Generic Instructions For Printing RGB Profile Targets
The basic process for printing profile target prints is the same no matter what software/system or printer you are using. See below for the instructions.
You can however USE printer profiles in Lightroom once you have them - you just need to print the targets from another application, but once you have the profile it's easy to plug them into Lightroom (instructions on this here)
We change the target file regularly so it may not look 100% like the screenshots below. The current target is one A4 page in 'Portrait' orientation, so please print on a portrait A4 page, and ignore any instructions below about printing it landscape.
Jump To:
The basic recipe
for a successful print of the RGB target
If you can follow the spirit of these instructions, then all should work very well with the process.
To successfully print the profile target file, you must achieve the following:
- The target image must be printed at exactly the size it is supplied (one full A4 sheet), and no interpolation or resizing must be done to the file (the print resolution of the file is intentionally 300 pixels per inch)
- The target should be printed with no colour management applied in your imaging application
- The target should be printed with no colour management applied in the printer driver
- You must select the correct paper type and print quality mode in your printer driver
- You must give the target 24 hours to dry and then send it to us with payment, flat and preferably protected by an A4 plastic folder pocket or similar.
If you can achieve these 5 steps successfully, then all should go well with the profile.
It is of course impossible for us to supply screenshots for all possible imaging applications, however if you do follow these steps, feel free to take screenshots of your application as you go along, and send these to us by email (before posting your target prints), so we can check if there are any obvious mistakes. An example, using Photoshop Elements V5, is below.
Clients have successfully sent us targets printed from many applications, including QImage, Paintshop, Corel, Aperture and many more, so it can almost always be achieved, you simply need to carefully make sure you can achieve the 5 steps.
An Example - Printing Profile Targets from Photoshop Elements V5
To print the profile target properly from Photoshop Elements V5, please follow these steps carefully.
- Start the Adobe Photoshop Elements V5 Editor
- Go to Edit -> Colour Settings and set Elements into 'No Colour Management' mode:
Click 'OK'
- Download the Image Science RGB Profile Target
- Unzip the file and open it in Photoshop Elements
- Now go to 'File -> Print'
Click the Page Setup button, and choose the correct printer, a paper size of A4, and the portrait paper orientation. Click Ok.
- Back in the Photoshop Elements print dialog, tick the 'Show More Options' box. You should now see have a screen like this:
Check all those red marks - the page must be printed at 'Actual Size', the and settings under Colour Management must match the above screen shot exactly.
- Now hit 'Print' and you will be taken through to the print dialog where you must see the correct properties for your printer and this particular type of paper.
Follow the links below to the instructions on how to do this - simply follow on from the marked step all the way to the end, and you are done!
Instructions for Epson printers (model numbers above 2000) (Step 6 and on!)
Instructions for Epson printers (model numbers below 2000) (Step 6 and on!)
Instructions for Canon printers (Step 6 and on!)
Instructions for Other printer types (Step 6 and on!)
- After completing the step above and sending us the target, you should return Photoshop Elements to a sensible state for colour management:
An Example - Printing Profile Targets from Photoshop Elements V6
To print the profile target properly from Photoshop Elements V6, please follow these steps carefully.
- Start the Adobe Photoshop Elements V6 Editor
- Go to Edit -> Colour Settings and set Elements into 'No Colour Management' mode:
Click 'OK'
- Download the Image Science RGB Profile Target
- Unzip the file and open it in Photoshop Elements
- Now go to 'File -> Print'
Click the Page Setup button, and choose the correct printer, a paper size of A4, and the portrait paper orientation. Click Ok.
- Back in the Photoshop Elements print dialog, tick the 'Show More Options' box. You should now see have a screen like this:
Check all those red marks - the page must be printed at 'Actual Size', the and settings under Colour Management must match the above screen shot exactly.
- Now hit 'Print' and you will be taken through to the print dialog where you must see the correct properties for your printer and this particular type of paper.
Follow the links below to the instructions on how to do this - simply follow on from the marked step all the way to the end, and you are done!
Instructions for Epson printers (model numbers above 2000) (Step 6 and on!)
Instructions for Epson printers (model numbers below 2000) (Step 6 and on!)
Instructions for Canon printers (Step 6 and on!)
Instructions for Other printer types (Step 6 and on!)
- After completing the step above and sending us the target, you should return Photoshop Elements to a sensible state for colour management:
