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Author Topic: using iSis  (Read 6458 times)

alifatemi

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using iSis
« on: March 17, 2014, 04:27:05 pm »

Hi. I need to make profile for my printer. I am not satisfied with profiles from paper manufacturers. i like to know if x_rite iSis is easy to work with? Can I use it alone, connected to computer or should I get it and use it with i1photo Pro2 bundle? Shall I buy it or just buy i1 Photo Pro 2 instead? Which one is more accurate. I use it in a professional large format environment with very high demand for fine art quality prints for exhibition and art galleries.
« Last Edit: March 17, 2014, 04:30:09 pm by alifatemi »
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digitaldog

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2014, 04:29:40 pm »

It's super easy IF the targets are printed correctly (to size) otherwise it's a door stop. I love the barcode feature which detects the reference file. It's a USB device connected to a computer.
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alifatemi

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2014, 04:31:14 pm »

It's super easy IF the targets are printed correctly (to size) otherwise it's a door stop. I love the barcode feature which detects the reference file. It's a USB device connected to a computer.

Can I use it alone, connected to computer or should I get it and use it with i1photo Pro2 bundle? Shall I buy it or just buy i1 Photo Pro 2 instead? Which one is more accurate. I use it in a professional large format environment with very high demand for fine art quality prints for exhibition and art galleries.
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digitaldog

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2014, 04:33:38 pm »

You can use any number of products. You just need something like ColorPort (Free) to build and measure targets, then save out CGATs (hopefully spectral data) for another application to build the profiles. You can do this all in X-rite's products too of course.
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alifatemi

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2014, 04:50:11 pm »

So, if I just buy i1Sis, with Color port I can take care of my paper profile making and don't need i1photo Pro. And Color Port can take care of sending batch file to printer to print target( color batch), then scan the print with i1Sis and that's it.Yes?
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digitaldog

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2014, 04:52:23 pm »

So, if I just buy i1Sis, with Color port I can take care of my paper profile making and don't need i1photo Pro. And Color Port can take care of sending batch file to printer to print target( color batch), then scan the print with i1Sis and that's it.Yes?
You still need software to build the ICC Profile. I1Profiler, Copra, Argyll etc.
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alifatemi

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2014, 10:11:34 am »

Is i1Sis worth it the price tag x-rite asks for or i1PhotoPro2 does the job as same with far less price? anybody compare them?
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digitaldog

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2014, 10:46:47 am »

They are two different kinds of devices for differing tasks of measurement. One is an auto Spectrophotometer. The other isn't but can take spot measurements, measurements of emissive displays and ambient light.
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alifatemi

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2014, 06:45:41 pm »

thanks but if I want to use them just for profile making then what? which one is more accurate?
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digitaldog

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2014, 11:16:16 am »

The hardware spec's suggest iSis is more accurate. But we're talking about the number of ICC profiles that can dance on a pin! Pick the tool based on what and how you need to measure. Or put it another way (this will make X-rite happy): buy both. I use both all the time.
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hugowolf

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2014, 11:05:07 pm »

The main problem with iSis is the media thickness limitation of 0.45 mm, which really precludes most 300 g/m2 fine art paper. Canson Rag Photographique 310 g/m2, for example, is 0.466 mm. Cold pressed and textured qualities are even thicker: Arches Aquarelle 310 g/m2 is 0.594 mm and the new Epson Watercolor paper is 0.56 mm.

