Re: Matchlock confusion

[rafeb <rafeb@channel1.com>]

At 03:01 PM 2/5/00 -0800, David Stock wrote:

>Putting aside the daydream of true device independence and pristine image
>data, what do I really need now to have accurate soft proofing and maximum
>utilization of the capacities of my printer/ink/paper? Doctor III to edit my
>existing profiles? (And "preview"/edit my files?) Doctor III and Profiler I
>(so that I can get better profiles to begin with AND preview/edit what is
>already supposed to be color managed? Profiler III and Doctor I?
>
>Whatever option I pick, is this software really that good? Or will spending
>a lot of money and time only gain me another 5%, and force me to continue
>using trial and error for critical work? (Not to mention making me re-edit
>my existing files?)

<much snippage of a great post...>


Ahhh, I sure do sympathize, David!

My only experience with a printer-profiling
package is with Wiziwyg.  What I found is that
it produced very consistent results across 
quite a few paper/ink combinations.

Consistently not to my liking, that is.

So then, what to do?  For a short while, I
made some tweaks to my images (not to the
legacy files, fortunately) to get them to print 
right via Wiziwyg.  And then I thought -- this 
isn't right -- I shouldn't have to do this...

So I've given up on Wizi, at least for the
time being.  The folks at Praxisoft have been
of no use whatsoever.  Version 1.04 was
supposed to "cure" my problem, but it didn't.

I'm now convinced that if you are going to
use ICC output profiles, you must also have a
decent profile editor.  I hear good things 
about Matchlock, but it's not available for
Wintel machines yet.  Supposedly, the latest
version of Monaco EZ-Color is pretty good, too.

I also see some wisdom in the claims of Mssrs.
Tobie and Culbertson, that the best way to do
ones' output (particularly if using profiles)
is through a CMYK RIP.  Again, more escalation
in the tools... and for those of us using the
"non-professional" Epsons (eg., 1160, 1200, 750,
etc.) the choices among such RIPs is slim-to-nil.

Ironically, my best work, and most consistent 
results, have been with Photoshop 4, without profiles 
or "color management" of any sort.  I simply
don't rely on my monitor to predict the colors 
in my Epson prints.


rafe b.


-
Please turn off HTML mail features. Keep quoted material short. Use
accurate subject lines. http://www.leben.com/lists for instructions.