INTRODUCTION

One of the prime concerns of many photographers when producing inkjet prints in the ability to reproduce on paper what is seen on screen. The main reason for this is the simple, but little known fact, that all printers interpret colour differently. Each one has a built-in generic profile that it uses to describe the colour it should produce. This is built in by the manufacturer and, in reality, is a ‘guess’ at what the printer should do. The guess is often wrong.

A profile is essentially a description (a label or tag) of the characteristics of a device. For instance, each time you take a picture with a digital camera it will embed a profile within each image file. This (input) profile will be sRGB or (much better) Adobe RGB 1998. This profile is a description of the colour within that image file, which is a known international standard.

In order to ensure that the colour description is carried through to the printer an output profile needs to be built for each paper that is used on a particular inkjet printer using a particular inkset. An output profile will deliver known, consistent colour to your inkjet printer. This is done by converting the colour values in the input profile accurately to the output profile ensuring that the original colour description is maintained; much like a translation between 2 languages.

Building an output profile is a simple process. However, like most things in life, particularly computing, the process must be set up correctly. The first step in this process is to print a test chart that will be used to create the profile. The test chart is the first building block to creating accurate printer output. It is essential that it is printed using the correct procedure. This is not difficult to do but, if you are unfamiliar with colour management, it can easily be done incorrectly. If printed incorrectly then the subsequent output profile will be incorrect. Following the instructions will ensure that the test chart printing process is carried out correctly and you will be guaranteed consistent, accurate colour each and every time you create a print. This will increase your enjoyment as well as saving time and money in reduced waste of paper, ink and time.

In order for an output profile to work correctly it is essential that the colour management (Color Control) within the printer is switched off. If left on it will conflict with your custom profile resulting in inaccurate colour reproduction. There are many different printers on the market today and many of them use different methods of switching off the colour management within them. Not having experience of them all, we therefore do not know the specific methods they all use. However, we do have experience of some and can therefore give specific instruction on how to set those printers up. Fortunately, these are the most commonly used at this time. For those that we cannot describe it will be your responsibility to ensure that the colour management is disabled.

In order for an output profile to work it must be able to convert from an input profile, as mentioned earlier. In order for an input profile to be available you must use a graphics program that is capable of colour management. The best and most used by digital photographers are Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Elements. Therefore the procedure that will be described for producing the output profile will be using Photoshop. The process in Adobe Elements, which is similar, will also be covered.

It is essential that the test charts are printed correctly so please ensure that you follow the instructions precisely. If you provide an accurate test chart then you will be given an accurate profile. Equally, remember that garbage in = garbage out

If you are new to profiling and colour management it is recommended that you read the accompanying document ‘Colour Management in Photoshop & Elements’ It gives a basic introduction to profiling with a recommendation on setting up your colour policies to enable accurate colour management.

Print the test chart on each paper that you want profiled, complete the Booking Form and post the chart to the address shown at the bottom of the Booking Form.

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

DO NOT CHANGE THE PHYSICAL SIZE OF THE IMAGE

It will fit on 1 sheet of A4 paper

The procedure from this point on will vary depending upon whether you are using Photoshop or Elements and which version of the appliction you are using. All variations will be covered. Additionally, the procedures for setting the printer correctly will differ depending upon which printer you are using and whether you are a PC or Mac user. Procedures with Epson and Canon printers will be covered.

The test chart cannot be printed via Adobe Lightroom. It is not possible to open a file within that application without a profile being embedded. It is essential that a profile is not embedded into the test chart, therefore Lightroom cannot be used.

Procedure for Photoshop CS2

Select File > Print with Preview.

Ensure Fewer Options shows on the button towards the top right. Ensure Color Management is showing in the drop-down

box immediately below the image of the Test Chart. The ‘Document’ should show as Untagged RGB. In the ‘Options’ box select No Color Management.

This is the only time you should select the ‘No Color Management’ option. When printing your own images you should always select ‘Let Photoshop Determine Colors’ and then the correponding printer profile.

Click the Print button. Go to the Printer Section. (Page 5)

Procedure for Photoshop CS3

Select File > Print

Ensure the correct printer is selected, indicated by (1) in the picture on the right. (If you have more than one printer)

Select No Color Managemenent, indicated by (2) in the picture on the right.

Select Page Setup, indicated by (3) in the picture on the right.

Go to the Printer Section (Page 5) to set your printer correctly.

When you come back to this dialog box click Print then Print at the next dialog box.

Procedure for Adobe Elements

(Versions 3, 4)

Ensure that your Color Policies are set correctly, in accordance with the accompanying document ‘Colour Management in Photoshop & Elements'. Open the test chart TC9.18 RGBi1_iO.

