Should I "upgrade" to i1 Pro or keep my Colormunki

[crwoo]

Hi, I have a Colormunki and I don't think my colors on my printer are as good as they could be so I am wondering If it would be an upgrade if I git the older X-Rite i1 Pro Photo (UV Cut) to replace it? I know it is an old device, but it uses more colors, right? the new version 2 is ways over my budget.

I am running Yosemite and the printers are a Canon iPf8400, Epson 3880, and 3800.

[bill t.]

I use the uv-cutting older model with my 8300 and a 3880, and I'm very happy with the results.  Have never used the ColorMunki.

If you think something is wrong with your ColorMunki profiles, download the manufacturer's profiles for the same papers you have made profiles for.  Compare the two with the gamut volume graphs on iccview.de.  If the shapes look very different, then something may be wrong.

You would need to compare several different profiles to definitely make a conclusion.  I get extremely good agreement with the manufacturer profiles from Museo and Canson, very slight differences with Hahnemuhle profiles, and rather large differences with Breathing Color profiles, comparing those to profiles I create with my iPF8300 and my I1Pro.  That may have to do with the profiling systems those manufacturers use, and also with the condition of my high mileage printer.

Edit: have only used the old i1Pro on Win 7.  Works with the current verion of the PC version of i1Profiler.

[howardm]

Since I'm generally cheap    I think you should probably try either using more patches via ArgyllCMS software and/or getting a custom profile or two made from someone who has/uses an i1Pro.  Argyll is free and custom profiles are roughly $25+ each.  Would you pay $25 to find out if you should invest in an i1Pro?   What country/continent are you located in?

[crwoo]

Bill, thanks for the info, thats kind of what i want to hear.

Howard, im un USA. I will surly try the free software, but before i start paying for software i will probably buy the older i1 and decide which to keep.

[howardm]

what papers (particularly for the 3880) are you interested in re-profiling?  Also, there is some form of optimization step in the Munki software but I dont know how useful it actually is.

[crwoo]

the project i'm currently working on is sublimation. the colormunki imprives the overall colors but I have made 3 new profiles and they are all different. attached is a picture of the nicest one, and if you look at the bottom of the bird's belly there are harsh blue blotches. some pics are a lot worse. perhaps if i would enhance the profile with a few sheets it would improve.

[RHPS]

If you are using sublimation inks I assume that you are transferring the profiling targets to the final substrate to do the measurements? Different substrates may well need different profiles.

It's not easy to tell how "wrong" your profile is from the image you have posted, but it looks to me as if there are some serious problems. Have you printed one of the "standard" test images to get a better overall evaluation?

[crwoo]

Hi, the way the colormunki works is it prints 50 patches and after you scan them it prints a page of another 50 patches. I sublimated those on alum and scanned them. there is an option to improve the profile with more and more patches, which i have not done yet. I am wondering if i would be better off getting the old i1 or continue this with the colormunki.
I have the EFI express that came with the 3880 Designer, but have not installed it yet, and according to EFI website it works with the i1, is that true?

[digitaldog]

The ColorMunki is a good device, I can't see how going back to an older Spectrophotometer would help and think it might be the software rather than the hardware. And that might be an issue due to how the Munki requires a two pass system to operate. If you can't get software support from the measured data, good as the instrument is, you might have to find another solution.

[howardm]

have you uploaded the profile (and maybe an image or two) to iccview.de and looked at the profile shape/volume etc etc?

[crwoo]

no, i have not. truth is i dont know squat about profiles and up till now i have depended on the colormunki's automated process that worked ok. in my case now the colors are so far out that it doesnt work with just a few clicks.

I'm a photographer and own Photoshop cs6 and i have been hearing thats how i should create my profiles. can anyone link me to instructions or training sites to modify existing profiles?

thanks guys, hope I'm not sounding too random but i am kind of confused and am taking advice from a few sources. 

[howardm]

no, i have not. truth is i dont know squat about profiles and up till now i have depended on the colormunki's automated process that worked ok. in my case now the colors are so far out that it doesnt work with just a few clicks.

I'm a photographer and own Photoshop cs6 and i have been hearing thats how i should create my profiles. can anyone link me to instructions or training sites to modify existing profiles?

thanks guys, hope I'm not sounding too random but i am kind of confused and am taking advice from a few sources. 

I appreciate you dont know 'squat' but you're also not doing that much to help us help you.  Not that I'm a wizard but there are people here who are.
As an engineer of many years, here's what's wrong w/ your 'plan'...

You propose to buy a new widget when you dont have a any hard evidence that it's a shortcoming of the device.
You propose to edit a profile (which at best should be left to others) that you dont know is any good or not in the first place.

I stand by my original statement.   Upload, view and take a screenshot and paste it here of the profile with an example image. Use Argyll to create a 1 page target and sublim. onto your substrate and try to make a profile.

[crwoo]

Hi, i am working on making a profile with agryll and will post it

[RHPS]

It might help if you posted one of your Colormunki profiles so that we can have a look at it.

[crwoo]

Attached is the profile. Colors are MUCH improved vs the before, but it has some very harsh colors.

Here is what I am thinking. I use the enhanced matte on my 3880 and that uses WAYS too much ink, I have set the ink load all the ways down to -50 and that still uses too much. maybe that messes with the Colormunki patches?

How would I change the ink load on a profile with photoshop and save it?

[howardm]

the only way (w/o a RIP) is to pick a different base Media Type.  I believe glossy/lustre uses less ink load.


So this profile you uploaded is made from Argyll software or the CM software?

[bill t.]

That's one sick little profile.  It's got a big, inverted sinkhole where the darkest of the dark colors should be.  Looks like you have backed your black ink down to nothing, or you are missing one of the blacks.

What's your nozzle check printout like?

Enhanced Matte is a very ink-hungry paper.  That's part of the reason it looks so nice for the price.

[crwoo]

hmm interesting... what paper do you suppose uses least amount of ink besides plain paper? plain paper max dpi is 320. I have the same black in the matte and gloss black tanks so switching to gloss is possible.

[Wayne Fox]

Here is what I am thinking. I use the enhanced matte on my 3880 and that uses WAYS too much ink, I have set the ink load all the ways down to -50 and that still uses too much. maybe that messes with the Colormunki patches?

Clarification ... you using the enhanced matte setting, but is this for printing on dye Transfer paper?  Or are you printing on the enhanced matte paper?

Calibrating for dye sub is more challenging than regular photo papers because of all the variables.  To make a target you need to print the target image on the transfer paper.  Do the transfer using the exact same temperature and exact same length of time.  If the temperature or time vary at all it will affect the density of the transfer and thus the results/repeatability of using that profile.  After letting the final image cool completely to room temperature you should then be able to read it ... you may even want to wait a day.

As to which media setting/how much ink you should use, the ink manufacturers should have good advice on that. Hard to say with dye sub because you can’t really judge the amount by looking at the printed media, and you usually need to print the image with extra density to get a correct density of the final transfer.

[crwoo]

hi, obviously their customer service isnt as good as it should be otherwise i wouldnt try to figure it out myself.

i need to figure out what paper uses low ink load because when i lowered my ink load most of the colors got a lot better. some still arent nice and im assuming if i lower it more it will help. maybe luster would use less ink.