Quality printing directly from an iPad?

[rasworth]

Sometime this year Adobe is supposed to release a Photoshop CC version for the iPad. I realize the limitations of an iPad with IOS, however I'm interested in how much can be done with one in an image workflow.  Lightroom CC and other apps are useful for editing, particularly when on the road, downloading images with a camera connection kit or via WiFi.  However, printing from an iPad is rudimentary, and I suspect iPad Photoshop will finesse the print module, as has Lightroom CC.

I did some quick testing to see if/what I could do between my iPad Pro 10.5 and a Canon Pro-100.  First step was to Dropbox a printer evaluation image to my iPad, my choice being "PrinterEvaluationImage_V002_ProPhoto.tif".  I was gratified to see that the image was displayed properly on the iPad, both initially in Dropbox and after opening in Lightroom CC.  I assume IOS did a conversion from ProPhoto to Display P3.  I also transferred the image to the Camera Roll from Dropbox, did a return trip to my PC with Photosync from the Camera Roll, and the image was intact including the embedded ProPhoto profile.  So far, so good.

From Lightroom CC I exported an unmodified copy of the evaluation image to the Canon print app.  This was the only app I found that let me choose the paper type (only Canon) as well as print size and orientation.  I printed the image directly from the iPad and compared it to one printed on the Pro-100 from my pc using a custom profile.  The results weren't perfect, but not as bad as I expected.

I scanned both prints with no adjustments and combined them in Photoshop, providing some sense of the difference - the top portion of the attached image is the "reference" printed from my PC with a known good profile, and the bottom is the iPad to Pro-100 via the Canon app version.  They match fairly well as to tonality, the iPad one picked up a slight red cast.  Not good enough for high quality work, but not bad.  Hopefully Adobe or someone will make the effort and create a real print app, with profile capability, etc.  The iPad itself has plenty of horsepower, the question will be is there enough incentive to design a print subsystem, or will the iPad only be used for display image (non-print) workflow?

Richard Southworth

[I.T. Supplies]

It's not necessarily a print app, but the functionality of Epson/Canon/HP making drivers that will work properly with the software on a mobile device.  Sometimes it's based on the specs of the device to read the drivers and profiles so the print matches more accurately.  For this reason, when you install Epson drivers on a Mac (or mobile), you need to make sure you install the correct drivers from the file so it can read to the printer correctly.  AirPrint is mainly for mobile (iPhone/iPad) while Standard drivers are for the computer side.

If you get good matches (not perfect) from the methods you do on a mobile device, that's good.  I can't say if Apple and the printer manufacturer's will come up with something soon or on the near future that work more accurately to the profiles of the media so it matches, but that's something you would need to find out with the manufacturer.

[rasworth]

I've found no means to install printer drivers on an iPad/iPhone, just manufacturer specific apps and some third party apps.  AirPrint and all third party apps I believe provide no control at the iPad, what you get is dependent on the default state of the printer, i.e. they drive unconverted RGB values across the interface.  Or maybe they convert to sRGB first.

The Canon app was the only one I found that included a paper selection - my assumption is there is some type of conversion from the iPad image color space, Display P3, to different printer spaces based on the paper selection, although I have no way to make sure.

Richard Southworth

[John Caldwell]

Asking out of ignorance, what benefit would you see in printing from a tablet or phone?


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[digitaldog]

Asking out of ignorance, what benefit would you see in printing from a tablet or phone?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is none per se, certainly concerning the actual output. RGB numbers are RGB numbers no matter if they were sent from a mobile device or a desktop device. Now how well one can preview, edit and soft proof on a mobile device is the main question beside why anyone would want to get the image onto such a device in the first place. But the file is either optimized for output or it isn't and if it is, doesn't matter how those optimized numbers are 'sent' to a printer from any device.

[rasworth]

Can't specify a benefit, best answer for me is "because it's there".  A few years ago the IOS photo editing apps, particularly for raw, were not very capable.  Today we're about to have "full function" Photoshop on an iPad.  Adobe's stated/implied model is mobile synced with desktop, I'm assuming initially we'll be able to edit on either device but serious printing will be limited to the desktop.  However there are a lot of individuals who don't really want to mess with desktop systems, would prefer to do everything from a tablet.

I mainly just want to keep up, see what evolves.

Richard Southworth

[rasworth]

I wish I had a better memory, can't recall how many IOSs ago that one could not ship a 16bit image in ProPhoto to an iPad and expect a reasonable rendition.  At risk of hijacking my own thread, I snapped this with my iPhone, if I dimmed down the iPad slightly it would be an even better match.

"You've come a long way, baby" - extra credit if you can remember where the saying originated.

Richard Southworth

[digitaldog]

Benson and Hedges (Spelling?); nope I checked (close):
https://flashbak.com/youve-come-a-long-way-baby-virginia-slims-advertising-year-by-year-365664/

[rasworth]

Better than I did, all I could recall was cigarette advertising.

Richard Southworth

[HeatherFraser]

I work from the IPad and for me, it is very convenient that I had the possibility to make everything from it. An app that offers to make prints would be really useful for me. More than that, it helps in different businesses and affairs. I appreciate a lot useful things that help you to earn money on them. For example, I found on https://yourmoneygeek.com/apps-that-pay-you-money/ some new apps that offer to get cash for a different easy task. I found it perfect for young people and some elders who always play different games.