Spyder3Print SR or Colormunki Photo for printer profiles?

[tony22]

Anybody have firsthand exeprience on these two? Wondering which system is capable (taking into account using it properly and understanding color management) of producing more reliable printer profiles.

 

[Grandad35]

This thread discusses your question and may be of interest.

I have no experience with either of these devices, but here is an old thread on the comparison of a spectrophotometer and a spectrocolorimeter for generating printer profiles (using older hardware). The Spyder3 is a spectrocolorimeter according to this link, while the Colormunki is a spectrophotometer according to this link. I'm not exactly in love with using only 50 patches for the Colormunki, however and the need to do a two stage process to profile a printer.

 

[tony22]

Thanks Grandad35. The dpreview thread seems mostly to be about either tool for its monitor profiling capability. On the B&H website there was one review from someone who actually used both as a printer profiling tool and in this case the user claimed "Between this and the Colormunki, i choose this because it gives more accurate colors than the colormunki and it is faster to setup." OTOH a dpreview member claimed he liked the color outcome from the Colormunki better, but it sounded like he hadn't had any experience with the current Spyder3Print SR.

Sigh, the bottom line though seems to be (as you suggested) the difference between a true spectrophotometer and a spectrocolorimeter. On that alone I would go with the Colormunki, but in all the reviewer and owner reviews I've seen it seems like it's at best "okay", with a percentage of detractors.

 

[mikling]

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/reviews.html is a good starting point.

The products while supposedly competing with each other are actually rather different. The munki is a simpler process that is quite clever as opposed to the Spyder. As to the 50 patches, one can iterate to gain better accuracy in a given picture. ( The flip side is whether accuracy in what is not in that picture is compromised must be asked) The Spyder, on the other hand is unique in providing the advanced user at ( at a low price point) the ability to customize the profile to better match a desired output taking via an advanced editing panel; a different tack to what munki is offering. That flexibility is also powerful to the advacned user. Each has a different approach but what is not mentioned is that in each approach, is that compromises are always present.

Each product has its place and both can offer superb output provided that the raw output before profiling is decent in the first place ( inks and paper tracks the OEM printer RIP fairly closely). Just remember that some ink paper printer combinations simply do not deliver even after profiling. Northlight makes mention of this in their article of selecting the correct media settings...sometimes you just can't find the correct combination.

In the end , which one is better will depend on how much control and the type of user you are.

 

[tony22]

Hmm, a bit to think about here.