[Tool] ChromIQ – a macOS and Windows GUI for ArgyllCMS printer profiling (v3.8.0)

[itsab1989]

@pharmacist

I will look at them later. Shall I replace the old ones or keep them?

 

[pharmacist]

I suggest to replace the old ones with these new ones. They are better.

 

[itsab1989]

Noted!

 

[itsab1989]

@pharmacist

Should be online now. Thanks a lot!

 

[Alan G]

-2 page 924 patch target based on the famous Gretag Macbeth TC9.18 target with a few extra black and white patches up to 924 patches in total.


@itsab1989 : I will send you those targets to have a look at and implement them as presets.

Why is this any better of a target than using ArgyllCMS to generate one? If you use a pre-condition profile you can even obtain better results.

 

[pharmacist]

Why is this any better of a target than using ArgyllCMS to generate one? If you use a pre-condition profile you can even obtain better results.

The reason is that standard ArgyllCMS targen cannot know the exact neutral axis (by generating a primary target ArgyllCMS can sample the exact area where the neutral axis is and this information can be used to as a preconditioning profile to exactly sample that area). The TC9.18 (or my slightly modified TC9.24) uses a force sampling of the area around the neutral axis:

Those slightly stained grey ramps (RGB + CMY) allows ArgyllCMS or i1Profiler to "cube" fit the area of the true gray ramp. The SpyderPrint extended grey target is even more detailed.

This way (for most users) the 2 steps with a preconditioning profile is mostly not needed (unless you want really critical quality) when using these type of targets.

Have a look at a standard 918 patch target using i1Profiler:

And compare the above with the TC9.18 target (notice the greys and near neutrals/grey ramps):

Depite the same amount of patch count the TC9.18 will produce better neutral greys without a preconditioning profile.

Most people don't want to use a 2 step system. Print a good targer that also maximizes the sampling rate of the area around the neutral axis and have a very good profile with neutral greys, which keep things simple and easy for most of users. If you want maximum quality: go for the modus operandi with the preconditioning profile.

 

[Alan G]

@pharmacist - Thank you for the answer. I will wait for those targets to get posted. I had a horrible experience last week in trying to use the profile that was posted then. It did not read well at all and I got huge errors. Today, I measured a one page precondition target set with 32 gray patches. I now have three pages of the final profile drying and will measure those tomorrow. This is for Moab Entrada, one of the papers that I regularly print with. I want to use the app in all the different configurations to make sure it performs well. I already have excellent profiles that I created six years ago using the command line manual method and the app is far superior now that all the flags are available. I am using the dense packing of 506 patches per letter sheet.

I don't mind the two step process as I can scan pretty fast with my i1 Pro. I'll give the new target a try.

 

[itsab1989]

@Alan G
The targets are now part of the latest v3.8.3 release

So if there are no big flaws with the app anymore I would consider „the printer profiling is too complicated“ issue solved