Got myself an iOne Basic

[tived]

Hi Guys,

Yesterday, my trusty iOne Display2 had died or failed. So off I went to one of local shops to get another one. However while I was at the shop my eye caught this big box with the iOne Basic and I went ahh!!!That should fit the bill, noted when I bought it, that it said Monitor Calibrations. Didn't pay too much attention to this, but on the way home in the car, I was thinking damn that was cheap for a full calibration kit?!! Hmm.

Well, I was thinking of the Extreme kit! Not the Basic. So how do I upgrade this, so I can also calibrate my other devices? Is there someone who know of a better place get this then others, is there something to look out for?
Mainly I am thinking of calibrating my monitors, printers, maybe my camera...don't have a projector.

What are my options here, do I stick with X-rite software.

I would appreciate some help and input here, please

thanks

Henrik

[Czornyj]

Hi Guys,

Yesterday, my trusty iOne Display2 had died or failed. So off I went to one of local shops to get another one. However while I was at the shop my eye caught this big box with the iOne Basic and I went ahh!!!That should fit the bill, noted when I bought it, that it said Monitor Calibrations. Didn't pay too much attention to this, but on the way home in the car, I was thinking damn that was cheap for a full calibration kit?!! Hmm.

Well, I was thinking of the Extreme kit! Not the Basic. So how do I upgrade this, so I can also calibrate my other devices? Is there someone who know of a better place get this then others, is there something to look out for?
Mainly I am thinking of calibrating my monitors, printers, maybe my camera...don't have a projector.

What are my options here, do I stick with X-rite software.

I would appreciate some help and input here, please

thanks

Henrik

AFAIK there's a monitor module in i1 basic kit, so you can calibrate & profile the display alredy.
All you need is RGB output module and i1 Ruler for semi-automatic chart scanning.
Then you can get Bill Atkinson Targets:
http://homepage.mac.com/billatkinson/FileSharing2.html
...and follow Eric Chan instructions:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/i1...gets/index.html

As for the camera profiles - if you're using ACR or LR converter, X-Rite ColorChecker Passport is a better solution - so or so you need a CC target to make camera profiles, and you get free DNG camera profile making software with Passport (there's also free DNG profile editor from Adobe).

[rickhatCHROMiX]

Henrik:

Unfortunately, X-Rite does not offer a specific upgrade from an i1Basic to an i1XTreme. The only way to get there is to buy the specific modules that you need (Or return the i1Basic and purchase an i1XTreme). In your case it would seem that you can buy the i1Match RGB ($189) Output or the i1Match CMYK Output Module ($379). The i1Match monitor module is already included in the i1Basic. Regarding Camera profiling, this is a long conversation unfortunately. I'd be happy to discuss it off-line with you.

Here is a link to a list of all available i1Match modules if it helps:
<http://www2.chromix.com/colorgear/shop/productdetail.cxsa?toolid=1158&pid=10449>

You might also consider the ColorMunki Photo or Design. Its a great intermediate device that does it all for half of an i1Basic.
ColorMunki Photo:
<http://www2.chromix.com/colorgear/shop/productdetail.cxsa?toolid=50070&pid=10449>
ColorMunki Design:
<http://www2.chromix.com/colorgear/shop/productdetail.cxsa?toolid=50062&pid=10449>

Hope that helps.

Rick Hatmaker
CHROMiX
866-CHROMiX ext #7

[tived]

AFAIK there's a monitor module in i1 basic kit, so you can calibrate & profile the display alredy.
All you need is RGB output module and i1 Ruler for semi-automatic chart scanning.
Then you can get Bill Atkinson Targets:
http://homepage.mac.com/billatkinson/FileSharing2.html
...and follow Eric Chan instructions:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/i1...gets/index.html

As for the camera profiles - if you're using ACR or LR converter, X-Rite ColorChecker Passport is a better solution - so or so you need a CC target to make camera profiles, and you get free DNG camera profile making software with Passport (there's also free DNG profile editor from Adobe).

Czornyj,

thanks for your reply and links, its much appreciated. I will have to go have a look at those and do a little more reading.

The Basic kit does have the i1 ruler, its the new one, because I have used the old Photo kit too and this ruler is different. Camera profiling isn't high on the list atm, but its interesting, which is what makes me what to play with it :-)

Thanks heaps for your help

Henrik

[tived]

Henrik:

Unfortunately, X-Rite does not offer a specific upgrade from an i1Basic to an i1XTreme. The only way to get there is to buy the specific modules that you need (Or return the i1Basic and purchase an i1XTreme). In your case it would seem that you can buy the i1Match RGB ($189) Output or the i1Match CMYK Output Module ($379). The i1Match monitor module is already included in the i1Basic. Regarding Camera profiling, this is a long conversation unfortunately. I'd be happy to discuss it off-line with you.

Here is a link to a list of all available i1Match modules if it helps:
<http://www2.chromix.com/colorgear/shop/productdetail.cxsa?toolid=1158&pid=10449>

You might also consider the ColorMunki Photo or Design. Its a great intermediate device that does it all for half of an i1Basic.
ColorMunki Photo:
<http://www2.chromix.com/colorgear/shop/productdetail.cxsa?toolid=50070&pid=10449>
ColorMunki Design:
<http://www2.chromix.com/colorgear/shop/productdetail.cxsa?toolid=50062&pid=10449>

Hope that helps.

Rick Hatmaker
CHROMiX
866-CHROMiX ext #7

Hi Rick,

Thanks for your reply. I am in Australia - we are in many ways a 3rd world country, in particular in the west :-) Things don't just happen here, and suppliers don't have to them exotic hardware and software sitting on the shelves :-)
Its the first time I had seen a i1 Pro box. Its ultimately what I am wanting, yet it is probably a little premature, as in I am not quite cashed up to go the full monty on this atm.

I did look at the Munki, thought it would be a step in the right direction, but more of a half step if you know what i mean, or maybe I have gotten it wrong. Ultimately I would in the end of the day like to be able to do full blown profiles, push the equipment to the max, maybe even do it for others. Primary I am doing this to satisfy my own curiosity, yes I am mad :-) Which is want made me buy this kit in the first place, and I think deep down, knew that it wasn't going to have the lot in it, but did think it was able to do more, at least make simpler printer profiles like the Munki.

There is a 50% voucher in my kit, which would be useful if I could get my local supplier to get even a price on the modules, but no, that's not as easy as one would think. The supplier is great, but his supplier is dragging their feet. However, I could imagine I might be better off buying of you. I know of you guys, have read about Chromix and colorthink is on my xmas list too! :-) Here, most if any don't know much more then what is written on the box, I know I am being harsh here.

I am interested primary in the RGB-printer module first, I do, do CMYK file conversions for publishers but I don't think I would need to make CMYK profiles myself even for testing purposes. I am wondering if I could improve my results and maybe send the targets to the printer and then make a profile so I could get a better idea of what is in and out of gamut. I thinking out loud here, so correct me if I am wrong.

Camera profiling. its more because it can, and I think it would be really interesting. In particular if I could profile the camera's so that when shooting in the studio I could improve and ease the color correction stage, when preparing files. I am probably a little in over my head on this one. I would love to hear what you have to say.

Maybe, you can help me answering this, what is the main difference going from the iMatch software to ProfileMaker or similar programs. How much better would the profiles be.

Thanks very much

Henrik

[Pat Herold]

Hi Henrik,

It sounds to me like you're in good shape.  You've got great monitor profiling ability now.  For $189 you can add the ability to profile any RGB printer or any driver-driven printer.  And that's the main thing you were interested in (besides monitor profiling) right now.  I imagine that is what the i1Basic is designed for - you just buy the modules you want as you need them.  One thing that always bugs me about the ColorMunki is that it is a closed system; you can't really get at the measurement data that is used to make the profiles.  In dealing with diagnosing problems all day long here, I find it very useful to be able to have access to measurement data when I'm trying to troubleshoot a color problem on a certain workflow.  i1Match and ProfileMaker are very good for that.  So I think it's great that you were able to pick up a spectrophotometer at (what was apparently) a great price.

