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Author Topic: Paper Choice for Proof Prints?  (Read 1962 times)

Dinarius

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Paper Choice for Proof Prints?
« on: June 12, 2007, 07:25:09 am »

I just purchased an Epson R2400 a week ago.

Since then, I have been using it with Epson Premium Semigloss in conjunction with the inbuilt profile for this paper.

First impressions are that the results are overall very good. The only difference between what I am seeing on the monitor and what appears in print is a slight increase in contrast and a slight darkening - the difference between reflected and transmitted light perhaps?

What I'd like to know is:

1. Can I tweak the existing profile myself?

2. I will be using the printer for issuing proofs to printers. Should I be considering certain types of paper finish for this purpose?

3. Is it OK to make RGB prints for proofing?

Many thanks.

D.
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pfigen

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Paper Choice for Proof Prints?
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2007, 11:23:28 am »

Before you decide to edit your profile, which is pretty easy to do, make sure that your monitor isn't too bright, especially if it's an LCD. Try to calibrate it down to 100-110 cd/m2 and view your prints with a good D50 viewing light. If, after that, your prints are still too dark, then it's a simple matter to tweak them with something like Gretag's Profile Editor.

If you're talking about doing prepress proofs, then the Premium Semimatte is actually pretty good. I use that a lot myself, and while it's a bit whiter than most of the proofing stock that printing houses use, it's actually closer to the real whiteness of the paper we're printing on.

For doing pre-press proofs, you'll want to convert to your press CMYK profile and then back to your RGB Epson profile in order to simulate the press on the Epson. You have two options when doing the second conversion - Relative or Absolute Colorimetric. Relative leaves the whites alone and Absolute attempts to put the paper white of the press back into your Epson proof - provided, of course, that the Epson paper is actually whiter than the press paper, which it usually is. The only problem is that that white simulation is usually less than perfect and is something else that may need to be tweaked, and THAT tweaking is much more difficult than a basic overall brightness tweak.
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Dinarius

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Paper Choice for Proof Prints?
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2007, 11:54:31 am »

Quote
Before you decide to edit your profile, which is pretty easy to do, make sure that your monitor isn't too bright, especially if it's an LCD. Try to calibrate it down to 100-110 cd/m2 and view your prints with a good D50 viewing light.

For doing pre-press proofs, you'll want to convert to your press CMYK profile and then back to your RGB Epson profile in order to simulate the press on the Epson.
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pfigen,

Many thanks for the reply.

My LCD monitor is calibrated to 120 cd/m2, so it may be a bit bright and that could be my problem.

On your second point, could you please elaborate? Converting to CMYK I understand, converting back again........please explain.

Many thanks.

D.

ps: Will look into semi-matte.
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pfigen

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Paper Choice for Proof Prints?
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2007, 05:07:17 pm »

"On your second point, could you please elaborate? Converting to CMYK I understand, converting back again........please explain."

At some point, if you're using your Epson to simulate your press output, you have to convert your press CMYK to your Epson profile. If you're just using the Epson driver, then it's back to RGB. If you're using a CMYK RIP, you can set the RIP to automatically convert back to the Epson. I prefer to do it all in PS prior to sending the data to the printer, although it is possible to have the driver make the conversion for you.
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