New printer-what calibration stuff do I need?

Getting the Epson 3800 (finally decided) and am cofused about what calibration software I need and what I can get without spending lots more dosh

I know(I guess) I need a calbration for the screen but do I need one for the printer too? (really need it =expensive!)???

I'm looking at either the eye one or spyder ranges

Do I need the gratemacbeth colour chacker?

I know the answers may be you don't need any of these but you would do well to get them but bearing money in mind what waould you recommend?

(e,g. I was looking at this and although rather expensive wondered whether it di everything one eneeds but realise I don't have a clue what half of this stuff is:"Included accessories: Datacolor 1005 spectrocolorimeter, Spectrocolorimeter Base, USB Cable, Datacolor Spyder3™ Colorimeter, Desktop Cradle/Tripod mount, Screen Cleaning Packets, Software"
"


thanks

If you plan to print your own photos, you will need to calibrate your printer and be able to make printer profiles for your paper. If not, then just get a device to calibrate the monitor. I use the DataColor Spyder3 Studio. Here is a review. http://www.akappleug.o​rg …2008/03/02/spyd​er3studio/
You will aslo hear recommendation for the X-Rite products, which are very good. But the Spyder can match it for a lot less money. I got the Spyder3 Studio online for $564.00.

Az2Africa wrote in post #5871353
If you plan to print your own photos, you will need to calibrate your printer and be able to make printer profiles for your paper. If not, then just get a device to calibrate the monitor.

Well Im not getting the Epson 3800 for soemone else to do the printing - although, now thinking about it.......

thanks for that review link btw

So.. basically I do need to get a printer profiler as well as a screen calibrator? Are they absolutely essential?

You can do very well without calibrating the printer. Close to perfect.
You must calibrate your monitor.
You must learn how to use icc profiles.
You must have the proper icc profile for the paper you are using. You can get this from the paper manufacturer.
Do you have photoshop? If not, it would be a good investment.
I think you have already read Rene' s thread on color management.
Getting the printer calibrator will help, but is a cash heavy idea.

I Simonius wrote in post #5871920
So.. basically I do need to get a printer profiler as well as a screen calibrator? Are they absolutely essential?

Not necessarily. Most good paper manufacturers provide profiles for their paper, in fact I would go so far as to suggest you don't buy paper from any manufacturer that doesn't. I only use Epson paper with my 3800, and the Epson profiles come with the printer, and are loaded along with the printer software. They have pretty esoteric names, for instance Premium Glossy Photo Paper shows up as Pro38 PGPP. Personally, I've never found the necessity to use other than Epson paper for my Epson printers, but others for their own valid reasons do. Anyway, I don't believe you need to buy equipment to profile your printer if you always use paper that the manufacturers provide profiles for.

BTW, here's the definitive tutorial for the 3800 if you didn't already know about it:
http://people.csail.mi​t.edu …on3800/printwor​kflow.html

You don't necessarily need to profile your printer if you stick to stock inks and papers. Some good quality third-party paper manufacturers (like Ilford) provide ICC profiles for their papers and the more common printers as well.

If you like to experiment with papers or use third-party inks (CIS/CFS) then yes, you'd be well-served to get a kit that will allow you to calibrate your own prints. The Spyder3 Studio is a helluva nice kit.

You WILL, at a minimum, want to calibrate your monitor and work in a color-controlled workflow as mentioned above. Otherwise your prints will never match what you see on-screen.

poloman wrote in post #5872063
You can do very well without calibrating the printer. Close to perfect.
Do you have photoshop? If not, it would be a good investment.
I think you have already read Rene' s thread on color management.
Getting the printer calibrator will help, but is a cash heavy idea.

- yes I have photoshop CS3 and LR v1.4 but am at best intermediate at using them
- I read some of Rene's thread.. but there's a LOT there and many of the image links are dead
-yeah the printer calibrator is cash heavy and probably waay over my head at this stage Im thinking...

BillyR wrote in post #5872166
Not necessarily. Most good paper manufacturers provide profiles for their paper, in fact I would go so far as to suggest you don't buy paper from any manufacturer that doesn't.

BTW, here's the definitive tutorial for the 3800 if you didn't already know about it:
http://people.csail.mi​t.edu …on3800/printwor​kflow.html]

- thanks for the tut link I didnt have it yet..
- I was hoping (dreaming :rolleyes of getting really good at B+W and printing on some of those archival arty papers

Double Negative wrote in post #5872354
You don't necessarily need to profile your printer if you stick to stock inks and papers. .

If you like to experiment with papers or use third-party inks (CIS/CFS) then yes, you'd be well-served to get a kit that will allow you to calibrate your own prints. The Spyder3 Studio is a helluva nice kit.

You WILL, at a minimum, want to calibrate your monitor

-OK monitor calibration is IN, printer calibration is a maybe - doe s that SpyderStudio let you profile printers/prints (I am SO ignorant about that side of it)

-I won't use 3rd party inkls not until I have got the hang of printing anyway.. the piezography stuff looked worth considering for the future though but theresare others who do very very impressive B+W without it so amybe not even in the future for me..?

-I would like definitely to use some of these kind of papers once I start to get the hang of itthough, hahnemule, Somerset, Velvet, the baryta papers and so on- i.e. those that I have heard photogs I admire using

I Simonius wrote in post #5872814
-OK monitor calibration is IN, printer calibration is a maybe - doe s that SpyderStudio let you profile printers/prints (I am SO ignorant about that side of it)

-I won't use 3rd party inkls not until I have got the hang of printing anyway.. the piezography stuff looked worth considering for the future though but theresare others who do very very impressive B+W without it so amybe not even in the future for me..?

