Double profiling - Mac & Z3100

[marclw]

I'm almost embarrassed to post this question. I have a pretty good understanding of color management, yet my printer's output appears to be a bit "magentay" when using paper profiles generated by the onboard system.

A bit of background: I'm running the latest version of Leopard on the latest MacPro with 8 gigs ram. I process my photos using Lightroom 2.1 and PSCS4. I do my printing through LR. I have calibrated monitors and have continued to calibrate my Z3100 each month for each of the papers that I print on. So all the ICC profiles are up to date. I also have installed all software and firmware updates to my computer and printer.

Here's the problem. When I let the printer handle color management, all is fine. When I choose to use one of the printer-generated paper profiles, I get that magenta color cast. This really shows up in Caucasian skin tones.

I want to make sure that printer color management is turned off. Where do I make sure that that is done. I'm probably doing something really stupid. Once I make sure that it is off, then I'll run a test print off to see if I have to call HP. Could it be anything else?

Thanks in advance and happy Thanksgiving.

Marc

[rdonson]

Hello Marc,

You turn off printer managed color in the print module in LR and in the HP print driver.

Have you tried softproofing the image in PS CS4 with your paper/profile combination?  What does that look like?

[marclw]

Hey, Ron,sSorry for the delay getting back to you. I am so fricking perplexed . . . .

I have done everything right. I again recalibrated my monitor and my Z3100. I even built a brand new ICC profile to test out my sytem. Yesterday, I had to run off some business cards and, when I printed out of LR 2.1 using the appropriate paper profile, there again was a magenta cast to the prints. Then, when I printed out a set of cards with the printer handling color conversion, the cards printed out perfectly. Then I went back and printed some cards out using the paper profile, moving the magenta slider to "5" + green. The magenta cast was gone, but there was too much green. I shouldn't have to do that at all. I am very close to calling HP and getting them out to check the printer. Yet, letting the printer handle color conversion works fine, so HELP!

I don't know what else to do.

If I didn't have a shaved head, I'd be pulling out my hair.

Thanks in advance,

Marc


p.s., The images preview perfectly in Apple's preview and HP's preview apps. They even preview fine in CS4.

 

Hello Marc,

You turn off printer managed color in the print module in LR and in the HP print driver.

Have you tried softproofing the image in PS CS4 with your paper/profile combination?  What does that look like?

[Doyle Yoder]

I don't know what else to do.

If I didn't have a shaved head, I'd be pulling out my hair.

Thanks in advance,

Marc


p.s., The images preview perfectly in Apple's preview and HP's preview apps. They even preview fine in CS4.

When you choose LR Manages Color or PS Manages Color what is happening in the Color Matching selections in the driver dialog? This is where with the Canon driver it defaults to ColorSync and then there is no way to turn CM off in the driver.

Doyle

[marclw]

Thanks, Doyle. Yes, that is happening. I'm confused. Are you saying that there is no way to turn off CM in the driver when I am letting LR manage the color using the appropriate paper profile? If so, I'm out of luck, right? How can I EVER get rid of that magenta cast? Now, I'm hitting my head against the wall repeatedly . . . .    

When you choose LR Manages Color or PS Manages Color what is happening in the Color Matching selections in the driver dialog? This is where with the Canon driver it defaults to ColorSync and then there is no way to turn CM off in the driver.

Doyle

[Doyle Yoder]

Thanks, Doyle. Yes, that is happening. I'm confused. Are you saying that there is no way to turn off CM in the driver when I am letting LR manage the color using the appropriate paper profile? If so, I'm out of luck, right? How can I EVER get rid of that magenta cast? Now, I'm hitting my head against the wall repeatedly . . . .  

In LR2.1 when you first open LR and go to the print module and then choose Print Setting are the Color Matching selections grayed out? If not you can choose Vender Matching (at least with Canon drivers) and then you should be able to turn off Color Management. You can then choose Print One. But once you do this you will have to close LR and open it again to get the Color Matching back.

The option is the ColorSync Utility work around. Go to the Adobe LR and PS forums and do a search for "ColorSync Utility" for an explanation on how to do this.

Also make sure you have the latest drivers for 10.5. If you driver migrated over from 10.4.x you might want to uninstall them and start over with a clean install of the drivers.

Doyle

[marclw]

In LR2.1 when you first open LR and go to the print module and then choose Print Setting are the Color Matching selections grayed out? If not you can choose Vender Matching (at least with Canon drivers) and then you should be able to turn off Color Management. You can then choose Print One. But once you do this you will have to close LR and open it again to get the Color Matching back.

The option is the ColorSync Utility work around. Go to the Adobe LR and PS forums and do a search for "ColorSync Utility" for an explanation on how to do this.

Also make sure you have the latest drivers for 10.5. If you driver migrated over from 10.4.x you might want to uninstall them and start over with a clean install of the drivers.

Doyle

[marclw]

After a bit, I finally got the time to check this out. I did everything right. Here are two proofs of the same photo. The one on the left is a soft proof of the photo when the driver is set ot "vendor" and LR2 is set to "printer"; in other words, when the printer is handling CM. The one on the right is the proof when I set the printer to "colorsync" and LR to the appropriate paper profile. You will notice that the flesh tones of the print on the left is perfect, while the print on the right has a magenta cast. The magenta appears a bit more strongly on the hard print. Do you think I have to call in HP?? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!   Here are the results:

[attachment=10301:Picture_6.jpg]