches evenly throughout the tonal range. In the same fashion, its important that we create profiling targets…
ChromaMax Part 3: Printer Total Ink Limiting
The third RIP calibration step is to set the total, combined ink limit of all the channels together. Any given media might be able to hold 100% of any individual ink, but holding 100% of all 4 or more inks simultaneously without bleeding is another matter. With high quality media, there’s also a certain point at which it achieves maximum Dmax. If we use with a higher ink limit than this we’re just wasting ink without benefit. The Chromamax total ink limit step helps us find this precise sweet spot where we’re achieving maximum print quality with the lowest ink consumption.…
ChromaMax Part 2: Printer Linearization
The second RIP calibration step is to linearize the ink channels with their newly restricted ink limits. This generates a set of curves that should produce a tonal response that is rich in shadow color and neutralizes the combined gray axis. The problem here is that many RIPs are still using curve generation algorithms that were created a long time ago and haven’t been updated. These RIPs rely on the final profiling process to “fix” an imperfect linearization, and the results are “good enough” for many. The G7 process introduced an excellent way of automating…
ChromaMax Part 1: Printer Ink Restrictions
The first step to calibrating a printer in a RIP is to set the per channel ink restrictions. The challenge here is that RIPs typically have very poor (or no) tools for determining the optimal settings. The first screen grab below shows a popular RIP that encourages you to set the ink sliders without any guidance whatsoever. Color consultants are pretty good at making educated guesses, or at least have a crude process for getting close. The second screen grab below shows another popular RIP’s Ink Restrictions process where it determines the values automatically, but these settings are…
New Website!
Hey everyone! We just launched a new website that better focuses on communicating our strengths. The recommendations page has a bunch of product recommendations that we often suggest for our clients. And the downloads page has a bunch of updated targets and evaluation images we think printmaking geeks will get a kick out of. We’ve also created a ton of new targets, and evaluation images that allow us to calibrate and evaluate equipment more precisely. New business cards, stationary and client gifts also along with this new look. And we’ve formalized and branded our calibration…
Canon iPF Pro-4000 Review
Canon has taken a great leap forward creating a whole new generation of their aqueous printers that have some exceptional features. Now that the Canon Pro-4000 has just started shipping, I thought I would highlight a few features that I found significant. Roll Feed Unit and Paper Handling The optional roll feed unit can be used as a take up real as we have seen in printers before. But this roll feed unit can also act as a second roll feeder with its own unique paper path to the printing area. With this unit we essentially have double roll support that allows users to keep two different rolls…
Celebrating 25 Years
August 3, 2019articles,commentarycolor management,ICC profiles,xrite,Knoll Gamma,Display calibration,Photoshop 1
25+ years ago I was splitting my time between a job where I was a scanner operator and an apprenticeship with a master printmaker. In the printmaking studio we were making large digital negatives on an imagesetter and using them to make hand-coated platinum/palladium prints in a wet darkroom. Back then everyone was using Photoshop 2 and had CRT monitors. While the color scans coming off the Leaf45 seemed pretty decent after a little color correction in curves, I was frustrated with how different the handmade B&W platinum palladium prints looked in comparison to the same images onscreen.…