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Author Topic: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000  (Read 10285 times)

Alan Goldhammer

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #20 on: August 31, 2017, 07:54:08 am »

If you install the software, you can read the manual (click on "Help" once it's running).
Phil, I don't have that model of printer and was only curious about the manual. ;)  Interesting that there was a similar question over on the ArgyllCMS listserve but about the Canon x000 series of printers which have the same feature.  Canon does have a nice description of this on their website unlike Epson:  http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2016/ipf-pro1000/color-calibration-tool.shtml

Alan
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Daverich

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #21 on: August 31, 2017, 11:46:24 am »

Phil, I don't have that model of printer and was only curious about the manual. ;) 

Alan

I'm not sure which manual you're interested in but if it's for the P5000 it's on the Epson web site under support. The printer only comes with a small Getting Started flyer, the 198 page PDF manual has to be downloaded.
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Daverich

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #22 on: August 31, 2017, 12:19:13 pm »

I agree with Alan. I guess I'm curious as to why are you trying to calibrate a brand new printer back to a known point? New printer tolerances are so tight that it is impossible to distinguish output from two brand new printers.

wondering if that was an old article. As Alan mentioned,  Previous generation printers (we're talking back in the 76/9600 days) varied and tended to drift over time,  so most of us created profiles based on specific machines and calibrated the printers to compensate for the drift.  Not true anymore.  I think you risk messing things up if you jump down this rabbit hole ...

This first time I'm not trying to calibrate a brand new printer BACK to a known point. As shown in the screen grab I posted earlier, the first time the calibration software is run it just records where my specific printer is right now. I assume that if I run the software in the future and something has changed that the printer will be returned to where it was when I first ran the calibration on my printer. Also, as stated in an earlier post, the article I referenced was by Keith Cooper @ Northlight Images in the UK on his experiences with setting up a P5000 printer so, not an old article. Apparently the software to do the calibration was included in his driver installation but it was not included in mine which is why my first post was asking if anyone on LuLa knew where I could get it. My P5000 printer is a replacement for an 11 year old Epson 4800 that recently died. If there was printer drift in my 4800 over the years it wasn't enough for me to be aware of it. My interest in trying the calibration software is because it was mentioned in Keith's article and also because it's physically built into my printer. If you go through the menus on the printer display, there it is. I haven't had problems with printer drift in the past and have no expectations that I'll have them with my new printer in the future. However, I'm a curious person and just wanted to see what it was as long as the printer has the capability to do it. I'm still on the set of starter inks that came with the printer and it's my intent that after I've changed several of them out to print some tests, re-calibrate the printer and print the tests again to see if there's a difference. If people here are interested in what I find out I'll post the results. If not, that's OK too.
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #23 on: September 01, 2017, 02:46:56 pm »

sorry for the misunderstanding.  Keith does a great job, as he points out the main purpose of calibrating for him is because he is trying to insure his profiles work for others.  I’m not quiet sure how this works, unless he re-calibrates frequently before making profiles on new paper to insure there hasn’t been any drift.

I cannot see where in the article it states it came with his printer. He just states what the Calibration software does and shows the icon for it. Keith obviously has it and this is  part of his workflow, but i think he’s the exception. I don’t think the software is provided, most likely because Epson doesn’t see a real purpose for it anymore except for perhaps field technicians. These printers just don’t drift and machine to machine tolerance are very tight.

but i certainly understand your curiosity.

 You’ve managed to get me a little curious as well :).  For example, one question for those in the know who have used the software and happen to be reading this thread. In using the software to record it’s current state, then again to use the software to measure and correct any drift, what is the mechanism where the printer reads the results?  Keith says he didn’t purchase the optional spectro, so I’m not sure how the printer is “measuring” it’s output to set it’s know state, then again measuring and modifying the output to achieve calibration. What exactly is it measuring? Maybe not the output but something physical to do with the head and how it is ejecting droplets?  When installing a new head, one step requires an incredibly long string to be put into the software which varies with each head.  Perhaps this string is setting up the initial calibration based on the new head being put in place, which means they “calibrated” the head without ink in some manner?
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Daverich

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #24 on: September 01, 2017, 03:05:13 pm »

I cannot see where in the article it states it came with his printer. He just states what the Calibration software does and shows the icon for it. Keith obviously has it and this is  part of his workflow, but i think he’s the exception. I don’t think the software is provided, most likely because Epson doesn’t see a real purpose for it anymore except for perhaps field technicians.

