A printer profile is not just for your printer alone, it is for the combination of printer, paper and ink. Change any one of these and another profile will be required for example, if you use an Epson 1290 with the manufacturers inks and print on a gloss and a matt paper you will require a profile for each paper type. If, at a later date you were to change your inks from Epson to a compatible make you would need new profiles for both papers. The same applies if you changed your printer, even if it were the same make and model, as no two devices are identical in their output.
printer profiles
remote profiling
To create a print profile we do not need to be at your location, the basic procedure is as follows:
- download the target files and printing instructions from our 'downloads' page.
- optimise the output from your printer using the manufacturers instructions (print head alignment, cleaning etc.
- print out the target files on each paper type you require profiles for, taking into account the paper manufacturers recommended settings.
- after the print has dried thoroughly, mail it to us in a suitable protective envelope along with your payment.
- we then measure the colour patches on your print and create the profile.
- after creation we e-mail you your profile along with full instructions on where to install and how to use. (Instructions are also available from our 'downloads' page).
- a VAT invoice is dispatched
Follow all the instructions that accompany the relevent download very carefully. A simple mistake will create an unusable profile.
on site profiling
Should you want us on site to create your profiles we still require that you download our target files and print them out following the instructions provided so that they have had at least 12 hours to dry before our arrival.
prices
We charge £19.95 + VAT for a high quality profile using our Gretag Macbeth Spectrophotometer and associated software.
When ordering 2 or more profiles at the same time subsiquent profiles are charged at £18.25 + VAT each and only £15.00 + VAT for 'Economy' printer profiles.
Remote profiles are sent via e-mail, if you require them on CD a small additional charge of £2.50 including VAT is made to cover materials and handling.
As this requires a visit to your location and our profiling prices are so low, we have to charge for travel. The current rate is 34p + VAT per mile and mileage is calculated from and back to Tegryn, Pembrokeshire, SA35 0BE. For our calculations we use the AA's route planner although there are others.
special offers
From time to time we may make special offers available. In order to take advantage of one of these offers, please enter the offer code on the order form and deduct the value from the cost of the profiles. Note: offers can be applied to the cost of profiles only not mileage charges etc.
how does it work?
The target used for standard 'high quality' profile creation is the TC9.18. This target has 918 patches of colour and requires 2 sheets of paper for printing. Our 'Economy' printer profile uses the i1RGB 1.5 target. This target has 288 patches of colour, requires one sheet of paper and is used by many other companies as their standard profiling target.
The target files need to be printed according to the instructions that accompanied the download and left to completely dry at least 12 hours (preferably 24hrs) before our site vist or before mailing them to us.
If we are at your location, we will first load a small piece of software onto your computer and attach our spectrophotometer to a spare USB port. The spectrophotometer measures the patches on the print(s) you created previously and the readings taken are compared to those contained within the software. From this a profile is created and saved as the profile for the combination of printer, paper and ink used for making the print.
If you have opted for the remote profiling method, on receipt of your printed targets and payment we will measure the patches as above with the spectrophotometer connected to our system. Once the profile is created it will be saved and e-mailed to you immediately with full instructions on where to save it and how to use.
ordering
To order remote profiling proceed to our 'downloads' page and follow the instructions there.
To arrange a visit for profiling of devices at your location please contact us so we can discuss your requirements and determine cost.
print and monitor matching
Creating a profile for your printer/media/ink combination does not ensure a match between your monitor and printer output. For your monitor to display what you see on your print, your monitor must be accurately profiled. More information can be found on our 'monitor' page.
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