If your ‘Color Policies' are set correctly a 'Missing Profile' dialog box will appear on screen. Select ‘Leave as is (don’t color manage)'.

The image will appear on screen in landscape format. You now have 2 options: Either rotate the image to portrait format or leave it as it is and ensure your printer is set to print landscape. If you leave the chart in landscape format then forget to change your printer setting to landscape only half the chart will be printed. The full chart is required in order to be able to measure all the colour patches.

DO NOT CHANGE THE PHYSICAL SIZE OF THE IMAGE

It will fit on 1 sheet of A4 paper

Once you have determined the preferred orientation of the paper select File > Print.

Ensure the Show More Options box is checked.

In the ‘Color Management' area the Source Space should show as 'Untagged RGB'. In the Printer Profile drop-down box you should select Same as Source.

Click the Print button.

Go to the Printer Section. (Page 5)

Mac OSX Users

The following procedures are common to both Epson and Canon printers.

At the ‘Print’ dialog box ensure the correct printer is selected - if you use more than one.

Once the correct printer is selected, click the Copies & Pages drop-down box. Click Print Settings. Select Mode > Advanced Settings. Select Print Quality > Photo 1440dpi.

Click the ‘Print Settings' drop-down menu.

Select Color Management and select No Color Adjustment.

Click the ‘Color Management' drop-down box.

Select Summary and check that the settings are as you have selected.

You can now, if you wish, save the settings. Click in Presets and select Save As.... Enter a suitable name for the media being used. In

future you can select the Presets drop-down box and select the setting you have just saved. Note:

In OSX it is important to note that you should always select the Preset even if is showing the the drop-down box. Clicking on it ‘activates’ it.

Click Print.

PC Users - Epson Printers (Models subsequent to the 2100,) (R800/1800, R2400, R200/R300 etc)

Once you have clicked the ‘Print' button in the File > Print with Preview Page in Photoshop (or the Print page in Elements) you will be taken to the Print dialog box.

Select the correct printer, if you use more than one.

Click Properties.

At the ‘Main' tab of the Properties box select Advanced.

The settings shown at the top of the next column are the default settings. They show ‘Color controls’ selected which means the printer is utilising the in-built Epson profile. Because you will be managing colour from your graphics application it is essential that this profile is disabled.

The settings shown below are what you should end up

with. Select an appropriate media setting for the paper being used.

Select Best Quality as the print quality. Finally, you can Save Settings.

Once a setting is saved it can be accessed in the future without the need to visit the Properties > Advanced box. The Properties dialog box will show a new button (next to Best Photo) called User. Click that button and any saved settings will be listed.

The parameters within the Saved Setting include the media type, print quality, paper size and orientation. So if you use both A4 and A3 papers you will need to save individual settings for both sizes - and any others you may use.

Printing Pictures Using Your Profile

The procedure to be followed when printing your pictures is very similar to the procedure you used when printing the test chart, with a couple of significant differences.

First, you must ensure that your image file has an embedded profile. Where it was essential that the test chart did not have an embedded profile it is now essential that your image file does If you are importing a file that does not have an embedded profile, your previously set up Color Policies will ensure that it will be trapped giving you the opportunity to embed one. The ‘Missing Profile' dialog box will open and you can then apply your Working Space profile. Once this is embedded it will stay with the file.

Once you click OK the file will open.

As previously select File > Print with Preview.

CS3 users should select File > Print

The second significant procedural difference is applied on this dialog box. The ‘Document' will show the embedded profile.

The dialog box on the right vshows the settings in Photoshop CS2 but the procedures for Photoshop 7 and CS as well as Elements are similar.

In the ‘Options' area you should select Let Photoshop Determine Colors. This then activates the ‘Printer Profile' drop down box where you should select the profile that Fotospeed has created for you. if you have more than one profile then you will obviosly select the one appropriate to the particular paper you intend printing on.

The ‘Rendering Intent' drop-down box is also now accessible. By default it should show the rendering intent that you selected when you were setting your Photoshop Color Policies. You can, if you wish change it but do not use anything other than 'Perceptual' or Relative Corimetric'. The other 2 intents listed are inappropriate to photography.

You have now set a ‘Source’ profile and a ‘Destination’ profile and your colour management is now in place. The procedure from this point onwards is exactly the same as it was when you printed the test chart; ensuring you switch off the colour controls in the printer. If you saved any settings previously you can now just select those saved settings ensuring that the correct elements are in place.

In Photoshop versions prior to CS2 and in Elements click in the ‘Print Space’ (where you previously selected ‘Same as Source’) and select the printer profile.