Hi Wayne,

I got the software from Epson Australia because it was available as a separate download but for Keith the Calibration software was part of his driver download. This is a screen grab from his post of the section on how to get and install the software for the printer. The Calibration software is the 6th line down in the list. I have no idea why Epson makes it available in other countries and not here. I want to make it clear that I've had no problems with printer/ink drifting in the past and do not expect to have a problem with my new 5000 now. But as long as Epson took the time to physically build calibration into the printer I thought I'd at least look into the process and see what it was.

Dave
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Daverich

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #25 on: September 01, 2017, 03:33:02 pm »


You’ve managed to get me a little curious as well :).  For example, one question for those in the know who have used the software and happen to be reading this thread. In using the software to record it’s current state, then again to use the software to measure and correct any drift, what is the mechanism where the printer reads the results?  Keith says he didn’t purchase the optional spectro, so I’m not sure how the printer is “measuring” it’s output to set it’s know state, then again measuring and modifying the output to achieve calibration. What exactly is it measuring?

I don't have the Spectro either but this screen grab from the User Manual says that the calibration uses the "printers built-in sensors". Watching the printer go through the process it printed a set of patches, then stopped and let the patches dry. At first I thought something had gone wrong but noticed that software said that's what the printer was doing so I let it sit. After a while the print head came out and went back and forth across the patches as if it was reading them. It then printed a second set of patches but I didn't stick around to see if it read them as well. I make no claim to actually understand what the process is, that's just what it looked like. On my printer's display under Printer Status/Calibration Date it now says 08/29/17 18:00 whereas previously that item was blank. After I change out several of the starter inks I'll print some tests, run the calibration again and reprint the tests to see if there are any changes. I don't actually expect there to be but who knows. Maybe. We'll see.

Dave

P.S. In re-reading the installation part of the manual it says that Windows users get a disk with the drivers and indicates that the Calibration Software IS part of the installation. Mac users are instructed to go online to get the drivers. As my printer arrived without any kind of disk I'm not able to verify whether Windows users get the calibration software or not. The manual reads as if they're supposed to however.
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Wayne Fox

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #26 on: September 01, 2017, 04:43:00 pm »

I don't have the Spectro either but this screen grab from the User Manual says that the calibration uses the "printers built-in sensors". Watching the printer go through the process it printed a set of patches, then stopped and let the patches dry. At first I thought something had gone wrong but noticed that software said that's what the printer was doing so I let it sit. After a while the print head came out and went back and forth across the patches as if it was reading them. It then printed a second set of patches but I didn't stick around to see if it read them as well.


interesting.  I had no idea the on board sensor was that “sensitive”.  I assume it must be reading ink loads of individual channels and somehow altering output to standardize the amount if ink being pushed out.  I thought all the sensor was used for was edge detection of the paper.

As far as being included, I never use the install disks. Keith’s screen grab showing that option that you mentioned is from a Mac. Wonder if it’s on the disks, but not in download installs.  And maybe your right maybe just isn’t included by Epson USA but other countries do.

