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Author Topic: Color Management Decisions, Should I get a spectrophotometer (Canon papers)  (Read 11106 times)

Concord

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I am deciding on a color management system from camera/scanner to print.

I've read on another thread Mr. Schewe saying that EPSON paper profiles are very very good and that a beginner should think twice about making their own. How about Canon profiles?  Are these very good too?

I'll be using less than five paper types once I decide on them.

Should I go with a spectrophotometer, or keep it simple and just colorimeter and use canned profiles, or hire someone else to make them for me.  Budget is a concern.

I would like to avoid getting a colorimeter, using the canned paper profiles and then finding its not good enough, selling it and getting a spectrophotometer as this would be more $$ in the long run.

Using:

DSLR for photography and Cruse scanner for copy
Consumer Dell Monitor (thinking about getting a graphics monitor)
Canon IPF8400
« Last Edit: April 09, 2013, 10:37:11 am by Concord »
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epatsellis

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Canned profiles for the 8400 that I've used so far are very good. There aren't as many (yet) as there are for the 8300 it replaced, but in time there will be. I have an I1pro, print for several other photographers and as of yet, haven't needed to use it. All this, of course, depends on what paper you're using.

Of greater concern to me would be your viewing situation, am I right in assuming you at least have profiled your monitor?
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Rhossydd

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I've read on another thread Mr. Schewe saying that EPSON paper profiles are very very good and that a beginner should think twice about making their own. How about Canon profiles?  Are these very good too?
Yes, the default Canon profiles are pretty good on their OEM papers.
Quote
I'll be using less than five paper types once I decide on them.
Should I go with a spectrophotometer, or keep it simple and just colorimeter and use canned profiles, or hire someone else to make them for me.  Budget is a concern.
The sums should easily sway you. For the price of a decent spectrophotometer and profiling software, you could get a thousand(oops decimal point error there should be a hundred) custom printer profiles made for you and still have enough left over for a monitor calibrator (based on UK prices).
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Consumer Dell Monitor (thinking about getting a graphics monitor)
A more balanced approach would be to get a good monitor and hardware profiling solution, then you'll at least have a benchmark to edit and judge your output from.
Without a good monitor, and the expertise to understand what it's showing you, you're just guessing at how things ought to look.
Making the big investment in spectrophotometers and associated software is really something you only need to consider if you've got a good imaging chain and are still having issues with colour matching.

« Last Edit: August 09, 2013, 03:21:55 am by Rhossydd »
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Tony Jay

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...A more balanced approach would be to get a good monitor and hardware profiling solution, then you'll at least have a benchmark to edit and judge your output from.
Without a good monitor, and the expertise to understand what it's showing you, you're just guessing at how things ought to look.
Making the big investment in spectrophotometers and associated software is really something you only need to consider if you've got a good imaging chain and are still having issues with colour matching.
This is the right approach.
Get the best best monitor that you can and the means to profile and calibrate it correctly.
Without a really good monitor image editing and softproofing becomes a lottery.
Most paper manufacturers (not all though) make very good profiles.

Tony Jay
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alain

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...
The sums should easily sway you. For the price of a decent spectrophotometer and profiling software, you could get a thousand custom printer profiles made for you and still have enough left over for a monitor calibrator (based on UK prices).

A more balanced approach would be to get a good monitor and hardware profiling solution, then you'll at least have a benchmark to edit and judge your output from. Without a good monitor, and the expertise to understand what it's showing you, you're just guessing at how things ought to look.
Making the big investment in spectrophotometers and associated software is really something you only need to consider if you've got a good imaging chain and are still having issues with colour matching.

I doubt you can get a thousand printer profiles made for the price, but a hundred is very likely.  Getting a good profile made by someone else, is not difficult or much work, running and knowing to use the spectrophotometer is some work and a learning curve. 
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marcmccalmont

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One of the best investments I made was the color munki
The monitor profiles and printer profiles are very good
Marc
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Marc McCalmont
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