CMYK printer profile or RGB?

Forum|Forum|11 years ago
December 12, 2014
3 replies
16987 views

Hi all,

Is there a way to definitively confirm if a printer uses an RGB or CMYK profile? (reason for custom profile calibration)

My own printer in question is an HP color laser CP1515n,

but I would like to knowin general if its possible to find an answer via windows printer driver info or maybe a 3rd party application?

Thanks in advance

This topic has been closed for replies.

G

G_Hoffmann

Inspiring

How to check the manufacturer's preferences RGB versus CMYK:

Download the program ICC Profile Inspector:

http://www.color.org/ICCProfileInspector2_4.zip

Open one of a couple of available ICC-Profiles for the printer.

Check by Profile Inspector whether it is an RGB–Lab profile or a CMYK–Lab profile.

If these profiles are RGB-profiles, then the manufacturer considers the printer

normally as an RGB device.

But stop!

I'm using since many years

1. large format inkjet printers Mutoh 6100 and Epson 7890,

operated by RIP Colorgate Productionserver, earlier by RIPs Onyx and Best-Efi.

2. toner printers OKI 9600,

PostScript devices, operated by Photoshop and Acrobat.

For the calibration I'm using in all cases large or small CMYK targets, printed without

color management by Photoshop (older version, which has this mode) for the toner

printer and by RIP for the inkjets. Profiles by GretagMacbeth ProfileMaker.

The manufacturer's profiles for the Epson are RGB-profiles! All my profiles are

of course CMYK profiles. The inkjets are often used for proof printing for offset.

A remark to post #4: it seems that the mentioned test was done without any profile.

Then it is of no relevance.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

L

Lee_SKAuthor

Known Participant

thanks for the link

i've installed it but however when i try to open an icc/icm profile file I can't find anything...

The only files I have found are in the windows folder (not in program files\hp) but these are the default windows one, like adobe rgb / srgb etc. There is nothing with my printer name on it. Any idea what does this mean?

As for the RIP, you mean RIP is the software with what you print? (sorry i'm not very techinicial, especially with printing)

station_two

Inspiring

Lee8x wrote:

There is nothing with my printer name on it. Any idea what does this mean?

Yeah, it means you probable never installed the HP printer software, which would have included the profiles.

J

jdanek

Inspiring

What is the problem with the color output? Are you using the Postscript L3 RIP ( which should come with .icc profiles of its own )? What are your application color settings? Are you using the color management options in the PCL driver / RIP? As I understand it, a RIP and/or a driver will use tagged profiles from files, both RGB ( Photographic prints ) and CMYK ( Proofs ) when you take advantage of color management options in the RIP / driver. Unfortunately, laser printers are limited ( as referenced in the review links above ).

station_two

Inspiring

Well said, jdanek. This printer, however, is sub-optimal for photographs—I personally wouldn't user for CMYK proofs either. Seems designed for color charts and such.

station_two

Inspiring

All inkjet printers on the planet expect an RGB image.

Even if you send them a CMYK image, the printer driver will first convert it to RGB and then into the printers own internal flavor of CcMmYK space.