I tried a Custom Profile

[digitaldog]

As opposed to clogging the forum with posts related to photography, but actually meaningless? As in "I got a new lens/camera/printer and I am happy with it"?

Why are you here and reading let alone posting if by your own admission, it's meaningless? What's your posting agenda?

Carl Sagan: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".

There isn't anything extraordinary about what the OP reports for experienced users who've actually used custom ICC printer profiles and actually compared them to others. Something I suspect you have no experience with or you wouldn't need visual evidence from (of all items) an iPhone.
In fact, I've produced a video that discusses that not all ICC profiles are created equally. If you can force yourself to:
1. Stay on topic and learn.
2. Wait on desert or dessert.
3. Cease posting about wine and going off topic.
YOU may actually learn something and SEE exactly what a good profile can bring to the party. I don't expect this as your agenda appears to be sh*ting on the OP's post and observation. But none the less, if you're in a rare mode to learn before posting (on or off topic):

Not all ICC profiles are created equally

In this 23 minute video, I'll cover:
The basic anatomy of ICC Profiles
Why there are differences in profile quality and color rendering
How to evaluate an ICC output profile
Examples of good and not so good canned profiles and custom profiles on actual printed output.

High resolution: http://digitaldog.net/files/Not_All_Profiles_are_created_equally.mp4
Low resolution (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNdR_tIFMME&feature=youtu.be

As in "I got a new lens/camera/printer and I am happy with it"?

If you're happy with what you have, be happy that you're happy with what you have!

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Why are you here and reading let alone posting if by your own admission, it's meaningless?...

It is meaningless without a visual comparison. And I am here reading it as I am interested in the visible difference. After all, this is a photography site, not a poetry site, where words would suffice.

[digitaldog]

It is meaningless without a visual comparison.

No, it's not. And you can get a visual comparison once you decide to stop typing and start learning.
A visual comparison of a print, taken with an iPhone, posted in JPEG sRGB compared to looking at the prints is simply silly. It shows you don't understand much about profiles and viewing actual prints either. I suggest you pay the OP to send you prints. Then you'll see what he's actually reporting about. Or actually try making a print with a custom profile and one that's not. I know, that's work and takes from posting nonsense that's also off topic here. I'm sorry that doing your homework takes you from your actual task posting here.

[rabanito]

As opposed to clogging the forum with posts related to photography, but actually meaningless? As in "I got a new lens/camera/printer and I am happy with it"?

Excuse me Slobodan but I put the first posting at least 5 days ago and not a word more until today
Today somebody asked a related question and I answered.
You call that "clogging" ?
Well...
IMHO you are exaggerating a little

[digitaldog]

Excuse me Slobodan but I put the first posting at least 5 days ago and not a word more until today
Today somebody asked a related question and I answered.
You call that "clogging" ?
Well...
IMHO you are exaggerating a little

As the ORIGINAL Poster, I believe you can end his nonsense and lock the thread.

[Alan Goldhammer]

As the ORIGINAL Poster, I believe you can end his nonsense and lock the thread.

+1!!!

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

As the ORIGINAL Poster, I believe you can end his nonsense and lock the thread.

But not before I post a photography-related dessert:

[digitaldog]

But not before I post a photography-related dessert:

Glad to see you finally discovered the difference between desert and dessert. Now if you could learn about profiles (custom or otherwise), all your misunderstandings posted today could be ignored!

[HarveyM43]

Hoping to add to the topic, I just compared the digital outback photo printer evaluation image (http://www.outbackphoto.com/printinginsights/pi048/essay.html) produced with my Canon Pro-10 on Canon Pro Luster using the Canon print profile and  one produced using the colormunki with i1 studio profiling software.  Carefully evaluating the images I noticed a clearly deeper red patch on the colormunki derived print compared to an orangey cast with the Canon profile. This was very slightly noticeable in the strawberries photo. The soft proofs showed the same effect on my '99% sRGB’ capable monitor.  I’d say sticking to Canon’s  printer/profiles/papers isn’t a bad option if you don’t want to use the custom route. (at least in the case here). Eventually I’ll try a larger patch size in ArgyllCMS, but I’m pretty happy with my current prints.     

[digitaldog]

Hoping to add to the topic, I just compared the digital outback photo printer evaluation image (http://www.outbackphoto.com/printinginsights/pi048/essay.html) produced with my Canon Pro-10 on Canon Pro Luster using the Canon print profile and  one produced using the colormunki with i1 studio profiling software.  Carefully evaluating the images I noticed a clearly deeper red patch on the colormunki derived print compared to an orangey cast with the Canon profile. This was very slightly noticeable in the strawberries photo. The soft proofs showed the same effect on my '99% sRGB’ capable monitor.  I’d say sticking to Canon’s  printer/profiles/papers isn’t a bad option if you don’t want to use the custom route. (at least in the case here). Eventually I’ll try a larger patch size in ArgyllCMS, but I’m pretty happy with my current prints.     

