Color Manangement settings

[davidh202]

Ok, after a long frustrating experience setting up my new Epson Styuls Pro 7900 I finally got it to say "READY" and selected a file to print.
I went into X3 to set up the Color Management under ...file-preferances- Color Management and trying to apply the printer profile in the drop down menu, there is a list of all the Epson Printer paper profiles of which the correct Printer-paper profile needs to be selected.
Problem is, the names are long all that appears on the list is a partial name, the end of which is cut off at the right side and it is impossible to know which profile is which.There is no way to enlarge the size of the box so one can read the entire name and select the correct profile.
Anyone have a clue as to how to achieve setting the correct choice?

[ronzie]

First, unlike some other programs, X3 does not control printer color management during printing. The printer profile is only used for soft proofing so the adjusted colors appear on your monitor when proof or match is selected in the X3 CM options.

How many different profiles do you require? You could uninstall from Win those you do not need reducing confusion.

I just tried a technique that will let you duplicate the .icm of your choice of your choice using your own assigned name that fits. First go here:
http://www.color.org/resource2.xalter

and install "ICC Profile Inspector" and "Profile Dump" free utilities. I used ICC Profile Inspector.

In Win XP installed color profiles are here with a similar path:
C:\WIN30A\SYSTEM32\spool\drivers\color.
In the Inspector open it navigating to that folder with browse and selecting your profile of choice. Without changing anything do a Save As giving it a new name with your paper code for instance in the first part of the name so it fits the box in X3.

You can now go into that folder in Win color management, right click, and install that profile. I prefer to use this control panel applet I got from Microsoft to do this:
Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/d ... 8d429fbb9e
first under the profiles tab adding it and then under the devices/printer tab for your printer adding that new file name. Don't forget to use the Apply button.

This will give you the name you want in the X3 dropdown list for soft proofing. If you want to print with application controlled color management (instead of printer driver controlled) you need a print utility since X3 will not do this, just preview the image on your screen. Many users in Win prefer QImage here:
http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/
I use the Pro version at $50 which has added soft proofing as well to the Lite version. It also has other neat features including complex print sharpening techniques. You can test a trial version which will place a demo watermark on your print (it says but I never noticed it with 4x6 tests.) It is quite flexible and has a bit of a learning curve. Be sure you edit your printer and color management preferences in it.

Assuming you do this in proof mode in X3 I adjust (on my calibrated monitor) the final coloration I want and then save it as a .tif file so there are no compression artifacts. I then open it in QImage, make sure the print characteristics match for paper size and the correct printer profile is in the preferences - the file to be used will show up in the QImage printer properties dropdown lower right, do a soft proof to insure it is OK, and then print it. When an application like this drives the printer color management, in the printer driver you must insure that its color management is disabled so you are not double profiling. All you do is select quality and paper type (and size) in the driver.

Hope this helps.

[davidh202]

ronzie,
I have just entered the wide world of large format printing and really never did much printing before this so I didn't know PSPs limitations. You have helped a great deal! Yet another let down in PSP! I Read so much about PS CS5 controlling color management and thought PSPPX3 did that also
As a matter of fact I was intending on downloading Qimage as I have heard nothing but paise for the program and it's ease of use for printing .Since I have gone to wide format I think it will be a good accessory program.
I am getting increasingly frustrated with Corels PSP and intend buy Adobe CS5 since I now have a Wacom Intuos4 tablet, and CS5 supports the tablet with many more features. Wacom has a upgrade path to CS5 from its bundeled Elements8, at a substantial discount !

Thank you for your explaination, I'll get this all sorted out in due time