Onyx RIPCenter + Recalibrate doesn't work + other issues.

[oka]

I'm new user of Onyx RIPCenter and I have tons of problems with it.

Main problem is color, I just can't get decent color out of it. Recalibration doesn't work, when I'm in the point when I should click Build Swatch it just says it can't process it ("An error occurred while processing the recalibration swatch").

I have i1XTreme and I have tried to create profiles (eg. disabled ICC from Onyx and enabled color correction from PS) but the results are quite bad. I get much better results from Canon drivers (where I have disabled color correction and enabled color correction in PS).

What I'm missing here?

Also I'm just wondering what's going on in Onyx. New support site is joke, you can't find any information except that you have to pay... also AutoUpdate doesn't work (404 response). With days of google I some how got to this site. Profile Download Client is one joke, if I understand correctly it should offer latest profiles? ...ftp://ftp.onyxgfx.net/pub/v7/072508/printers - URL seems to have latest versions. Not the one which PDC is offering.

I'm not impressed.

[jesse]

Can you walk me thru the process of recalibration? Have you already built a media profile? Are you attaching the icc in photoshop, and then running it to ripcenter? I'm unclear as to how you're doing this, and what you mean when you say you're disabling color management in ripcenter, but enabling it in PS. (I'm assuming when you say "color correction", you mean "color management", correct?)

[jens]

what printer would you like to callibrate ? because i had this error before, make shure you have the latest printerdriver.

[oka]

I'm using Canon ipf6100 with latest firmware.

I have tried Onyx color managment disabled and handled color managment in PS (profile done with i1XT). Results are not good.
I have tried to use Onyx color managment enabled using latest profiles (well I have actually tried 3 different versions) from Onyx (color managment disabled in PS) but colors are quite desaturated.

I have RIPCenter so I don't have Media Manager and stuck with profiles which Onyx provides. There is recalibration but Build Swatch option just gives me a error.

Best results I get without using Onyx, just Canon drivers (with color managment disabled) and enabled colormanagment from PS.

[jens]

On what program do you calculate the profile ? the software that came with the i1xt ?
what are your input profiles ? Are you shure the calculated profile is right ? ink limits too low ?

[SWCL]

Onyx has its own built in colour management. Switching off this colour management is bound to give unexpected results, as although you say you enable it in PS... when it gets to Onyx, it doesn't know how to handle the colours in the file.. & does what it likes!

You need to have the latest ONYX printer drivers for your printer - this is NOT the canon firmware (completely different).

To make sure you have the latest printer drivers, download this .prninst file - http://www.swcl.co.uk/test/Canon_iPF6100.PrnInst - which I've put on our website temporarily (click save file as - NOT open with...). contained in the file is 1 profile for 11 colour & 1 for RBG Contone (not sure which you use).

Which Onyx CLOSED, double click the prninst file (after downloading it) & you will go to the printer install dialogue, there will be an option somewhere (cant remember where) to overwrite existing media, append media etc. - if you overwrite the media WITH THE SAME NAME - not all of them.. & also check the box to update printer drivers. This will make sure you have the latest drivers you need.

Really - if you have updated from a previous version of Onyx - you should update ALL the medias you have currently got installed & replace them with the v7.2 medias, this will help reduce & / or cut out any incompatibility errors.

When you use profile download client - check the setting (top right of window) & make sure 'use proxy' is UNCHECKED - this works most of the time for me.

Other than that, you need to make sure you are using the right media in the rip, that correspond to the media you have in the printer. If you are trying to print using a Canon media profile on anything other than that Canon media in your printer, you are bound to get unexpected results.

If you are using anything other than Canon, go to your media vendor's website & see if they have a profile, or call them & see if they can supply you with one. - you may find that this will do the job.

If you have the time patience & knowledge, you should create your own profile to compensate for your printer (no 2 printers print identically - even the same model), ink, media, enviroment etc. as all these effect output.

A pre built profile will 9/10 time do the job well... but it won't beat your own profile.

We had a profile supplied by our vendor that worked very well... but after xmas when we came back the lab was so cold that I had to create a new profile for the media (over inking way too much) - comparing the profile from the vendors & my re-vamped profile in Onyx MM.. we can now hit 10% more of the pantone colours that onyx recognises (out the box).. I think you'll agree that thats a hell of an increase!