Can Slobodan come over to your place after desert or dessert to takes iPhone pics of your prints? 

[HarveyM43]

No, I don't like strange men coming to my home......
 

[HarveyM43]

But here's some screen grabs of the soft proofs- Hopefully they're be mildly informative:

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... with my Canon Pro-10 on Canon Pro Luster using the Canon print profile...

A combination I used to print hundreds of images. Never had a problem with print not matching the screen.

...very slightly noticeable...

Of course, when one uses a different profile, there must be some change visible somewhere. The question is, does it matter? If "very slight," probably not, but if "enormous"... well, that one I would like to see.

It is equally possible that you and I were lucky because we used a manufacturer's paper with their own profile. The OP was using a mismatch, so a custom profile might have indeed resulted in a significant improvement.

[digitaldog]

A combination I used to print hundreds of images. Never had a problem with print not matching the screen.

Well, share it then. Do before/after and take a snap with an iPhone. Easy.

[Rhossydd]

I’d say sticking to Canon’s  printer/profiles/papers isn’t a bad option if you don’t want to use the custom route.

I'd agree that quite a lot of manufacturer's  profiles for their own paper and ink will be good enough that a custom profile isn't really necessary. This is especially so for the professional level printers that have greater quality control.

Where custom printer profiling really comes into play now is when people use non-OEM papers or ink in their printers. Then, as the OP has reported, a custom profile can significantly improve results.

It's also important to be working with a good, well set up monitor and have an understanding of how that displays the image with respect to the limitations of monitor gamut in relation to print gamut.

[nemophoto]

I have produced my own custom profiles for close to 15-years -- long before paper manufacturers started supplying them. (I have regularly been a beta paper tester and have to produce my own profiles since none usually exist.) Even though the canned profiles are sometimes quite good, almost without exception I find my own are better simply because it takes into account my printer, my inks, my papers.

You may find your next step is not to pay someone else, but to produce your own so you don't have to wait for someone else to produce it. The freedom it gives you will be equal to what you experienced going from canned to custom.

[Rhossydd]

The freedom it gives you will be equal to what you experienced going from canned to custom.

That's a big claim.

Results ?I think you'd rarely see any significant quality jump in results by DIY custom profiling.
Convenience ? yes, a bit, but you'll still need to leave test sheets to dry for a while before measuring.
Interest ? if you're just the type that's interested in the colour science and want to experiment with the technicalities, yes it can be a rabbit hole to fall into.
Economics ? For the price of a i1Profiler kit you could buy 100 custom profiles, just how many different papers will you ever use. Let's not mention the time and materials used when starting out.

For photographers that just want great prints and don't want colour management as a separate hobby, just leave it to the pros.

[rabanito]

Results ?I think you'd rarely see any significant quality jump in results by DIY custom profiling.

I agree. At least because  - all other things being equal - I expect that a professional will do a better profiling job than a beginner (me)

In the case of custom vs canned, there are IMO other variables.
Nobody tested with MY printer at Hahnemühle's or the like
The results can be either the same or better. Never worse (assuming pro work)

[D Fuller]

...
It worked with my system. Printing is not a nightmare anymore.
Maybe some other newbie would find it useful.

I did find it useful. Thank you.

[nemophoto]

That's a big claim.

Results ?I think you'd rarely see any significant quality jump in results by DIY custom profiling.
Convenience ? yes, a bit, but you'll still need to leave test sheets to dry for a while before measuring.
Interest ? if you're just the type that's interested in the colour science and want to experiment with the technicalities, yes it can be a rabbit hole to fall into.
Economics ? For the price of a i1Profiler kit you could buy 100 custom profiles, just how many different papers will you ever use. Let's not mention the time and materials used when starting out.

For photographers that just want great prints and don't want colour management as a separate hobby, just leave it to the pros.

Only a big claim if you haven't experienced it. 95% of the canned profiles I have are significantly improved by me creating new ones. Does that mean I don 't use canned? Sure I can and will. But if I don't get the results I want, I do it myself. If you are able and willing to wait for the post office to deliver your print to a profiler, have at it. I never like to wait for anything. And I like immediate results.

I couldn't figure out why a printer (back when I had my old Canon iPF6100) seemed "off" just a tad. I was using a canned profile. I decided to do my own. i1 couldn't complete the chart. I tried numerous times including reprinting. I finally realized BECAUSE I couldn't create a profile that I had an issue going on with one of my print heads and ink. Because it was a 12-ink printer, the deficiencies were being partially masked by some of the other inks. Can you imagine if I'd sent off the profile wedge to someone, had to wait for them to make it, only to be told, we can't use this. Try again?

Again, this is MY personal experience. You obviously view if differently. Oh, and if you just want great prints, why not send the images off to a reputable lab rather than print yourself?