Thanks for checking your ColorSync Utility. As you are printing on Luster you won't notice any differences with Mac CS4 as the default ColorSync Utility profile is Luster and therefore correct for the paper you are testing. However, if you were to exactly recreate my test methodology then you might see what I am seeing. In order to do this you will need to use your Epson SP 9900, matte black ink, Enhanced Matte paper and use the same strip from the i1Match 918 test chart. Your 3800 may be a valid alternative for the tests but I think it would be better to eliminate as many variables as possible. In case you don't have any Enhanced Matte, I will run a few test strips on ordinary copy paper to see if the differences can still be observed.
My theory is that regardless of the chosen media type, PLPP is always being used to determine the ink densities when disabling colour management in Mac CS4. If I am correct then this could imply that the Epson canned profiles contain information on ink density and therefore must be set correctly even when printing test charts with Colour Management disabled. This would explain correct results if I manually change the default profile in ColorSync Utility to the chosen media setting.
Could a few more colour experts offer some comment please? Eric?
Thanks again Wayne,
Ryan
OK ... I think I see where you are coming from. What you are saying is that unless the default colorsync profile is set to a proflie built with the paper type you are choosing in the print settings dialog, the ColorSync default profile will override some setting when printing the target. The only way around that is to reset the ColorSync default Profile to one that was built using the same media type you are going to choose in the Print Settings .. in this case choosing Enhanced matte MK as both the paper type and having ColorSync default set to Enhanced Matte_MK.
In theory, a color profile shouldn't be involved in the ink load. It should be set and controlled by the media type in the print settings dialog, and possibly modified using the Advance media control. In fact, typically with 3rd party papers you have to print test prints using various Epson Media choices to find one that will deliver an appropriate ink load. Perhaps there is something in a profile which modifies this however.
Anyway, I did have a roll of Enhanced Matt laying around. I loaded up Enhanced Matte on my 7900. I printed the EyeOne Match target using CS4/10.5.6 with all settings like I would normally do. The target appeared pretty normal, but admittedly a little "flat" ... to the point that if this were a 3rd party paper I was profiling I would probably have punched up the ink load a little. I then loaded the target into CS1, and using the method I described yesterday printed the target, and sure enough it didn't match. It appeared, as you described, to have more "ink". Most of the darker colors were a little darker, most of the lighter colors were about the same. But visually it was obvious they weren't identical.
I then changed the default ColorSync profile to Epson Enhanced Matte _MK, and printed the target from CS4. It did not match the first CS4 target, as you stated, and it did match the CS1 target.
So at this point I agree there appears to be a problem ... at least with the 79/9900 driver. I may test this with my 11880. Despite all of the correct settings in CS4 and the print driver, if you are trying to print a target with no color management involved at all, it appears to only work if the media type you are choosing in print settings is the same as the media type used for the profile that is the Default ColorSync profile for that printer as set in ColorSync utility. Of course this is assuming the the work around for CS1/10.5 is actually accurate as well.
This doesn't appear to affect actual output ... if allowing Photoshop to manage colors and printing using the correct printing profile, it did not matter which profile was set as the default in ColorSync. It only appears to be a problem when trying to print a target (or anything that is trying to eliminate all color management).
Current work arounds for me appear to be 4 ...
1. Reset the colorSync default profile to one that was built using the media type you are using for the paper you are building the profile for. The question is what if you want to change the inkloads ... does the default in ColorSync over ride this as well? May have to test that.
2. Print from CS1 (and perhaps 2?), making sure the ColorMatching dialog is set to Epson Color Controls (this may not work if these are not set to a default. I don't know enough about them to know where and when Epson Color controls may actually affect the data.)
3. Print from 10.4.11 - it seems to work with CS1, I'm guessing it will also work with CS4 (will test that tonight). It appears all of this is related to Apples change in the printer mechanics introduced with Leopard.
4. Print from XP.
Again, this appears only necessary if trying to print with no color management involved.
Perhaps we should move this over to the Adobe Forums?
