Question for HP Z3100 users

[MuratC]

Which ICM method should I use when printing photos? It's located under Advanced Tab --> Image Color Mgmt --> ICM Method

The options are: ICM disabled, ICM handled by Printer, ICM handled by Host system.

Thank You

[Jim Cole]

Which ICM method should I use when printing photos? It's located under Advanced Tab --> Image Color Mgmt --> ICM Method

The options are: ICM disabled, ICM handled by Printer, ICM handled by Host system.

Thank You

I use Photoshop CS3 to color manage so my setting on the Z3100 is ICM disabled.

Jim

[Gary Gray]

Same here.

I use Photoshop CS3 to color manage so my setting on the Z3100 is ICM disabled.

Jim

[MuratC]

Thanks for the replies. I understand the reason but if you choose "ICM handled by Host system", won't this mean the color management will be handled by Photoshop. The question is of course what's meant by the "host"

Also isn't it the same thing as in the PS print page?  Color Handling: PS manages Color, Printer manages Color, No Color management

[Jim Cole]

Thanks for the replies. I understand the reason but if you choose "ICM handled by Host system", won't this mean the color management will be handled by Photoshop. The question is of course what's meant by the "host"

Also isn't it the same thing as in the PS print page?  Color Handling: PS manages Color, Printer manages Color, No Color management

The setting referred to in you OP was at the default setting for me. I never changed it. As you described in your last post, it does seem to be redundant to the PS print dialog where you have to set the color management preference again. I really do not know why the setting appears in two places.

Jim

[walter.sk]

The setting referred to in you OP was at the default setting for me. I never changed it. As you described in your last post, it does seem to be redundant to the PS print dialog where you have to set the color management preference again. I really do not know why the setting appears in two places.

Jim

I would guess that "ICM handled by host system" refers to a printer on a multiuser network, with the profiles on a server. I keep my Z3100's default also:  "ICM Disabled."

[MuratC]

I would guess that "ICM handled by host system" refers to a printer on a multiuser network, with the profiles on a server. I keep my Z3100's default also:  "ICM Disabled."

You maybe right. Last night I printed 2 target prints, one with "ICM disabled", another with "ICM handled by Host system" and they came out identical.

[Xanthor]

I use CS3 to print photos.

Since the Z3100 is a fancy printer with built in profiles and a 40gb hd with this in mind I convert the finished photo to the Adobe1998 color profile.  (The z3100 has it built in.)

I then set the option in the printer dialog to let the printer handle colors.

I then set the option in the adobe print menu to let the printer handle the rendering.

If BOTH of these options are not set - the z3100 will not do the work instead Adobe will.

To repeat another way you must tell the printer you intend to let it render and then you must tell photoshop to let the printer render or the printer wont render but rather photoshop will.

With both options set and the profile adobe1998 in the printer and the software on a properly calibrated monitor you will get on the paper what you see on the screen. I'm sure there's more too it (anyone ?) but from what I can tell  this is what the big deal seems to be all about with these settings .... its simply about getting on the paper what you see on the screen... errr on a properly calibrated screen. ...

[howseth]

I do the reverse of Xanthor, in at least one aspect, and get a very close match to my calibrated screens; that is - I also print from Photoshop CS3 and (Adobe 1998), but I do not let the printer handle the color - I make sure Photoshop CS3 is handling the rendering. (using the Perceptual mode, black point rendering checked on. I use the CS3 soft proofing to get the closest match to my profiled paper choice)

Howard

[Xanthor]

Thanks Howard, that is interesting.  It makes me wonder now if there is not a better way to do this or if there is something Im missing about this logic.

So when you say you "soft proof" - does that mean you switch the graphic to the profile from the printer for the paper in adobe and view it on your calibrated monitor?

This logic is fuzzy - let me try to type it out .... Which is better?

1 Do I send the data to the printer as adobe1998 and let it render to the profile it created for the paper OR

2 Do I profile the graphic with the profile the printer created and send it to the printer with that profile and let adobe render OR

3.  The same but let the printer render?

I guess the question is ... is it better to convert your graphic to the profile the printer made for the paper in adobe ?


This logic is fuzzy for me .... seems .... they should all wind you up in the same place.  Or no?  Is one way faster than the other ?

