Datacolor User to User Support Group.

On Aug 15, 2010, at 10:09 PM, brucepanock@... wrote:

> I am the person referred to in a response to "keith."
> 
> My principle problem is scanning the targets. I am following the instructions in detail (I even stop the oline video as I move from step to step). The problem is that cell 10(j) always scans black rather than what appears to be white. I am attempting to build profiles for Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Bright WHite 310 gsm, Fine Art Pearl 285 gsm, Gaguerre canvas 400 gsm, as well as creating better profiles for Epson Matte and canvas.
> 

Yes, I see that you have a support ticket open on that, and someone from
tech support should be handling this with you now. I've looked at your ticket,
and I'll summarize a few things here, but please continue with this in the support
ticket itself...:-)

Your paper white patch measuring as black, instead of white, can only be from one thing:
you need to calibrate the spectro properly on the white tile on the calibration base.

With the SR (scanning) spectro: "proper" calibration means that you have to push down firmly
on the spectro nose when you have it in the base, before you press the button on the spectro
itself. If you don't "press-before-you-push-the-button" during spectro calibration on the tile,
you may not get firm enough contact with the tile for the calibration to work correctly.

What happens when this goes wrong? Specifically: whites, and near whites, can measure incorrectly
as either black, or with a very strong cyan cast.

> Should I be using the EZ targets or the Classic Targets? I used the Classic, High Quality Target.
> 

You can use either, but this won't affect your white patch measurement.

> I use the plastic white in Spectro cradle to determine white point.
> 
> If I cannot get past the scanning I am stuck .. please help.
> 

I'm sorry that tech support hasn't responded directly and correctly on this one yet; it's a question
that comes up occasionally (not many people run into this, because the instructions in the software
say to press down on the nose, but it's possible to miss this) and the answer for it is very simple:
just press down on the nose, during calibration, before you press the button.

It should be simple for you to test this. Run the software, go back to your measurement file, click
View/Measure, recalibrate the spectro (see all of the above); then click on the white patch in the
Target window. Switch the measuring mode for a single measurement (use the popup in the lower right
corner of the window). Put the spectro on the white patch in the target and press the button. You should
now get a proper measurement for white (should come up as a very light gray - not black, and not a strong
cyan cast).

Your other problem is your target prints. Assuming that the rest of your target actually looks like the
measurements, they're printing as (fairly horribly) color managed. Look at the first group of 5x5
patches in the upper left corner of the target - those are the full black to full blue to full green to
full cyan patches. Patch 5A (full blue) should be a very strong blue; it's the most fully inked blue that
the driver can print (and even if it's biased towards magenta, as may be the case with the older 4000 driver,
it should still be a very strongly inked patch; this is the most saturated blue possible with the driver
settings you're using to print the target). Same comment about the green patch (5th down in the left column)
and the cyan patch (5th down and across). All of the patches in between those should also be very dark and
saturated.

In your target print, they're not. That either means:

- The driver settings are wrong

- You've got a big problem with your inks (nozzle clogs, most likely, or there's something wrong with
what's in your ink carts). Best thing to do here is a very, very careful nozzle check. If your inks
are all working correctly, and nothing is missing, then you either have bad inks, or (implicitly bad)
3rd party inks, or (see above) your driver settings while making the target print are wrong.

So you have 2 problems:

- Measurements won't let you build a proper profile because the spectro is calibrated incorrectly. That's
the first issue to address.

- Even with this addressed, the target print is wrong and you won't be able to build a proper profile from
it, even if every patch is measured correctly.

David Miller
Senior Software Developer, Digital Color Solutions
Datacolor