Re: spectrolino8mm
Re: spectrolino8mm
- Subject: Re: spectrolino8mm
- From: email@hidden
- Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 22:29:33 EDT
In a message dated 9/28/01 2:07:25 PM, email@hidden writes:
>
Has anyone tried out the Gretag Spectrolino with the 8mm aperture? Their
>
web site says it's good for large format printers. Is this something I
>
might be needing to read color management charts from super format printers
>
(billboards, truck wrap size printers).
>
>
Thanks
>
Peter Merck
>
Phototype Engraving
>
email@hidden
Peter,
I have been profiling and working with large format printers since 1991.
One of the key factors in a quality production profile is data collection.
Go for the 8MM if you have a chance. It won't hurt and it can only help.
Better integration of the halftone pattern during data collection will
improve your results when generating an ICC profile. I have found that one
measurement with a larger aperture device often gives better results then
multiple reading with a smaller aperture.
The same goes for using a larger aperture device for printer calibration.
My favorite technique is to measure with the 8MM and average multiple data
sets over the width of the large format printer. Also knowing your black
generation
printing parameters is critical for success with large format printers (OK,
any printer for that matter).
3M Commercial Graphics Division with the recent release of its Graphic Maker
5.0 RIP
on Windows (we are not just UNIX anymore) has recently signed an agreement
with Heidelberg for using their CMM and ICC profile generation software,
Printopen. This was done to enable distribution of profiles for our
SCOTCHPRINT large format systems business. If you are not familiar with
SCOTCHPRINT graphics I would suggest visiting the 3M web
site.(
http://www.3m.com/us/brands/scotchprintgraphics/).
The 8MM was selected for the obvious while Printopen 4.0.5 was selected based
on
the generation of quality profiles without tuning and of even more
importance, correct
black generation (K start, UCR/GCR stuff). Some of the large format solvent
based piezo ink jets printers can hit some high densities and not all profile
packages generate black and total ink coverage correctly. I suggest anyone
using any profiling package to check the black generation and TIC to verify
that you got what you asked for. I
have had many surprises over the years.
SCOTCHPRINT customer feedback shows that with proper printer calibration
(handled by Graphic Maker) and a generic system generated ICC profile
(generated by Printopen) for an ink/media/halftone combo goes along way to
quickly outputting sellable graphics. I do recommend that ultimately bringing
in the appropriate tools to do profiling onsite give the manufacture more
flexibility for special project profiles and subjective
stuff that is never going away.
Regards,
Richard Rosenberg
Imaging Specialist
3M Research and Development