[oka]

Now I got it, I was just profiling with old Onyx profiles. Onyx has done goob job providing Profile Download Client but poor job that it provides OLD profiles...

It works now, disabled color managment from Onyx (when enabled results was not good) and using color managment in PS with profiles done with Eye-One Match 3.

Althought the same problem exists, why recalibration (Build Swatch) doesn't work?

If I leave color managment to Onyx print results are way off, which anyway is preffered way? Leaving color managment to Onyx or to leave it to PS? Or enabling in both(?)

[SWCL]

Edit your images in PS & save them with embeded profiles - don't send them to print through PS!?

Drop the actual files into a hot folder, or open them in Onyx - making sure you have the right printer & quickset selected.

Your quickset should be set as per your preferences - see the other active thread on this forum to see what other peoples are. Generally rgb should be set to Adobe98 & intent to Perceptual - both image & vector profiles should be the same, but as I say its personal preference.

as long as the settings in Onyx are correct & that you are using the exact same material in the printer as you select in Onyx - there is no reason you should get REALLY bad results.

Onyx profiles supplied by onyx, are afaik made using the OEM inks - if your not using Canon inks you may expect different results.. but not WAY off, unless your inks are completely different colours to Canon's - in which case creating your own profiles is the only way to guarantee output colour.

What inks do you use?
What media are you using?
Are the heads firing correctly?

I think the main problem is due to your workflow & Onyx settings (quick set)

[oka]

Thanks SWCL,
You were right, main problem was with my workflow. If print was done from PS somehow colors were quite screwed but when opened from Onyx, results were great.

Althought, there is still same problem. Recalibration doesn't work, does anyone has same problem with Build Swatch?

[SWCL]

We'll rule out your key permissions first.. just in case.

Open Onyx - click help menu, click 'About production house rip queue' or whatever yours says..

When the window opens click 'key...' on the bottom right

Scroll down to the second 'ProductionHouse Preflight' section & make sure all the profile related options are ticked.. esspecially 'Build Onyx ICC profiles' + 'Build Onyx Multi Colour profiles'

If they are all ticked.. its not a permission problem.

How are you trying to do the calibration?

Are you doing 'Edit media profiles' > 'Recalibrate a mode' ?

[oka]

I don't have those options since I'm running RIPCenter edition.
I try Recalibration from Setup menu. Then I get new dialog which says Recalibrate Mode.

Print Calibration Swatch works (it prints swatch out) and Read Calibration also works (I can import and export reading or read it from my i1).

...but final step fail when I click Build from Build Swatch option.

I'm trying to recalibrate profiles which Onyx has supplied for my printer (Canon Satin Photographic Paper 240gsm on this case).

[jens]

How do you recalibration curves look ? you can maybe try looking in to the onyx folder.
mabye it is the same as productionhouse...

onyx>db>printers> printer model >... delete the existing calibaration swatch from the media you wish to recalibrate. ( make a backup first )
then try the recalibration again ?

or try to instal the profile again ?

[oka]

I have tried installing Onyx and trying different profiles but no go.

[SWCL]

Ahhh I see...

Rip Centre only gives you the option to recalibrate given profiles - you cant create your own.. or I would imagine, be able to tweak profiles as much as PH users can.

Having said that.. recalbirate should still work?

Here is a vid for recalibrating a mode.. think its the full version of media manager they're using.. don't know if RipCentre differs to that as I've never used it?

[Will]

Will here, longtime Onyx employee in the printer profiling lab, new to the fourum, thus this late reply...

Re: the recalibration issue-
The iPF6100 has two sets of profiles, halftone (11 color) and RGB Contone.
Contone profiles in this case rely on the printer's internal calibration, so there is no Onyx calibration file.

Very regrettably, RIP-Queue keeps the Recalibrate button active if you have a Contone media selected and makes it seems like you can recalibrate, even letting you print out a swatch.
If you are trying to recalibrate one of these Contone media, it would likely explain the errors you are getting.
In theory, you shouldn't have to "recalibrate" for the contone media, as it is handled by the printer's internal tables.

If you are using one of the 4 supplied "11 Color" media and you are still getting a recalibrate error, then that would be a bigger problem.