How do you print the Argyll target on macOS 10.15 Catalina?

[UtenteMac]

Hello everyone,

after trashing many A4 sheets of printing targets I just ralised that printing them in Qimage One (my preferred printing software) with "Color management OFF" mode, doesn't actually output the colors correctly. Red are super low satured and all other color containing reds (or I should say Vivid Magenta) are affected.

Wireframe: OEM Ilford Smooth Pearl
Solid: Argyll Ilford Smooth Pearl



Out of curiosity I tried a super simple profile with i1Studio software and its 50+50 patches and definitely the total gamut size is reassuring: very minor differences from OEM profile.

I also tried to print from Photoshop 2020 (settings below, Epson dialog in italian but you should understand) and just by eye the reds are much more saturated.

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So in the end, how are you printing targets on macOS 10.15 Catalina onwards?

 

[UtenteMac]

Having reprinted the targets in Photoshop, with everything else as before, I now get much more plausible results.
It seems I've lost a lot on the darker tones: I'll have to make a few real world test prints.

Wireframe: OEM Ilford Smooth Gloss
Solid: Argyll custom profile

 

[maximilian59]

Never ever print targets with Photoshop, unless you have CS2. It is not possible in an easy way. Also you chosed relativ colorimetric. This alters colors. Use instead ACPU Adobe Color Printer Utility. That is the most secure and easy way.

 

[UtenteMac]

Never ever print targets with Photoshop, unless you have CS2. It is not possible in an easy way. Also you chosed relativ colorimetric. This alters colors. Use instead ACPU Adobe Color Printer Utility. That is the most secure and easy way.

Taken from Adobe here [https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/no-color-management-option-missing.html]:
"The Adobe Color Printer Utility is not supported on macOS Catalina 10.15 or later."

That's probably the main reason I opened this thread.
Beside that, is the Colorimetric Intent even taken into account if no color management is performed by Photoshop (Printer Manages Color) ?

 

[UtenteMac]

Yes, thank to help from another respected forum I've been told that ACPU works just fine under Catalina despite the misleading notice from Adobe. Printed the same Argyll targets and overall saturation seems to be greatly improved.

 

[UtenteMac]

Well, it turned out we were wrong. Also ACPU didn't output colors correctly (especially some full saturation primary (or close to) colors were somewhat dull.

The only software that saved me is ColorSync Utility. On the first print dialog you have to set the "Print as color target" option. Doing so all the colors are printed appopriately, with primary colors that match those produced by, say, Xrite i1Studio when printing from the software itself.

 

[robwignell]

I recommend Roy Harrington's Print Tool (http://quadtonerip.com/html/QTRprinttool.html) for printing in general. It has three options for Color Management: No Color Management; Print-Tool Managed; and Printer Driver Managed. It also has an Epson ABW mode check box.

I use the No Color Management setting for profile patch sets and Print-Tool Managed, along with the appropriate icc profile for printing images.

Print Tool has a text box function for including specific text, such as details of the patch set for easy reference later.

I also have Qimage One but find Print Tool easier to use.

Print-Tool is part of a B&W printing system called QuadTone Rip. I haven't ventured into this field.