do HP's OMS paper profiles embed ICC profiles too?

[Mc]

I have downloaded some paper profiles for the HP Z3200 and Epson 7880/7900 from Hahnemuhle so that I could compare the printer's gamut to one another using the same media and also try to soft proof a couple of images in PS. While the profiles made for Epson printers were the classic .ICC the ones made for HP had a different extension, namely OMS.

As far as I know, OMS are paper profiles used to determine the amount of ink laid down on paper depending on the media chosen. I haven't been able to figure out whether the OMS files have an ICC profile embedded and if so how to extract it.

My goal is to read the icc profiles for the Epson and Hp printers using software like Color Think and PS so that I could start comparing the printers' gamut on several media.

btw, I don't currently own either printer...   

Cheers,

Manny

[Ernst Dinkla]

The .oms files will install the ICC profile and many additional settings related
to the printer-ink-paper interaction, like: total ink volume, gloss enhancer
volume, star wheels position, drying time, media name, etc… In short the media preset.

Hahnemühle, Ilford, Moab, etc have them on their sites and so does HP.

Another example that HP coöperates when users want third party papers on the Z models.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

spectral plots of +100 inkjet papers:
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

[Mc]

The .oms files will install the ICC profile and many additional settings related
to the printer-ink-paper interaction, like: total ink volume, gloss enhancer
volume, star wheels position, drying time, media name, etc… In short the media preset.

Thank you Ernst, this sounds great! would you say that these presets are already spot on hence requiring just profiling the printer or is it still worth it to try out all different settings to get a better calibration before profiling?

Regarding the OMS installing the ICC profiles, I tried the HP Printer Utility but to no avail (I don't own the printer yet). Is there any way on the net where I could find just the ICC profiles for the HP and also Hahnemuehle paper? or may be a way to get the icc profiles out of the .OMS without actually owning an HP printer?

I would like to compare the gamut plots from the same paper by Hahnemuehle with Epson, HP and Canon. I have already read hundreds of reviews and seen many 3d plots, and I'm also aware of the fact that 3d gamut plots "don't tell the whole story" when it comes to choosing a printer or even paper for that matter but It would definitely help me out head into the right direction. Soft proofing some of my trickiest photographs with different papers/printers before having to actually buy them is what I'm after here.

so far I have been able to compare Epson and Canon but not HP...

thank you for your help

[Ernst Dinkla]

One would expect some effort by the paper suppliers to get the best results on ink limitation etc for the papers they sell. The same for ICC profiles. In practice the last has not always been the case, not for Epsons either. One advantage is there however, the calibration on the HP Z's at least give a more standard base in combination with the manufacturer's media preset. With HP's papers I could get similar quality from the HP canned profiles and the Z3200 Color Center made profiles. The optional APS software for profile creation didn't improve on that and showed some blue-purple issues with the Z3200 while it was the best profiler solution for the Z3100. So at least the HP canned profiles are good. The HP Hahnemühle Smooth Fine Art paper is  a Photorag clone, the HP HM textured version a HM Wiliiam Turner clone.

You will need a Z3200 user with the HM profiles installed, the profiles are saved both on the printer's harddisc and in the OS profiles map so easy to transfer. Check the Dmax too.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

spectral plots of +100 inkjet papers:
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

[Mc]

Ernst, thank you for all the interesting information you have provided.

With HP's papers I could get similar quality from the HP canned profiles and the Z3200 Color Center made profiles. The optional APS software for profile creation didn't improve on that and showed some blue-purple issues with the Z3200 while it was the best profiler solution for the Z3100.

I remember reading somewhere on this very forum that the APS and the Color Center are based on libraries from different software namely, Profile Maker and Monaco Profiler.
I also remember that the libraries had been switched in recent versions of Color Center. May be that's what is causing the different behavior between APS and the z3100/3200  Can you confirm this? Do you happen to know which libraries are being currently used in the most recent versions of APS and CC on the z3200? thanks

[Ernst Dinkla]

Edit: I went through the profiles made and added some details here.

There is a shift in libraries when you let APS run on the Z3100 and the Z3200. (The Z3100 profile has Monaco in the text, the Z3200 X-Rite, whether that is enough indication?).

Color Center is basically the same on the two models but improved considerably on the Z3200.  The last may also be related to the changed red ink and I think a gamma change on the ink amount in general.
The origin of the CC software is to my knowledge HP labs without X-rite involved but for the spectro hardware. (The Z3100 CC profile has Logo in the text, the Z3200 CC profile has only HP in the text)

Hard to find but straight from the horses' mouth:

http://osdir.com/ml/colorsync-users/2009-05/msg00042.html


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

spectral plots of +100 inkjet papers:
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm