Digital BW, The Print

The PrintFixPRO package uses a colorimeter called (somewhat inaccurately) 
the "Spectro 1005". It is  not a spectrophotometer.

The difference between the PLUS and the PRO versions, once they're 
released, is not that there are two different colorimeters. The PLUS 
version, if I understand correctly, will be only the software in the 
release version. The PRO version will have both the software and the 
colorimeter. It will not be quite as accurate as a $2000 to $4000 Gretag 
Macbeth system, but it's a couple of thousand dollars cheaper - and with an 
adjustment or two, the profiles can be as good as those from the more 
expensive packageAt least that's been  my early experience and the 
experience of several others who have beta-tested the program.

As I mentioned in an early post, the two profiles I've made using this 
package produced profiles which required only a single minor adjustment in 
each of them, to make the print match the monitor perfectly. I should use 
quotes around that word "perfectly" because of course a print will never 
look **exactly** like the monitor, for several different reasons (different 
gamut, reflected versus emitted light, etc etc). What I mean is that color 
balance, brightness, contrast, and saturation were all spot on after that 
single adjustment. Each profile took about 20 minutes (or less? I didn't 
keep exact track) to make, including the time it took to print out the 
reference image, print out three of my own reference images, and make the 
adjustments.

I'll work with my sample of the commercially released PrintFixPRO package 
for a while and then get back to the group with a progress report. Early 
experience is far far better than I'd thought it would be.

Bill Hansen