What do I need?

[Benny Profane]

I'm going to set up a little studio in a second bedroom. I'm a pro retoucher, so two major pieces of hardware are the new Mac Pro and a high quality monitor. I will also be buying an Epson 7990, I'm pretty sure. Will I be able to print easily off the same Mac Pro through Photoshop? I don't want the extra cost and hassle of a RIP, and don't think I need it, since super color accuracy isn't something I'm striving for (I work and have worked in pre press for years, so I'm familiar with printers on a professional, press proofing level). Just consistent, calibrated color output from files.

What software would be recommended besides Photoshop for printing. if any?

[Paul2660]

LR for printing, as I feel you will get superior results at 360 dpi, which is where you need to be on the Epson.

Paul

[mcpix]

Once you decide which paper you will print on, have someone create a custom ICC profile for your printer. Then, buy an i1 Display Pro to keep your monitor in calibration and you should be good to go.

[dannybirchwood]

If using different papers I have often wondered about buying a colour munki to create my own custom icc profile not sure if this would be of use or if they are as good/better than the custom ones you have made.

[PeterAit]

You definitely need to calibrate your monitor(s), there are several hardware/software packages on the market that will do this. Creating your own printer profiles is, IMO, a waste of time. The "canned" profiles provided by the printer or paper manufacturers are, with rare exception, excellent - why wouldn't they be? Irt's in the interest of the manufacturers to provide the best possible profiles, and believe me, their equipment and the training of their technicians is almost surely above the eq

[mcpix]

I would have

The "canned" profiles provided by the printer or paper manufacturers are, with rare exception, excellent - why wouldn't they be? Irt's in the interest of the manufacturers to provide the best possible profiles, and believe me, their equipment and the training of their technicians is almost surely above the eq

I would have to respectfully disagree. I have used "canned" profiles when I'm using a paper I don't normally use, and yes they work fine. However, if you want to get the best color possible from your printer, a custom ICC profile is the way to go. My full time printer is a Canon IPF 8300. I recently picked up an Epson 4880 that I'm converting to dye sub. Since it came with 1/2 full ink tanks, I decided I would print some comparison prints between the two printers. I used my custom profile on the Canon, and the Epson profile on the 4880. The Epson prints looked fine, but were all slightly too cyan. The Canon prints were dead on. Maybe my profile guy is just that good, but I've always gotten better results with a custom profile.

I was thinking about this the other day. If you just do the little things, this business is actually pretty simple. Recently, I had a customer come in that needed some 12x18s immediately. I brought them up on my monitor, noticed that they looked fine (his photos always do), and then pressed print. In less than 5 minutes they were ready. While looking at the prints the customer remarked "Your pictures always look great, you do such a nice job!" I thought they looked great too. However, it really wasn't any special talent on my part as much as I had all the correct components already in place, a calibrated monitor to check for problems and a custom ICC profile to get consistent results.

[Benny Profane]

I was thinking about this the other day. If you just do the little things, this business is actually pretty simple. Recently, I had a customer come in that needed some 12x18s immediately. I brought them up on my monitor, noticed that they looked fine (his photos always do), and then pressed print. In less than 5 minutes they were ready. While looking at the prints the customer remarked "Your pictures always look great, you do such a nice job!" I thought they looked great too. However, it really wasn't any special talent on my part as much as I had all the correct components already in place, a calibrated monitor to check for problems and a custom ICC profile to get consistent results.

Shhhhhhh……..

I want customers to think this is hard, not push button simple. I know that, once one is set with a good profile, ca-ching. Unless the Epson breaks.

[artobest]

I would have to respectfully disagree. I have used "canned" profiles when I'm using a paper I don't normally use, and yes they work fine. However, if you want to get the best color possible from your printer, a custom ICC profile is the way to go.

True dat. The profile I made last month with my HP Z3200ps's onboard spectro for Hahnemuhle Photo Rag is visibly superior to the canned one, especially in the gradation of darker tones. It's important to get the media setting right, though.

[artobest]

Shhhhhhh……..

I want customers to think this is hard, not push button simple. I know that, once one is set with a good profile, ca-ching.

Oh dear.