[walter.sk]

Thanks Howard, that is interesting.  It makes me wonder now if there is not a better way to do this or if there is something Im missing about this logic.

So when you say you "soft proof" - does that mean you switch the graphic to the profile from the printer for the paper in adobe and view it on your calibrated monitor?

This logic is fuzzy - let me try to type it out .... Which is better?

1 Do I send the data to the printer as adobe1998 and let it render to the profile it created for the paper OR

2 Do I profile the graphic with the profile the printer created and send it to the printer with that profile and let adobe render OR

3.  The same but let the printer render?

I guess the question is ... is it better to convert your graphic to the profile the printer made for the paper in adobe ?


This logic is fuzzy for me .... seems .... they should all wind you up in the same place.  Or no?  Is one way faster than the other ?

There seems to be confusion throughout this thread, about the purpose of softproofing, profiles, and letting the printer manage color. While I am far from being solid in my knowledge, I do know the following:

1)  Softproofing in Photoshop:  This has 2 purposes.  The first is to see on your monitor a simulation of what your printer, ink and paper will put onto the paper.  this is accomplished by choosing, in the softproof dialogue, the printer/paper/ink profile you will be using.  The second is to tweak that simulation to counteract the changes in level and/or color so that what you finally send to the printer has a better chance of looking like your original optimized image.

2)  When you let the printer manage color the printer will use the profile you have chosen, but you lose the opportunity of tweaking the image to compensate for deviations from you optimized image.  The results may be close to what you want, or not.

3)  If you are so concerned about getting the print to look like what you wanted, the only way to be consistent is to view the softproof, tweak it to maximize the optimization of the print, and let Photoshop (or other printing program) manage the color.  If you have a decent profile for your paper and ink, there will be little needed in the tweaking, and the process is fairly straightforward.

Optimize your image.
In the menus, choose View>Proof Setup>Custom.  In the Device to Simulate, pick your printer/paper profile, do NOT check Keep Color Numbers, or whatever similar phrase is there.  Check Black Point Compensation. Watch your image while you select under Rendering Intent either Perceptual or Relative Colorimetric.  Choose whichever makes your image look better to you. Go down the box to the bottom and check Simulate Paper White, or Paper Color, depending on your version of Photoshop.  On the right of the box, choose Save, and then use a name reflecting your choices.  For example:  HPPremIDSatin_Percep_PapSim.

Then, go to Image>Duplicate, which will bring up a copy of your image as you had optimized it  Go to Window>Arrange>Tile(or Tile Vertically or Tile Horizontally).  You will now have your image as it looks with the softproof selected, next to the original image.  You can now see how you need to adjust the softproofed version to look more like the original version. Adjustment layers for Curves and Saturation will restore some of the the qualities you want.  Select the 1, 2 or 3 adjustment layers and go to the main menu to Layers>Group Layers and make them into a group.  Double click on the name of that layer group and put the same name indicating your printer, paper and rendering intent, and save the file with the layer group.

In the print dialogue, tell Photoshop what profile to use, and for Photoshop to manage the color.  When the printer driver comes up, select Let Application Manage Color, and select Print.  Your final print should resemble the tweaked, Softproofed version of your image much more closely than a print where  you let the printer manage color.

I don't know how to emphasize enough that this is an easy process to learn, and that the best source I know of are Michael Reichmann's and Jeff Schewe's From Camera To Print tutorial on this website, and Andrew Rodney's tutorial, available on his
DigitalDog website (not sure if it is www.digitaldog.com or www.digitaldog.net)

Again, if you are so advanced in your digital work that you are using a major league printer, don't be afraid of stepping up to the plate.  You need to be responsible for your print, and not the printer.

[howseth]

It looks like Walter.sk is doing a somewhat similiar method to mine - except, I do not do the image duplicate, (go to arrange window tile, etc...) to see my soft proofed optimized image. I just switch back and forth between the soft proofed and the non-softproofed screen image - using the "Command Y" keyboard shortcut - though Walter's method might be better.

To match the soft proof to my original non-soft proofed screen image, I generally use both a Hue/Sat adjustment layer and a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer. and then compare, back and forth, with the original screen image.

Howard