Brian A
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alifatemi

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2014, 12:10:57 am »

Oh Brian God bless you! I haven't noticed that, I very much use around and above 300gr, that will be a problem then especially on canvas.
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JRSmit

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2014, 02:01:55 am »

Oh Brian God bless you! I haven't noticed that, I very much use around and above 300gr, that will be a problem then especially on canvas.
I use xrite i1photo 2 on my lapers both photo and fine art and are quite happy. I profile papdrs on .y epson 4900. Also the spot measurements is a nice feature.
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Re: using iSis
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2014, 07:07:38 am »

FWIW, I use an i1 Pro with ArgyllCMS to profile papers.  There are two drawbacks relative to an i1sis.  1) you need to read the printed charts manually which is a bit tedious but with practice it's not all that bad (I can read a 1848 patch set in about 15 minutes) and 2) ArgyllCMS, though free software, has a distinct learning curve.  It's a very powerful tool and can generate excellent profiles but it requires the use of the command line as it is NOT a Windows application.  Once you set up the workflow it becomes second nature.
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digitaldog

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2014, 03:28:00 pm »

I've had no issues measuring a lot of canvas on the iSis. But in the end you need either both or at least the i1Pro-2. Today I had to build a profile for metal prints and no way is that going through an iSis! I once did a profile on ceramic tile that was a couple mm thick. To measure 1700 patches, three pages was about 10 minutes. For spot reading, ambient and the like, the i1Pro-2 is (was?) the swiss army knife of Spectrophotometer's with a lot of good 3rd party support (BableColor, SpectraShop etc).
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Czornyj

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2014, 05:18:18 pm »

I've had no issues measuring a lot of canvas on the iSis. But in the end you need either both or at least the i1Pro-2. Today I had to build a profile for metal prints and no way is that going through an iSis! I once did a profile on ceramic tile that was a couple mm thick. To measure 1700 patches, three pages was about 10 minutes. For spot reading, ambient and the like, the i1Pro-2 is (was?) the swiss army knife of Spectrophotometer's with a lot of good 3rd party support (BableColor, SpectraShop etc).

[color geek mode on, so never mind about it]
Andrew - by any chance, do you know if there's any trace of practical advantage of white LED + UV LED illuminator in iSis versuss tungsten + UV LED illuminator + software M0-1-2 simulation in i1Pro2?
[color geek mode off]

If you're not scanning a lot of targets, get i1Pro2 - it's much more universal, and you can use it to calibrate, profile and measure virtually anything. Like Andrew said, it's the swiss army knife of Spectrophotometer supported by virtually anything that has anything to do with calibration, profile making or measurement. And if you're end up scanning a lot of targets, you can also get an iO Robot - it takes more space than an iSis, but does the job in comparable time.
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digitaldog

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2014, 06:21:45 pm »

[color geek mode on, so never mind about it]
Andrew - by any chance, do you know if there's any trace of practical advantage of white LED + UV LED illuminator in iSis versuss tungsten + UV LED illuminator + software M0-1-2 simulation in i1Pro2?
[color geek mode off]
I don't know. What I do know is even the same instruments differ. For example, on just a measurement of white, the iSis Rev C differs from the Rev E by nearly 2.5dE! Why? X-rite 'changed' something inside the newer rev. Is it better? Don't know, it's different. Which kind of illustrates what happens if you go deep into the differences in instruments not only made by the same company, and within the same model but of course different models. I also know if you're doing process control with say Rev C units and you buy a Rev E and don't know there are differences, that will really hose your analysis.

I suspect if you measured the same chart with an iSis and an i1Photo-2 they might differ a lot. Unless the change to the Rev E iSis was to better correlate with the i1P2, don't know. It appears each manufacturer is aiming at a different target here.
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samueljohnchia

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2014, 07:28:28 pm »

I don't know. What I do know is even the same instruments differ. For example, on just a measurement of white, the iSis Rev C differs from the Rev E by nearly 2.5dE!

Andrew, wouldn't measuring something like BCRA tiles be more informative about which specto is more accurate?
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digitaldog

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2014, 07:30:54 pm »

Andrew, wouldn't measuring something like BCRA tiles be more informative about which specto is more accurate?
Don't know how I'd do that with the iSis. And when it comes to accuracy, based on what color aim?
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samueljohnchia

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Re: using iSis
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2014, 08:15:02 pm »

Don't know how I'd do that with the iSis. And when it comes to accuracy, based on what color aim?

What do you mean by color aim?
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