Guess I’ll have to grab a copy and test it a little myself.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2017, 05:12:06 pm by Wayne Fox »
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Alan Goldhammer

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #27 on: September 02, 2017, 09:00:02 am »

I'm not sure which manual you're interested in but if it's for the P5000 it's on the Epson web site under support. The printer only comes with a small Getting Started flyer, the 198 page PDF manual has to be downloaded.
The manual for the calibration utility; this is totally separate from the printer manual and is NOT on the USA Epson site.  This whole thread begs the question about why this utility is not listed on the US Epson site but is on foreign sites.
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Daverich

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #28 on: September 02, 2017, 11:29:26 am »

The manual for the calibration utility; this is totally separate from the printer manual and is NOT on the USA Epson site.  This whole thread begs the question about why this utility is not listed on the US Epson site but is on foreign sites.

Alan,

I got the software from Epson Australia. It didn't come with a user manual. As I noted in an earlier post however, my impression from the user manual is that the setup software on disk for Windows users is intended to include the calibration software. As I didn't receive a disk with my printer I have no way to verify if that's true or not.

Dave
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Daverich

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #29 on: September 02, 2017, 12:35:28 pm »

Ok, I'm not sure whether I should feel stupid right now or not. In fairness to myself, so far I appear to be the only one on this forum who was aware of the Calibration software so I'm pretty sure everyone else here that has a P5000 did exactly the same thing as I did. Even Mark Segal, in his excellent review here on LuLa of the P5000, didn't mention the Calibration software so I'll bet he too did exactly as I did. What I did was this, I've been using Epson printers since a Photo Ex maybe 20 years ago so I know how this is done. I'll just go to Epson.com, look up my printer, dl the software and be done with it. However, when I posted the screen capture of the driver part of the manual in response to Alan, I finally noticed something. I went to Epson.com but the directions specifically say to go to Epson.sn, not .com. No idea where that is but if you DL the software from where Epson tells you to you get everything shown in this screen grab including the Calibration software. Jeez. Mea Culpa.
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Alan Goldhammer

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #30 on: September 02, 2017, 01:32:44 pm »

What you found was the Epson Setup Download site.  So is the calibration utility manual part of the package you just downloaded?
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Daverich

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #31 on: September 02, 2017, 01:50:15 pm »

What you found was the Epson Setup Download site.  So is the calibration utility manual part of the package you just downloaded?

No, as far as I can tell there isn't a manual. Using it is pretty self explanatory however.
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Farmer

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #32 on: September 02, 2017, 06:11:29 pm »

There is a manual.  If you run the software and click on the Help menu, it opens the PDF that I mentioned (which is the manual).  It's packaged in with the installer for the entire application.
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Phil Brown

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #33 on: September 03, 2017, 11:05:42 pm »

What you found was the Epson Setup Download site.  So is the calibration utility manual part of the package you just downloaded?
I downloaded the package, and yes, the calibration software is in it.

I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that the onboard detector is actually sensitive enough to trust with this task.
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Rand47

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #34 on: September 05, 2017, 01:03:13 pm »

I downloaded the package, and yes, the calibration software is in it.

I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that the onboard detector is actually sensitive enough to trust with this task.

+1  It sounds like a maintenance routine for service techs to use for a printer that has gone significantly wonky in how it lays down the ink.  In which case, presumably, the onboard sensor could get it back in the ball park.  This would seem to provide the rationale for why Epson doesn't provide it in the driver package, nor recommend in the user manual that an initial calibration run be conducted on setup. 

Let me say to the OP, however, that this has been a useful discussion in terms of learning some things that I didn't know before.  Never hurts to have a broader understanding of the technology.

Rand
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Rand Scott Adams

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #35 on: September 05, 2017, 08:47:25 pm »

Honestly, guys, just read the user guide that comes when you install the software and it will tell you exactly what it's used for if you're interested - it's too much for me to type out :-)

This has nothing to do with technicians re-calibrating a machine - they use a spectro to do that and a service utility.
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Phil Brown

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Re: Epson Printer Calibration Utility for Epson P5000
« Reply #36 on: December 04, 2018, 11:06:34 pm »

One note, a year later. The color calibration utility doesn't appear on the US site. I did find it on the .au site, but for Sierra, not for High Sierra or Mojave. It appears to function fine with the later Mac software.
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