-I would like definitely to use some of these kind of papers once I start to get the hang of itthough, hahnemule, Somerset, Velvet, the baryta papers and so on- i.e. those that I have heard photogs I admire using

The Spyder3 Studio kit is a neat little aluminum case that contains all the bits and bobs to do screen and print calibration. It's reasonably priced ($495, IIRC) and reputable. If you just want to do screen calibration there are a number of colorimeters out there for a reasonable cost (Pantone Huey, for example, though gets mixed reviews). These are common but will not profile prints.

Third-party inks/papers, at least those of good quality - will often offer ICC profiles. So you may get lucky there. Otherwise yes, a print-profiling solution is in order.

Double Negative wrote in post #5872891
The Spyder3 Studio kit is a neat little aluminum case that contains all the bits and bobs to do screen and print calibration. It's reasonably priced ($495, IIRC) and reputable. If you just want to do screen calibration there are a number of colorimeters out there for a reasonable cost (Pantone Huey, for example, though gets mixed reviews). These are common but will not profile prints.

Third-party inks/papers, at least those of good quality - will often offer ICC profiles. So you may get lucky there. Otherwise yes, a print-profiling solution is in order.

thanks -
forgot to mention ( or did I?) that really it is B+W that I am mostly concerned about

I'mcurrently readingreviews about colormunki..any thoughts?

I would certainly suggest that with your monitor calibrated, you hold off on the printer calibration. As said above, the good papers come with good profiles. There may be a tiny benefit to getting your own profile but I would say give it a go with the default profiles and see if you like the results. Then you will know whether it is worth spending any more or not.

Rob

I Simonius wrote in post #5872987
thanks -
forgot to mention ( or did I?) that really it is B+W that I am mostly concerned about

I'mcurrently readingreviews about colormunki..any thoughts?

B&W won't be as critical as color, obviously. But it still needs some basic calibration for best results (you don't want prints with warm/cool casts for example). But most of the time you can get by without calibrating B&W much longer than with color.

Colormunki seems to be getting decent reviews, but I can't say either way.

[QUOTE=I Simonius;5872987]thank​s -
forgot to mention ( or did I?) that really it is B+W that I am mostly concerned about

The Spyder3 does have a second target for greyscale profiles. You print it after the color target. That gives you 450 patches to read total. takes about 15 minutes.
You can use the paper Manufactures profiles, but be sure to softproof and tweak to match the screen.

I Simonius wrote in post #5872814
- I read some of Rene's thread.. but there's a LOT there and many of the image links are dead

My server has been down for a day, but I'll check the links (all? Oh boy ) when I have time...

I Simonius wrote in post #5872814
-yeah the printer calibrator is cash heavy and probably waay over my head at this stage Im thinking...

I don't think you'll need it.
You might want it, but IMO it isn't needed unless you do a lot of printing on a lot of different (esoteric) papers.

I get a very good screen-to-print match for 95% of the images on an Epson R2400 with the stock Ilford profiles.

Mostly the paper manufacturers will deliver a decent profile, and if not, you can have one made for a fraction of the cost of a calibrator I'd say.

I Simonius wrote in post #5872814
- thanks for the tut link I didnt have it yet..

I thought you said you'd read the link in my sig?

I Simonius wrote in post #5872814
- I was hoping (dreaming :rolleyes of getting really good at B+W and printing on some of those archival arty papers

The R2400 does that quite nicely from what I've seen. (not much, I admit)

I Simonius wrote in post #5872814
-I would like definitely to use some of these kind of papers once I start to get the hang of itthough, hahnemule, Somerset, Velvet, the baryta papers and so on- i.e. those that I have heard photogs I admire using

Quite a few will have the Epson profiles available for download

I Simonius wrote in post #5872987
I'mcurrently readingreviews about colormunki..any thoughts?

From what I've read it's excellent: Here is a review at shootsmarter. (login may be required).
Pricey though.

Az2Africa wrote in post #5873266
The Spyder3 does have a second target for greyscale profiles.

I think realistically I need to be looking at the spyder or eyeone. But which? and which version.

Thanks to the other replies too, and Rene I'm no longer sure what I have and havent read - I spent waay to much time trying to read up on this today but was almost crosseyed by the end - but thanks for the point that I realise from what you said that I probably don't need a paper profiler - I mean I don't know anything about it and was kinda hoping if I covered all my bases id be OK but I'm alos in danger of overwhelming myself with too much to learn and do with the inherent danger that it'll be too much and Ill get discouraged and give up

The colormunki does look relatively easy - but compared to the others I have no idea whether its easier, the same or harder - it certainly is a lot more money and proabbaly overkill if I dont actually need the printer profiling

I realise this can all get quite hairy - I mean the tiniest variables can make so much differenc, but what to do without actually taking the plunge - it will be more expensive to get a printer profiler later I imagine but still best part of £400 to get the Munki, hmm that's a lorra lorra money.

So what are the differences between the £150 calibration range?

(If I can get them to show a difference in saved for web I'll post some recent color shots that demonstrate the subtle differences that make all the difference ina colour shot that I find important - I made several versions wit different LR 5D import presets.)

Calibrate your Monitor, and use ICC profiles on your printer. If you are going to sell your prints then go to custom calibration of your papers to your printer!