In theory I would go for a more abstract concept with a small gamut color space to assign to "RGB" color toned B&W images, based on eciRGB with the "L" tone curve and for greyscale images I would use the existing QTR Lab greyscale space. Practice with my printers etc says an sRGB color space will be easier, gamut small enough, tone curve quite perceptual, compatibility alright besides the D65/D50 issue. I made an sGRAY space for greyscale images to keep the relation correct.
For B&W printing through a driver's color mode (10-11 inks) and with driver's color management on I like to add an extra profile in the application color management for a more precise perceptual tone range + more precision in the color toning of the B&W prints. Kind of dual profiling on purpose.
The route I have gone so far is using sRGB as a smaller gamut color space to get more precision on the colors in the conversion. The printer is the HP Z3200PS with HP PLC3 Windows driver. The driver's color management, when ON, expects (in default) sRGB. For target printing I use sRGB (perceptual rendering) for the printer profile in Qimage Ultimate. So in this route no profile is active but the driver color management LUT for the paper specified in the driver media preset. The printer is first color calibrated with the normal HP Z3200 calibration tool/target.
There are some reasons why I want to do this. One of them; I discovered that the B&W Dmax is as good (high) using driver's color mode + driver's color management as it is when I use driver's B&W mode + driver's color management (HP's recommendation for B&W printing). With application color management ON (driver CM off) + ICC profiling there always seems to be a loss on the Dmax.
Going this route I printed a QTR linearisation target (2x34 random steps in my case), measured it and created a QTR B&W (RGB kind) profile. That profile replaced the sRGB printer profile in Qimage Ultimate CM for actual printing, perceptual rendering kept. The next 34 step target printed through that path showed an improved perceptual tone range and no loss on the Dmax compared to the first target print and to the best HP calibration black patch.
QTR's profiles do not address more precise color control in the print. In the profile creation I can see the Lab a and b numbers of the target patches and no real a b changes happen between the two target's measurements. No surprise as the driver's color management is only in control of that and acts the same in both print cases.
I would like to create a small gamut target for a small gamut printer profile that is sufficient to color manage color toned and neutral B&W images to prints. Based on my paper white spectral measurements and measurements on a variety of color toned prints, -sepia-cold-brown-split-tone, target patches with Lab values not going beyond a b -11 + 11 from the neuiral spine would be enough. I like to keep the neutral patches on 34 steps, not more, not less. 16 bit depth preferred.
In ArgyllCMS's Targen, what are the settings for creating an RGB-device printer profile target which gives me that added precision on the tone range and color toning? What are the settings for the creation of that profile, measuring settings, white point, etc? This is a kind of last minute iterative profiling in the workflow and should not be different from the use of the iterative profile enhancement step on the near neutrals as already possible in color profile creation. The rendering will stay on perceptual. Measuring device an Eye1 Pro UV enabled.
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htmDecember 2014 update, 700+ inkjet media white spectral plots