Re: A new RIP?
Re: A new RIP?
- Subject: Re: A new RIP?
- From: neil snape <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 10:17:53 +0100
on 22/03/2004 7:12, Marco Ugolini wrote :
>
The price is $475 (a bit less than ImagePrint), not exactly as dirt-cheap as
>
one may expect of a RIP for which it is claimed that it does not require end
>
users either "to invest in color measuring devices or color management
>
software", or to have "an education in color science" (now, that worries me:
>
contract proofs from people with no knowledge of color technologies? So,
>
push-button accurate color is with us ALREADY? Please, DO convince me...).
A long time ago Graeme Gill wrote a great reply as to why a little spent on
a driver makes more sense than wasting endless consumables in attempting to
force drivers to do what they're not good at doing, i.e.; linearised
repeatable and function state that the software adds usability to. A good
rip is not expensive at this price and there are quite a few capable rips
out there now for this level of functionality.
Most of the afore mentioned rips are already delivered with good quality
canned profiles ( or in the case of proprietary CM, printer characteristic
tables) and do delivery quality results without need of profiling equipment
or knowledge of how to optimise the printer.
Using the term contract proofing is for me questionable for most but not all
inkjet printers. Simulation is possible on most and the proximity of colors
are such that a comparison can be made with enough accuracy to predict
press. Contract proofing requires very specific media , hardware and
software prerequisites to achieve verifiable target aims and repeatability.
>
And since it is also claimed that the end user does not do any measuring of
>
the 100-or-so patches which must be printed and "measured" to create the
>
"I.D." on which the system revolves (according to their pitch), then one is
>
left presuming that these patch must be sent to some specialized center,
>
probably for a recurring fee -- a procedure which would have to be repeated
>
for each device and combination of device and paper, and updated regularly
>
as the device ages and drifts. A nice little source of captive cash flow...
Spectral matching and color matching has not be largely discussed on this
list. Of what little I know on spectral matching a scientist explained to me
that modeling to a specific offset ink set is quite realistic and available
through spectral matching. The measurements for the offset model needn't be
disproportional to the linearity of offset inks. Linearising the inkjet to a
known condition can apply it's characterization tables to the idealized
space model (offset) resulting in a well balanced grey scale. As it was
explained though this works in simulation mode yet is idealised for offset
whereas inkjets themselves are often un-linear causing most of the problems
encountered today in color managing our printers through whatever means of
color management. This is why ICC color management with profiles created
from test charts involving large quantitive sampling is the preferred method
for desktop proofing machines today.
Aurelon and derivatives use this approach and it works well on certain
colors, printers, simulations etc but is something that needs to be
scrutinized on each particular set up.
The door is open for better characterisation methods fortunately and
spectral matching offers incredible opportunities using ICC V4 profiles and
future CMM's (color matching modules). The rip developers, hardware makers,
color groups, and color scientists will have a lot to bring to us in the
near future all along be open to ICC workflow.
Neil Snape nsnape @ noos.fr neil_snape @ mac.com
http://mapage.noos.fr/nsnape
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| References: | |
| | >A new RIP? (From: Marco Ugolini <email@hidden>) |