Same target: scanned by both Colormunki and i1Pro2, differences in profile quality ?

[pharmacist]

The gloss does not look different at all: I looked especially on the black patches and the same gloss. This really intriges me

For sake of comparison I will print the same target on my Epson ET-8550 (no black enhance overcoat whatsoever) and will generate a new target this evening after drying.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

https://download4.epson.biz/sec_pub...GUID-40CAF397-4123-48C0-BEDA-F1C2B1DDA455.htm

'To print by increasing black density, use black enhance overcoat in the printer driver.' This is apparently not happening - one way or another - Epson claims that there should be some difference.

Which program are you printing with ? Could it be that there is some hidden change of parameters - BEO - behind the screen caused by that software ? Could you print the target with some other software - Epson ? - alternatively ?
and I see some carbon black option and gloss smoothing - how would they impact the black level together with the
BEO option ?

 

[pharmacist]

I am using photoshop using native Epson P900 driver to control (disabling) color management. I will first try the ET-8550 target and see if the reading error is not in the i1Pro2. The ET-8550 should have lighter black level. On the P900 it is not even carbon black (maximum resolution setting), so it might be even blacker when choosing that option.

 

[pharmacist]

Here is the ET-8550 profile using the same target and i1Pro2.....definitely a higher black level.

i1Pro2 is not defective.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

The dye-pig comparison target reports a black level for the dye print of L= 4.3 1.06 -7.31, that's a very good black level as well, not every ink/paper combination reaches such level. the b-level with -7.31 is typical for dye blacks showing a cool blue touch.

The gamut of the dye-print overall is somewhat larger than the gamut with the pigment inks , here a cut a mid-luminance of L=50

Orange indicates the dye-gamut and the yellow line the gamut border of the pigment ink gamut.

 

[pharmacist]

Anyhow, despite the strange, but very good black level on the P900 without a noticeable difference between BEO or not BEO, the conclusion is that the independent scanning with both the Colormunki/i1Studio and the more advanced i1Pro2 gives similar quality profiles.

 

[Loomray]

It's a kind of funny that the black level is improving from test to test - it's now at L=2.25; it's a very good level of the Epson Photo black ink on the Netbit paper. The question remains at which condition - ink - paper - driver setting - the BEO actually does a black level improvement. Or does the gloss look different ? Or is there another effect we currently don't look to ?


View attachment 16785

It could be coused by Ink-sedimentation . If the Printer was not used before printing the first profiles ,the pigmentet ink descend in the cartridges .Some bigger printer have extra vibrating motors to shake the ink in the cartridges.

 

[thebestcpu]

Anyhow, despite the strange, but very good black level on the P900 without a noticeable difference between BEO or not BEO, the conclusion is that the independent scanning with both the Colormunki/i1Studio and the more advanced i1Pro2 gives similar quality profiles.

Thank you for sharing the results of your experiments. It was excellent (and surprising) how closely the two profiles from two different instruments matched.

I, too, have an Epson P900, yet I'm using all Epson inks. I am not the expert so admit I have a lot to learn. My understanding of the BEO is that it is primarily helpful to reduce the "appearance" of black levels due to the differential glossiness that can occur in large black areas with pigment inks when viewing at particular angles. Without the BEO, those areas at an angle would look a bit duller (less sheen) and have an "appearance" of less black than other less dark areas on the print.

When BEO is turned on, Epson adds a thin coating of light gray ink to the print's black and deep shadow areas to even out the sheen across those areas relative to other areas on the print.

I get the impression that using the Light Gray Ink alone would not change the actual black level much at all, and the BEO effect is more to reduce the differential sheen of the look at particular angles. Upping the sheen in the deeper black areas to better match the sheen in other regions can visually. This is also used to reduce the bronzing look that one can get at particular view angles with prints from the P900.

BEO, aka Black Enhance Overlay, sure sounds better from a marketing standpoint than GDR for Gloss Differential Reduction