Best way to calibrate printer or tweak icc profile for exact colors?

[brinked]

So I had to calibrate/teak a icc profile the hard way by using my rip software and making minor adjustments until I achieved the greatest results possible.

My question is, what is the best way to create an ICC profile for your specific printer/ink/substrate?

In my case I am using an epson 9890 with sawgrass IQ pro photo dye sub inks.

The icc profile I was set up with is meant for use with my exact roll paper and chromaluxe aluminum.  However, I use my own aluminum panels so they require a different icc profile...one I made by adjusting settings from the chromaluxe profile.

So what would be the best way to calibrate an icc profile for a specific setup?  I am not very experienced with color settings but I am a very technical person and have learned a lot quickly, I just want a point in the right direction.

The way I did it was I scanned my metal print (its a metal gloss finish print so not sure how that effected the accuracy of the scan), then adjusted the curves on it until it looked as close to the original digital image as possible.  And I applied those same curve compensations to the icc profile and got great results that way.

I see a lot of these calibration devices such as the colormunki but I just want to know if there is a industry standard way in doing this.

Thanks

[Wayne Fox]

With dye sub, you would produce a finished target, which includes each step and would end up on the piece of aluminum.  Then you would read that target to create the profile.  With dye sub every step is critical for consistency, including ink/transfer paper/transfer method/pressure/heat/time.  Any of those vary and the result changes.  So once you have the processed nailed down and very repeatable, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to produce a profile as long as  you have a device to measure the patches.  (for example and iSis wouldn't work because you couldn't feed the aluminum sheets through it).

[brinked]

I went ahead and ordered a colormunki.  Does anyone think it will be a problem using an aluminum print?  it is gloss, does that have an effect on the colors?

[jferrari]

I went ahead and ordered a colormunki.  Does anyone think it will be a problem using an aluminum print?  it is gloss, does that have an effect on the colors?

The Colormunki calibrates itself each time you use it and has it's own internal light source. I think you'll be just fine.

[digitaldog]

So I had to calibrate/teak a icc profile the hard way by using my rip software and making minor adjustments until I achieved the greatest results possible.

That's a bit backwards. You calibrate or alter the device to a desired behavior, then profile that behavior. That's what profiles do hence the name.

[brinked]

Digitaldog yes, I know its not the ideal way.  To be fair, I did have a proof positive photo that I had to compare my prints to.  So I kept fine tuning the profile until the colors matched the original photo as much as possible.  I have a pretty good eye for stuff like that.

I did order a colormunki so I am excited to see what that can do.  My only concern is how will it work with the high gloss finish of the aluminum print.  Its pretty similar to a high gloss paper so I am assuming it will turn out ok.

Very excited to start using it.