If you're concerned about support, that is something Chromix is known for.  We regularly have people around the world who deal with us because we are known, and we provide support for the products when sometimes the local folks don't know as much.  

and then make a profile so I could get a better idea of what is in and out of gamut

I'm not exactly sure what you're saying here, but it sounds like you're wondering if you can send a target to one of your publishers and make a profile that would give you the ability to soft-proof what their process will do to your images.  That is indeed very do-able - even with just an RGB module.

The i1Match software has the same profiling engine as ProfileMaker has. So in terms of quality of profile, i1Match should be the same as with ProfileMaker.  PM has more options for how to build profiles, such as size and shape and rendering intent options.   But even where i1Match is limited, such as in the choice of profiling targets, there are some work-arounds that allow you to use more (larger) targets.

[Alan Goldhammer]

Hi Henrik,
  One thing that always bugs me about the ColorMunki is that it is a closed system; you can't really get at the measurement data that is used to make the profiles.  In dealing with diagnosing problems all day long here, I find it very useful to be able to have access to measurement data when I'm trying to troubleshoot a color problem on a certain workflow.  i1Match and ProfileMaker are very good for that.  So I think it's great that you were able to pick up a spectrophotometer at (what was apparently) a great price.

Not entirely true.  ColorMunki does have the ability to read different color patches and report out values.  You can even use it as a densitometer to get rough Dmax readings.  I did this just this past weekend in looking at the difference in paper settings on my Epson 3880 with a couple of different papers to get the best Dmax.

Alan

[rickhatCHROMiX]

Henrik:

I'll answer in-line below the relevant questions:

There is a 50% voucher in my kit, which would be useful if I could get my local supplier to get even a price on the modules, but no, that's not as easy as one would think. The supplier is great, but his supplier is dragging their feet. However, I could imagine I might be better off buying of you. I know of you guys, have read about Chromix and colorthink is on my xmas list too! :-) Here, most if any don't know much more then what is written on the box, I know I am being harsh here.

If you have an ink-jet printer and are printing through the manufacturers print driver, you probably should start off with the RGB module. When printing photos from Photoshop to an ink-jet, you're really in an RGB workflow.

I am interested primary in the RGB-printer module first, I do, do CMYK file conversions for publishers but I don't think I would need to make CMYK profiles myself even for testing purposes. I am wondering if I could improve my results and maybe send the targets to the printer and then make a profile so I could get a better idea of what is in and out of gamut. I thinking out loud here, so correct me if I am wrong.

To print CMYK or simulate a CMYK profile its usually best using a RIP, which will begin to complicate things. You can do adequate CMYK simulations out of some apps, but if you want adequate CMYK proofs from your printer, you'll need a RIP.

Camera profiling. its more because it can, and I think it would be really interesting. In particular if I could profile the camera's so that when shooting in the studio I could improve and ease the color correction stage, when preparing files. I am probably a little in over my head on this one. I would love to hear what you have to say.

Long conversation, but let me try to summarize. DC profiling can a great way to get exacting image quality and more control, but it can be very complicated and a lot of work for you for possibly a marginal gain. General philosophy is to nail down the color matching of the print and soft-proofing portion of your workflow first. This is where most of the main color problems occur, so it makes sense to focus there first. If after this you still need better input quality, white-balancing in camera will accomplish possibly 90% of your needs. If you still must profile your DC and you work with RAW files, X-Rite Profilemaker v5 DC Module or Integrated Colors ColorEyes 2020 are great DC profiling products. If you are using LightRoom and working with DNG files, the X-Rites ColorChecker PassPort is a great product for only $99 (US).

Maybe, you can help me answering this, what is the main difference going from the iMatch software to ProfileMaker or similar programs. How much better would the profiles be.

Thanks very much

Henrik
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