Good custom printer profile: Cathy's profiles

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Unsolicited testimonial.

I bought a custom printer profile from Cathy's profiles for my i9900 and
couldn't be happier with the results. I really like the ilford classic
pearl paper but the canned ICM profiles I tried (ilford's for this
paper/ink and the canon matt paper one etc) were just all over the place as
far as color balance from image to image in print. I was having to make
proof prints and color balance every shot. With her profile, everything
looks just like I expect it should, at least as far as color balance and
most now can be printed straight from the camera (if the WB was
measured/set right) with no color tweaking whatsoever.

Still learning how to judge contrast and saturation from screen to print but
I feel like I at least have this color balance issue solved by spending the
$40 for a good printer profile made for the printer I have on my desk. I
learned 2 different printers of the same brand and model can have a good
bit of difference in their native color balance so there isn't much chance
the canned profiles will work right on every one, just will be kinda close.

I suppose if I knew I wanted to use a bunch of different papers, I'd invest
in a hardware measuring solution. But I doubt anything cheap would produce
a printer profile anywhere near as good as the ones she produces with the
higher end stuff she is using.

Just info for anyone fighting with inkjet printing and color balance/quality
issues, this is money well spent IMHO.
--

Stacey