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Imageprint Black for BW pictures
- Thread starter spassig
- Start date
It was useful for back in the day to address issues around metamerism. But move on a few years and as Epson, Canon etc. have added shades of grey into their ink sets, their native drivers + B&W modes do a very good job indeed. Throw in QTRip on Epson and you can get B&W prints with the native ink sets as good as anything else out there without spending $$$$. So good in fact, that I wouldn't even bother with custom B&W ink sets like Cone etc., let alone something like IP for low volume B&W work. For a P800, IP is $900 - that's more than the cost of the printer - I'd rather invest the cash in a used spectrophotometer (that you can keep and use with future printers) and learn to use QTRip to make top notch B&W prints using Epson's native ink set.
dchew
Well-known member
I’ve been using ImagePrint for about 10 years. I also print via Lightroom, QImage and the printer software (used to be Epson, now Canon). The real advantage of ImagePrint is that you can quickly get really good prints on virtually any paper you want to use. That and a wide variety of layout applications and options.
If neither of those things are important to you, then you can make as good or arguably better prints using a custom profile and a paper you know well.
The black and white capabilities are great, but you can equal them with other tools today.
Dave
If neither of those things are important to you, then you can make as good or arguably better prints using a custom profile and a paper you know well.
The black and white capabilities are great, but you can equal them with other tools today.
Dave
Thank for feedback.
I use also an Epson SC P800.
A lot is promised in advertising - also by retailers ;-)
First I should install a trial.
In which way can IP Black generate profiles?
In the past I have create an own profile by an service provider.
I install five test charts with lot of different colors.
I print the charts on the relevant paper.
I send this prints to the service provider.
Some days later I receive the profiles via email.
Is this the same by Imageprint?
How cost it by Imageprint?
(I must send it from Germany to US)
Jochen
dchew
Well-known member
You don't have to make profiles with ImagePrint Black. It has its own set of profiles. You select the paper you want and click an install button and you are done. That's the real benefit of ImagePrint Black. You can print targets and send them to ImagePrint for custom profile, but I've never found that necessary. As Carl said, ImagePrint Black has multiple profiles for each paper/printer combo. The other thing that is unique about ImagePrint is they use their own driver and ink control. My experience is that you need much less softproofing adjustment when using matte papers. That's kind of a generic statement, but it has been my experience.
Dave
Dave
Going back a long way here. I used Imageprint briefly back in the early days of the Epson 3800 and instead ended up using B&W profiles made by one Eric Chan (who was promptly hired / hijacked by Adobe) !
Can't comment on how they make their profiles, but
How many printers do you use ?
How many papers do you need to profile?
I found no practicable difference with Hahnemule profiles (I only used two paper types and one printer) and for more discerning requirements used Chau Digital (London UK) for printing.
www.chaudigital.com
Now, I use EU based pro photo labs who do their own profiling.and print on a variety of papers and surfaces. A lot has changed in the intervening 15 odd years and I see that IP have tried to moderate their pricing structure but sadly not their piracy protection. We're 2024 do we still need to rely on a dongle - do you really need this ?
forum.luminous-landscape.com
This thread dates back to 2018 but it's still relevant today. Replacement dongles (if the still work are $40 bucks plus shipping and taxes , if they're too old (os pre 64-bit) it's $150 plus shipping and taxes. If you or the courier service loses the package - it's full cost of a new IP licence. (https://www.colorbytesoftware.com/IMAGEPRINT_FAQ_for_Catalina_Update.shtml)
Imageprint is more than an ICC stage in the print process and IIRC, the other package highly praised was QImage Ultimate
I can see a use of IP for those living in the USA, but possibly less so for those of us in the EU.
Good luck!
Note: the cheapo IP-RED does NOT include their library of ICC profiles - for those you've got to pay an extra $300 plus for the BLACK version.
Can't comment on how they make their profiles, but
How many printers do you use ?
How many papers do you need to profile?
I found no practicable difference with Hahnemule profiles (I only used two paper types and one printer) and for more discerning requirements used Chau Digital (London UK) for printing.
Fine Art Giclée Inkjet Printing | CHAU Fine Art Print London
Fine art, photographic, archival, giclée, digital inkjet printers in London. Papers such as Hahnemuehle (Hahnemühle), DaVinci, Canson, Awagami. We print with experience, care, and attention to detail; we strive to get the best out of your images to produce stunning prints time and time again.
www.chaudigital.com
Now, I use EU based pro photo labs who do their own profiling.and print on a variety of papers and surfaces. A lot has changed in the intervening 15 odd years and I see that IP have tried to moderate their pricing structure but sadly not their piracy protection. We're 2024 do we still need to rely on a dongle - do you really need this ?
Colorbyte's lost dongle policy is repaying software - does this only concern me?
Colorbyte's lost dongle policy is repaying software - does this only concern me?
This thread dates back to 2018 but it's still relevant today. Replacement dongles (if the still work are $40 bucks plus shipping and taxes , if they're too old (os pre 64-bit) it's $150 plus shipping and taxes. If you or the courier service loses the package - it's full cost of a new IP licence. (https://www.colorbytesoftware.com/IMAGEPRINT_FAQ_for_Catalina_Update.shtml)
Imageprint is more than an ICC stage in the print process and IIRC, the other package highly praised was QImage Ultimate
I can see a use of IP for those living in the USA, but possibly less so for those of us in the EU.
Good luck!
Note: the cheapo IP-RED does NOT include their library of ICC profiles - for those you've got to pay an extra $300 plus for the BLACK version.
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The IP profiles are excellent and there are a lot of them, so if you use a lot of different papers they're very handy. Also, IP is very frugal with ink, so if you make a lot of prints (e.g. run a print shop), it can save you $$$$. The image layout abilities of the software are great as well. IIRC you could also apply different ICC profiles to different images on a single sheet (e.g. print some images B&W and others colour). So, all good. On the downside, the software is (or used to be) licenced to the printer (not the user or computer), so if you changed your printer (e.g. 17'' > 44'') you had to buy a new licence. And unless you had a maintenance contract (now a subscription I guess), there was no upgrade path - you had to buy a new licence. Which was very pricey. IMHO if you plan to do low volume printing using only a handful of different papers, it's an expensive proposition.