1 - Printer - Choose the printer model from your printers list.
2 - Choose the right paper medium - Choose the one given by the manufacturer when it exists otherwise take the same type from the list. The good manufacturers, and they are few in number, work for several brands! So sometimes there are very large "similarities".
My advice! This choice only determines the inking rate. If you use paper from the printer's brand, your paper will be in the drop-down list. If you use another brand, choose the same type of paper as at Epson in this example. Indeed, all the brands have the "same" paper ranges: Premium gloss, Archival matt, baryta, etc.
3 - Color settings - Be sure to disable the printer's color management. We are trying to measure the defects, the characteristics of the printer WITHOUT color management.
4 - Quality - Choose the printing fineness. I create two profiles at 1440 dpi and 2880 dpi but I admit I'm not sure there's a difference when making the ICC profile, but I prefer the shape of the prints printed at 2880 dpi in the sky.
Note! You can also choose the speed without, in my opinion, having an influence on the calibration. But note that I never check "Thinner details" because I have a bug on my 7800 Epson when I print my panoramas in a very large width.
My recommendation! This has nothing to do with what concerns us here but I prefer to print at 2880 dpi because I find the gradients in the skies even more beautiful because they are more shaped! For the finesse of the details, I don't see any difference.
Before printing, make sure you have placed an A4 sheet in your printer!
5 - The reading of the patches will start but it is necessary to calibrate the spectrocolorimeter first....
To do this, simply place the spectrocolorimeter on its base because it has a white test chart at the bottom of the small well. (It is necessary to take care of it!)

Click on the button at the top of the sensor and a new page opens:

Name the ICC profile so that you can recognize it when you choose it in Photoshop later on. Click on save.
The grayed-out button in field 2 "Reading the target" is then displayed: "Open the sample reading screen". Click on it. A window opens asking you if you want to follow a tutorial. You can request that this message no longer be displayed.
A picture of the test chart you have chosen to print opens wide on your screen:

Note that the first line, ready to be read, is surrounded by red.
Attention! Please choose at the bottom right of this page (photo opposite) the type of reading you want to use: "In strip" or "per sample". This determines whether you will make a continuous reading or sample by sample.
My opinion!
After trying both methods, I ended up using the longer method a priori so per sample because I could never get enough reading fluidity and there was always a patch missing! I got tired of it and made it as easy as possible. So it wasn't that long anymore because it works the first time this time!
Finally, if you choose " Split ", each patch will be split in two: real color / read color. This obviously has no impact on the reading process.
Two recommendations before you start reading! As advised, place two sheets of the same paper under the printed sheet before you start reading the patches. This avoids uncontrolled reflections due to your table, especially if it is colored and do not hesitate to tape the printed test chart on your desk. This will prevent it from moving during patch reading. Start reading the patches...
When you are finished, click on the button at the very bottom "Close and save" .
It's time to create your ICC profile and save it on the next page....
Last recommendation! Define a profile name that is easy to identify by using hyphens between words and avoiding spaces and other accents.
6 - Spyderproof - Profile editing
On the next page, you can edit your profile ("Advanced Editing") or print a test run. We will do it directly from Photoshop.
Be careful twice! In "Advanced Editing", do not use the color correction sliders otherwise there is no point in making an ICC profile! Colorimetric defects are never linear! The only thing that might be interesting is to lighten the shadows slightly if you almost always see shadows that are too blocked in relation to your screen.

Click "Next"...
Finally you create your profile and save it!

Note! The profile is stored in the folder containing all the profiles on your computer.
Finally, I invite you to read my page on printing with Photoshop because this software has many practical features to print correctly with custom ICC profiles. Everything is explained in detail in a step-by-step process. You can also review my page on the calibrating a printer with a calibration kit.

Checking the ICC profile and Questions and Answers
Before answering some of the most common questions I receive about printing profiles, I will make a 3D comparison of several profiles of the same paper/printer pair made with the SpyderPRINT and the high-end i1 Photo Pro 2.
3D comparison of the profile made with the SpyderPRINT 5 vs i1 Photo
This is the ICC profile of calibrating my Epson 7800 printer with Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper. As you can see below, the ICC profile made with the SpyderPRINT 5 (Kit at around 350 dollars) is, in volume and therefore in gamut, smaller, especially in one direction, the blue-green ones than the one made with the superlative i1 Photo Pro 2.
3D comparison of ICC profiles made with Colormunki Photo vs i1 Studio
Here is the ICC profile of the calibration of my Epson 7800 printer with Epson Baryté Permajet paper. As you can see below, the ICC profile created with the Colormunki Photo is, in volume and therefore in gamut, very similar to the one created with the new i1 Studio. The differences are anecdotal. The use of the same measuring device but a slightly different software probably explains their similarities. |