Pole: Custome print profile w/spectrophotometer

I'm kicking around the idea of getting Colorvision Printfrix Pro. It is a device that reads printed targets and creates custom print profiles.

With so many here on the POTN forum stymied by their printer output I thought I might try to gage the interest people have in getting a custom print profile created for them. I was kind of thinking that if I bought this I might be able to offset the price by profiling some POTN members printers for a fee.

The process might go something like this.

1. I email 'customer' target to be printed
2. User prints target and mails to me with payment and return envelope.
3. I read target, create profile, Email profile

Keep in mind that a new profile would be needed for each type of print medium. Reading around the Internet it sounds like if you can find a place to do it they are charging $99 a profile.

Obviously everyone would want to pay the least amount possible but try to answer the poll so that it reflects the maxims you would pay.

NOTE: Please excuse the typos in the thread title

I've used Colorvisions Printfix Pro.... and bought GretagMacbeth's Eye-One Photo.

I found Eye-one to be easier to use, profiled my papers better (note, this is always subjective) and used it to profile both my camera and scanner.

I voted with my pocketbook!

Very nice indeed. How about I pay you to do a couple for me?

From what I've read the under $1K unit does an OK job at best and the process is very tedious. Where as the more automate units that Drycreek claims to use are very expensive and very accurate.

Drycreek isn't taking orders from what I can tell.

Well I'm one of those that is willing to pay $10 for a profile. Would you consider Pay Pal. I'll eat the fee if you decide to go ahead w/ this venture.

You might want to check the user licensing agreement. I personally have a PrintFix Pro here I have not had a chance to install. Somebody told me the licensing agreement precludes reselling profiles.

On the other hand if that is not a problem, you may want to consider better equipment. Not all services charge high prices such as $99. For example, cathy's profiles has been reviewed by many magazines and professional websites as providing excellent profiles for $40. But she uses much better, professional equipment than the PrintFix Pro to produce them. /Dan

CannedHeat wrote in post #2364129
You might want to check the user licensing agreement. I personally have a PrintFix Pro here I have not had a chance to install. Somebody told me the licensing agreement precludes reselling profiles.

On the other hand if that is not a problem, you may want to consider better equipment. Not all services charge high prices such as $99. For example, cathy's profiles has been reviewed by many magazines and professional websites as providing excellent profiles for $40. But she uses much better, professional equipment than the PrintFix Pro to produce them. /Dan

I didn't think about the licensing aspect but wasn't looking to start a business either. Cathy's profiles looks pretty good, thanks for the reference. I'll probably end up just getting a couple done for me. I think my poll is going to go down as one of the worst received polls in the history of POTN.

I'm open to other options as far as profile providers go if anyone else has suggestions.

Reefbone wrote in post #2366967
I didn't think about the licensing aspect but wasn't looking to start a business either. Cathy's profiles looks pretty good, thanks for the reference. I'll probably end up just getting a couple done for me. I think my poll is going to go down as one of the worst received polls in the history of POTN.

I'm open to other options as far as profile providers go if anyone else has suggestions.

Well, as I said I am not sure about the PrintFix product. But the reason I mentioned it is I have had conversations with the person behind Cathy's and she told me that with they gretag hardware they use, they do have licensing issues that have to be adhered to.

As to profiles, there are many good profiling companies that do not charge those extortion-level prices. As far as I am concerned, I'm going to give the PrintFix Pro a chance once I find the time. I know it's not the best piece of hardware, but I have read enough reviews to know that if you use the more complicated profiling chart it does a pretty darn good job. Yes, it's a labor to read in the charts but with so many different types of great papers out there to experiment with, purchasing the PrintFix will very quickly pay for itself. /Dan