DMAX Problem with new paper on Z3200 with APS

[William Morse]

I'm using a new (for me) paper, Innova Fiba warm gloss, and am getting strange results. I'm using Fine art pearl (more ink) and set ink limits to 95 and GE to 60. The calibration print looks good, black patch is L 2.8. next black patches are 3.1 and 3.8.

However, after profiling, the black (RGB 0,0,0) patch prints at about L 12. I am printing through Qimage using App managed color. Printer managed color prints the black patch the same.

Not sure what is happening here.

Thanks for any comments.

Bill Morse

[Ernst Dinkla]

Several possibilities:

Be aware of a haze that might have formed on the print. Polish a print without gloss enhancer with just a cloth and see what happens then, apply the gloss enhancer or a varnish in a next step and check whether haze has formed again. The HP Baryte Satin showed that problem and my first comments on that paper with the Z3200 did not mention it as I was not aware of that issue then.
http://www.pigment-print.com/review/Z3200FirstPage_2.htm
http://www.pigment-print.com/review/QTRBaryteSatP.gif
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/message/2123
Despite the haze I think there was also something wrong in the media preset for that paper, on the Z3100 one at least.

Do a new calibration. Try other media presets too to eliminate a flaw in the calibration or profiling step that may be related to this media preset. If no solution is found it could be that the Z spectrometer is not working correct.

The L 2.8 is very high = D 2.5 or so, L 12 is about D 1.85.  That is a huge difference. The next black patches, as measured, are in line so a bad curve fitting in the calibration is unlikely (if the media preset has no influence there).

Try the B&W mode too for reference. Driver color management on + AdobeRGB set as the expected color space and Qimage's color management off then. Print a QTR 21 step greyscale target with 2.2 Gamma assigned or a neutral RGB one with AdobRGB assigned. It looks like you have a manual meter for control so you can measure the patches and linearise with QTR linearise tool. Check how linear that greyscale target was printed.

My 2 cents.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2012, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[William Morse]

In B&W mode, is the Qimage color management set to "off" or to "printer managed color? I always thought it was the latter, but I will try it "off" as well. Will try other presets.

Has anyone else printed on the Innova Fibagloss Warm Tone with the Z3200 or z3100? What presets did you use?

Thanks, Ernst.

Bill

[Ernst Dinkla]

No difference in this case as long as you assigned (arbitrarily) AdobeRGB to an RGB target file or Gamma 2.2 to a greyscale target file. Qimage makes a conversion to RGB for the last anyway. The driver expects AdobeRGB color space (you set the driver to AdobeRGB) and will consider any file as an AdobeRGB assigned one, whether it got the AdobeRGB assigned information transferred by Qimage (Let driver control CM) or not transferred by Qimage (Qimage CM off).

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2012, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.