Does Working Space matter for printing calibration targets?

[tony22]

I suspect this is a dumb question. I've gotten as far as using Argyll to create a 2000+ patch set of targets. I've done this before but I just can't remember. When I open the images in Photoshop to print them out with no color management (so as to read them with my i1Pro), should I open them into my working space (which is normally AdobeRGB)? Or do I preserve the embedded space? Or does it matter really for printing purposes?

[Mark D Segal]

Use the Adobe Color Print Utility (if you are on Photoshop CS5) and follow the provided instructions. Or use the Null Transform technique developed by Eric Chan. You'll find references to the relevant materials on this website.

[tony22]

Hmm, I'm on CS3, a PC, and using a Canon printer. I'm not sure the null transform applies here.

[Wayne Fox]

To print targets, you must not use any color management (would defeat the purpose if you applied a profile to them).  This means they won't be in your working space (or any other space).  The targets themselves should have no imbedded profile, and if Photoshop is set up right, you should get the question this document has no profile with 3 choices when you open them.  You want to choose the one that leaves the document unmanaged.

If you do not see the questions, make sure in your color settings in Photoshop you have checked the boxes about profile mismatches.

Adobes utility I believe is free and does not require a license for any particular version of PS, which is the easiest way to insure you are sending the files to the printer correctly.

[gromit]

To print targets, you must not use any color management (would defeat the purpose if you applied a profile to them).  This means they won't be in your working space (or any other space).  The targets themselves should have no imbedded profile, and if Photoshop is set up right, you should get the question this document has no profile with 3 choices when you open them.  You want to choose the one that leaves the document unmanaged.

Actually it doesn't make any difference whether a profile is assigned on not. Just the data is sent with No Color Management (ah the good ol' days).

[Mark D Segal]

Hmm, I'm on CS3, a PC, and using a Canon printer. I'm not sure the null transform applies here.

You have no problem with CS3, just follow the standard instructions which are available all over the place. What Wayne said above is essentially all there is to it.

[digitaldog]

What’s important is the RGB values used to define the color patches (which the profile software has a Lab value for) be sent to the print path unaltered. The Null profile does that as does the No Color Management option in CS3, and CS4. Since there is no such option in CS5, it always alters the values (not good) so the APCU was created for that task.

[tony22]

Thanks for jogging my memory guys. I do have PS set up correctly, and it did ask about working space conversion just like it should. I just couldn't remember what to do at that point. And of course the targets were printed with no color management in either PS or the print driver.

Now just need to wait a day or so before reading.