Also, I believe that one can also import custom profiles to bypass the ICC profile generation. In this case, the gray neutralization, linearization, ink limits, and etc are still handled by the printer, which is a good thing. The guys in Barcelona know how to get the dots on the media better than anybody else, so trying to outsmart the printer may let the user feel like they have more control, but will probably result in lesser quality output.
I just spent a day with an HP guy from Barcelona and a 44" Z3100. Although I haven't stress tested the built in calibration (ink limiting and linearization) process on an eccentric material like silk, their process seems pretty good. It is pretty easy to make better profiles externally and use them as you would with any other printer. As far as the dots go, I think Epson's screening technology still has the edge.
One of the things I think is really exceptional about this printer (that even the Barcelona guy didn't realize) is that the gloss opimizer (GO) can be printed on the image only, and not on the white borders around an image. If you go into the driver's custom options for the GO you can choose between "off", "Econo mode" and "Whole Page". Despite the fact that their documentation inaccurately states that the Econo mode puts the GO on the white areas of an image, it actually does the opposite. Econo mode puts the GO on all areas *except* those with absolute paper white. So as long as your image doesn't have any RGB=255 or CMYK=0 areas (which it shouldn't) the gloss optimizer will print only on the image areas and not on the paper white borders, simulating a spot varnish. Makes sense? I think this is significant for prepress markets and they should be bragging about this feature.
I don't sell HPs, so can not quote pricing on the APS. I was given a figure well below ProfileMaker, but don't know where it settled out at in the final decision.
I am told it will be about $500 and be a RGB and CMYK enabled version of PMP's printer module. HP's driver locks you into their ~600 patch RGB target but with the APS option you can use any PMP target.
In addition to XRite's profiling technology, for advanced profiling I want to be able to control thinks such as channel reduction and ink limits at the RIP level. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think that level of control is available in the standard HP driver.
RIght, the driver doesn't let you manually customize these things. Same classic differences between drivers and RIPs apply.Sometimes though, we and clients like to print on papers that are not on the OEM path. To do such, IMO, is an exercise in futility if one cannot control the channel reduction and ink limits.
It's not such an exercise in futility with these new HP printers because it's actually generating custom ink limits and linearization based on spectral data for that paper. Certainly a step in the right direction. Isn't the swappable MK/PK option the same in all K3 Epson printers?
Yes, but swapping is one of the number one complaint about these printers. Now that Canon and HP's printers have both inks installed all the time, Epson's lack of this feature stands out. But they are about to fix that. Scott Martin www.on-sight.com
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