Re: ColorVision output profiling options
Re: ColorVision output profiling options
- Subject: Re: ColorVision output profiling options
- From: email@hidden
- Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 08:42:46 EST
In a message dated 12/12/00 8:13:14 PM, email@hidden writes:
>
It's been a few years since I had the "pleasure" of working with a Rainbow
>
but I don't think it will accept an RGB file.
It's the unpleasurable nature of working with a Rainbow that led me to
suggest not bothering with profiling it properly... what I meant (but did not
explain thoroughly) was that one could probably run an RGB target to the
machine through the required CMYK conversion, then build an RGB profile from
that, and in turn convert RGB images to that space prior to sending then down
the same pipeline... which will get you about as much color correction as
certain types of devices are going to manage anyhow... I can recall doing
this with dyesubs, but not necessarily Rainbow dyesubs. For devices obstanate
enough about their color conversions this scheme is sometimes the only method
that can be used effectively.
What's the upgrade for folks
>
that have ProfilerRGB to the version that does both (or a sidegrade to
>
CMYK)? Color Vision doesn't have a version that does both RGB and CMYK?
>
They
>
should.
They used to have a combined RGB & CMYK Profiler that built fixed setting
CMYK profiles, similar to the fixed CMYK profiling options offered by EZ
Color or WiziWYG. But fixed conversion CMYK has more "features list" value
than "functional" value; if you are sending CMYK files to a CMYK device, you
need control of the ink limits, black generation, UCR, GCR, UCA and other
conversion functions to do it effectively, and to build a meaningful CMYK
profile. So ColorVision went the less popular, but more functional route of
marketing two different products: ProfilerRGB that does only that, and
ProfilerCMYK which offers all the controls noted above; both also include
profile editing tools for adjusting the various hues, satruation, brightness
and contrast of your profiles. ProfilerCMYK is the only affordable profiling
software with these controls, and has been very helpful to many users who own
wide format inkjets with RIPs, color lasers and other such CMYK devices, but
who can't justify the expense of spectrophotometer based profiling. Each of
these products lists for $200US but bundles with the Monitor Spyder and
PhotoCal should be available that effectively lower the price to $150 for the
Profiler software and $150 for the Spyder with PhotoCal software.
ColorVision is attempting to do something about that "can't afford spectro
based profiling" part as well, and is releasing a version of their software
that uses a spectro instead of a flatbed scanner to take its readings. This
will be called ProfilerPro and will offer some of the best output device
profiles possible (for some devices, such as LightJets and Lambdas it appears
to offer absolutely the best available profiles) while still costing well
under a thousand US dollars. This program will offer both RGB and CMYK
profiles, and I am hoping a future version will also include the scanner
based printer profiling capabilities of ProfilerRGB and ProfilerCMYK as well,
so that it is a total package. At the moment there is not a side grade from
ProfilerRGB to ProfilerCMYK, and since prices for ProfilerPro are not
official, no upgrade price to that either, but check ColorVision's website
for final word on that, and to see if any of the bundling deals offered there
would offer reductions for a particular combination.
C. David Tobie
Design Cooperative
email@hidden