[argyllcms] Re: Help needed: printer profiling with xrite dtp-41b

  • From: Ron Gage <ron@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: argyllcms@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:20:35 -0500

Hi Roger:

On 4/15/2011 8:55 PM, Roger Breton wrote:
Hi Ron,

The DTP41 can be tricky to operate. I suggest you start with a smaller
sample, if you can. I suppose you're generating RGB output.

I can't even get it to read the first strip or even part of it. So far, I have figured out that the alignment mark on the body should be the center of the sample strip. That's about it.

Indeed, I am generating RGB.

What kind of read error are you getting? Does the green light flashes at the
end of reading a strip? If that's the case then it means that the strip
definition expected by the instrument and what's actually printed are
different. Therefore the instrument cannot reliably recognize the patches.
At the time of generating the target with Argyll, the size and spacing and
number of patches per strip (typically 15 to 30) is fixed. There must like 1
inch of leader space and 1/2 inch of trailer space but it's actually
specified in multiple of the patch height. This is all well explained in
some old X-Rite documentation for the DTP41.
That helps me out a great deal - the spacing around the leading/trailing edge.

The XRite I have access to is actually at work and used weekly to calibrate color on a pair of Xerox iGen-3 printers. I'm pretty sure they are working.

I'm not even sure if it's reading the strips at all, then again, I tightly trimmed the paper to the sample region. Looks like I need to re-print. Anyhow, when I trigger the read, it sits there for about 5-10 seconds then feeds the entire strip through non-stop. It seems to me that the LED stays solid green after the strip feeds all the way through. I would have to write it down but I believe it says something about incomplete read.

BTW, even if your DTP41 calibrates fine, it's no guarantee that it's going
to read anything properly. I had two DTP41s turned sour on me this spring.
Do you have access to a PC with a real RS-232 port are you driving the DTP41
through some kind of USB connection or converter?


Using a Dell Latitude D630 laptop with a real RS232 port.



One thing you can try, if all else fails, is to create your target in
ColorPort, print the target and try to measure it with ColorPort. I don't
know how verbose are Argyll's error reporting, as far as the DTP41 is
concerned.

I don't know if we have ColorPort at the office. These are hooked to Solaris boxes as part of the iGen system during the day.

Operating DTP41s can be nerve racking.

So it would appear.

Ron



Best / Roger

-----Original Message-----
From: argyllcms-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:argyllcms-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Ron Gage
Sent: April-15-11 9:00 PM
To: argyllcms@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [argyllcms] Help needed: printer profiling with xrite dtp-41b

   I have a few questions regarding profiling a printer with an X-Rite
DTP-41B.

I have the samples generated, the .ps file generated (1053 samples, letter
size) and have printed the 3 .ps files on my printer (Epson Photo Stylus
2200) with all color management turned off.

Every attempt to read the printed samples returns a read error.  I believe
that communications to the XRite is fine since it does control the device
and does read the press of the device button.

Are there any tips I need to be aware of for getting good reads with the
XRite?  Things like printing (I printed with the image centered on the paper
(Letter) and not stretched to fit the paper).  Should the sample patches be
any particular size in order to maximize the chances of getting good reads?
When loading the sample printouts, should the read sensor be located before
the first sample or on it?  Which edge is the "leading edge" of the printout
- the side with the strip id markers or the blank size?  Should there be any
white space around the sample patches (i.o.w: should I trim down the
printout)?  The printout has a couple of dashed lines on it - are these cut
lines, fold lines or just decorations?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Ron







Other related posts: