Tweak more black in black

Hi,

I am working with a couple of profiles original created in the Monaco software.

My general impression of the outputs are that the blacks can print more black as the profiles allow. I would like to try tweak it a little bit.

The software our company is using is normally in an other location so I do not have access to that all the time.

Now I have download the ColorShop X from x-rite for a 14 days trial but not yet installed in the hope that this tool is an inexpensive add on for this purpose.

My question(s) are: 1. is ColorShop X the right tool to do it? and 2. if yes what is the right procedure to do it?

Thanks for any hints,
Jan

Ja,

in my humble opinion such a case shouldn't be
treated by tweaking, because color shifts in the
grays can easily happen or the paper cannot 'carry'
the ink.

I would go one step back to the profile generation
and set a higher total ink limit.
Then print test patterns. One of them should contain
full rich black. If this shows bleeding and won't dry,
then the ink limit is too high.
What can we expect ?
A density of 2 for inkjet and excellent paper, less
for average paper.

On my inkjet Mutoh 6100, using proof paper, the limit
for K can be set to 100%. The total ink limit is typi-
cally 320%. A higher value doesn't improve the visual
quality. More important is the resolution for grays
below L*=20, which CAN be improved by tweaking.

Of course - widely a matter of opinions.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

Thanks Gernot, I appreciate your "humble" opinion.

I had a look into the MonacoProfiler which was used by creating the profiles but was not able to see where I could possible change the amount of inks. Thought the profiler reduced it automatically after or during computing the profile.

I also exported some of the profile to an, what they call, MDP files what is a text file including the measurements. In here their is also no indication of where you can change such a value. May be I have overlooked it?

The profiles are RGB by using the common windows printer driver with color management set to OFF.

Jan

If you've got RGB profiles, which it sounds like, there would be no way to edit the black plate, because there is none. What type of printer are you using? Are you using Black Point Compensation when making your profile conversions? What is the value you when converting a 0,0,0 "black" with this profile? On this particulare printer, what is the "L" value from the spectrophotometer reading for the blackest black the printer can print?

Thanks Peter,

You are correct, rgb profiles. Printer type are Epson R320 and Epson SP 2200.

The convertion RGB - 0,0,0 returns with the "L" value of 34
The conversion of RGB - 50,50,50 returns with "L" = 50

Any additional thoughts from your side?

Thanks,
Jan

->The convertion RGB - 0,0,0 returns with the "L" value of 34
->The conversion of RGB - 50,50,50 returns with "L" = 50

With or without Black Point Compensation used in ACE?

Perceptional without Black Point Compensation printed out of PhotoShop

I suggest you give BPC a try (and keep it on always).

Jan,

these results are not agreeable:
The convertion RGB - 0,0,0 returns with the "L" value of 34
The conversion of RGB - 50,50,50 returns with "L" = 50

The relation between WORKING SPACE sRGB and Lab is a pure
colorimetrical one. sRGB and Lab numbers are here on p.9:
<http://www.fho-emden.de/~hoffmann/a3gencolortest.pdf>

For an RGB PRINTER profile the relation is not as simple,
but L=34 for R=G=B=0 is IMO too high, density D=1.1.
Should be L<20, density D>1.5 .

A black point compensation for Perceptual is IMO never
applied explicitly (BPC is probably ignored by PhS),
because Perceptual contains anyway a shift for low input
values to the darkest printable grays or blacks.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

OK, I have tried the BPC but can't measure a difference.