icc profiles beginner

[Visualaid]

I do not understand how to use icc profiles. I downloaded one for the epson9880 for some exhibition canvas matte roll our production manager bought.(the roll is not actually for the 9880 according to all the paperwork/instructions, the closest was 9890)

i put the icc file in the colorsync folder with the others.
When I'm printing(making a pdf) out of indesign for example how do I use that profile?

How do I make my monitor and the printed file look the same also?

!I guess I'm not even using any color management!

Judge me if you must, but I've never really had to deal much with this in my career. I hope you guys can help me instead.

I've done a little research online but I still don't understand how to assign icc profiles or use them or what have you.

 

[Al Ferrari]

It's a big topic; chew it in small bytes, and don't look for a quick solution.

Start here:

Color Management Essential Training | Video Tutorial from lynda.com

Try it out for free, and if that works for you, buy a subscription. Also, buy the basic book by that same author and co-authors.

As to profiles: think of them as a sort of setting, but for a particular, well defined condition or situation. To use them seriously, don't expect to use a profile for one paper to give accurate results with another similar paper. Ditto for one printer and another similar printer. As a matter of fact the same printer profile gives different results not only when used to print from different applications, but even from different versions of the same application.

A profile for a monitor, printer, or scanner is a custom tool to be used under a specified set of conditions (I know I said that already, but it's worth repeating, because they cost money and you will always be tempted to use one you already have to save costs or time). I get my profiles custom made by Chromix:

CHROMiX - Color Management, Custom ICC Profiles, ColorSync

I hope this gives you a better start/re-start.

Al

 

[Visualaid]

Thanks Al F.
Question: What if all I'm doing is converting customer files from rgb to cmyk and making a press quality pdf and dropping that into the copy operators folder to print? Do icc profiles matter then? I'm not printing to any printer/copier, simply making a pdf.
My press quality pdf settings are this: "color conversion-convert to dest. perserve numbers" "destination-uswebswopv2" "profile inclusion policy-include destination profile"

 

[michaelejahn]

Yes.

If you are converting, as opposed to simply assigning, then yes.

If you convert using the incorrect profile, the person who will have to print your mistake will suffer.

If you do not understand what you are doing, you may be doing more harm than good.

If You are doing the printing, and you control the printing system and your own monitor, then you have the ability to calibrate your printer and adjust it to simulate some printing condition, then calibrate your monitor to match that same printing condition - that would be useful if you were exchanging PDF files with some 'outside your building' printer.

Not sure that is what you are doing here though...

You may be just wanting you printing device and your monitor look more similar.

Is this a hobby ? Are you a professional ? Are you interested in investing money in a color management system ?

If so, buy an X-Rite colormunki - moderately priced and probably all you need.

http://xritephoto.com/ph_product_overview.aspx?id=1115

 

[MattOz]

I second the Xrite Colormunki. Excellent product for the price and produces good results.

Have a look at the Colormunki website - plenty of informative videos on color management.

In addition, what applications or files are you mostly printing from? For instance, Acrobat Professional and Photoshop have built in color management that allow you to soft proof print files. However, your screen will need to be calibrated and profiled for your lighting environment and you will need an ICC profile for the media you are printing on. Many OEM manufacturers (such as Epson) include ICC profiles for their media, but you should get better results by profiling your own media with a Colormunki or alternative device. These devices also provide a solution if the media you are using doesn't come with an ICC profile. There are companies who will profile the media you use with high end equipment and supply an ICC profile to you at a cost. A good alternative to purchasing a profiling device if you only use a small selection of media.

Finally, for InDesign the ICC profiles need to go in the following folder -
Library-Application Support-Adobe-Color-Profiles

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Thanks,
Matt

Business Milestones
Marketing, Print and Publishing
http://businessmilestones.com.au

 

[Al Ferrari]

What if all I'm doing ...

What if all I'm doing ...

It seems to me that you are hoping someone gives you the simple solution that will save you the time and effort to educate yourself on the subject.

Follow the advice from Michael Jahn and MatOZ. If you found the Linda.com web site daunting, try the learning resources at the Xrite site as shown in the attached screen capture.

Al

 

[Correct Color]

It sounds to me like you're asking two separate questions here.

What does the SWOP pdf have to do with the Epson 9880?

If you're converting to SWOP to print to the Epson, you're making a major mistake.

Basically, if you're really serious about color, and you want to print consistent, predictable, repeatable color that's as good as it can possibly be on each and every print, then you've got two choices:

You can invest an awful lot of time, and what will wind up being a sizable chunk of money in wasted time and materials, to try to learn on your own... and hope that you don't wind up learning something that's completely wrong, and there's plenty of that out there on the old interwebs...

Or you can hire a professional to come set up your workflow, and show you how it works.

In fact, one such outfit even guarantees that the money you spend doing that will be the best money you ever spent.

As these guys have said, there is a lot to setting up color management correctly. The good news is that once done, it's remarkably bullet-proof and easy to use. The bad news is if it's 95% correct, it's 100% wrong.


Mike Adams
Correct Color