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+-- Forum: Onyx Graphics Discussion (/forum-onyx-graphics-discussion)
+--- Forum: Color Management (/forum-color-management)
+--- Thread: Profiling questions with Media Manager (/thread-profiling-questions-with-media-manager)
Profiling questions with Media Manager - jhawley - 07-19-2007 05:27 AM
I have a number of questions in regard to Media Manager and creating colour profiles. I have taken the online Profiling course offered by Onyx. Some people have mentioned a DVD with a profiling video on it. I did not receive this in my box. Can it be downloaded from somewhere?
We are using Onyx Production House 7.0.6 with a Mutoh Valuejet (1604) and Mimaki JV3 160SP.
Choosing the proper Dot size:
When you print the dot size charts (-10...+10), what's the key attribute to focus on for selecting the dot size? The documentation says to examine smoothness, banding and saturation. I find the negative (smaller) dots provide better smoothness and the positive (larger) dots much better saturation. The built in profiles from Onyx (for the Valuejet) all tend toward the high end of the large dot scale (+7, +10) even though the negative values appear much smoother. Is this just to allow for the most saturation possible?
Building ICC profile:
Is it necessary to perform the final ICC build step in Media Manager? How does this help me? I find that after completing the ink limits step and printing the Onyx test image, everything typically looks great. What benefit does building the ICC profile (along with the hour of reading swatches that it takes) give me?
Thx.
Jason
Profiling questions with Media Manager - Scott - 07-19-2007 07:23 AM
jhawley Wrote:Some people have mentioned a DVD with a profiling video on it. I did not receive this in my box. Can it be downloaded from somewhere?They do have a DVD with training, but they do not have a version available for digital download.
http://www.onyxgfx.com/onyxdvdorder.htm
I know that they are now bundling the basic training DVD with new purchases of their software, but for everyone else we have to purchase the set, as I did. It cost me about $100 if I remember correctly, but they have been great resources to have for me.
I'll touch more on the rest of your questions a little later when I have more time.
Profiling questions with Media Manager - Hotspur - 08-09-2007 02:41 PM
Hi Jason
There is no "correct" answer for you on the var dot slider.
I normally go for smoothness with photo work with closer viewing distances and choose saturation when doing posters / banners.
Thus a big solvent / eco solvent printer is likely to have a higher var dot figure in the built-in profiles as it is more likely to be used for posters & banners which require saturated output with longer viewing distances.
I understand V7.1 will handle var dot automatically using the ink restrictions for reference so this tool should not be a problem soon!
Printing without an icc is a valid workflow and Onyx have a whitepaper I think which describes this workflow at length.
From memory they used to call this "postercolor" and was the workflow of choice before icc became the norm.
I could fill a several pages as to why you should be using iccs.
Simply put an icc ensures the colour is correct, rather than just looks correct - our eyes are all different and using iccs helps us all to agree on colours which are repeatable across platforms and devices (and people!)
For example, I have a hard copy photo I need to reproduce and the kit i have is a scanner, a workstation & monitor with appropriate software and a printer. All these devices will treat colour in different ways. The only chance I have to reproduce the photo accurately is if all the devices agree on colour. They can only do this if they use the same standard - the icc standard.
Thus your colours may look OK but they need to be to a standard to cope with all the variables which we are faced with in this trade.
It is also an insurance for you - a client may say your prints are the wrong colour as his print of his file is different. You need to be able to open his file on your icc-profiled monitor and compare it to your icc-profiled print to convince him your print matches and is fine - it is his print which is incorrect.
Sorry I'll just get off my soapbox!
Anyway I hope it is of some help.
Profiling questions with Media Manager - jeffburris - 08-18-2007 09:53 PM
I am down the street from you in Mesa, Az and (power and main) i have the dvd's if you want to come and borrow them.
I have watched them several times and they are helpful. the only thing that drives me crazy about them is that they spend very little time if any showing you details of ink restriction swatches that illustrate where to set your limits. they just tell youthat they are picking 2.9 but never take the time to educate you about what defines a cut off point. i would like to have seen several closeups of restriction swatches that show bad bleeding so i could make better judgements. same goes for the ink limits. when i look at limits i just get lost.
Randy from Mutoh has bee out and has been helpful but i am still quite a novice at this. some good photos of examples of where the cut off should be on limits would be helpful.
just call if youwant to grab the dvd's cell: 602-989-0221