Profiling my new Epson 4870

[Peter Gutbrod]

I was used to have my old AgfaScanner profiled with an IT8 Target from
Wiziwg regularly.

But that was back in OS9 days with SCSI interfaces and ADB keyboard
connectors. So both (the Agfa and the Wiziwyg calibrator) are no more
working with my current equipment.

My new Epson 4870 scanner came without any calibration software/target.

So my question: Is the scanner good enough to use it just out of the box
without any profiling? What is your experience? I'm doing mostly reflective
scans.

In case profiling is still a request for accurate colors, concerning a new
target I would go for one by Wolf Faust, they are reasonable prized.

What software do you recommend to create a scanner profile on OSX?
Silverfast (expensive) is said to be able to do this and Vuescan too. For
scanning I'm quite satisfied with Epson-Scan, so a little dedicated profiler
would be good enough. Are there any available for OSX in the low end range
similar to LittleCMS for Win/Linux?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Peter

 

[Robert M]

I was used to have my old AgfaScanner profiled with an IT8 Target from
Wiziwg regularly.

But that was back in OS9 days with SCSI interfaces and ADB keyboard
connectors. So both (the Agfa and the Wiziwyg calibrator) are no more
working with my current equipment.

My new Epson 4870 scanner came without any calibration software/target.

So my question: Is the scanner good enough to use it just out of the box
without any profiling? What is your experience? I'm doing mostly reflective
scans.
...

As far as I know 9600 series of powermacs have ADB ports, SCSI, and
could be upgraded with FireWire PCI...
why not try to find who has that combo... many "old" Mac users still
have those machines... specially those working on prepress and
scanning...

 

[nikita]

Peter,

there is a fully functional 14 days profilerkit from Fuji. I haven't
done any tests as I'm using Profilemaker 5 and Monaco Platinum. Scan a
target and you would probably be able to get what you want with the
Fuji kit before the 14 days are ended. You could also just transfer
the scanned target to a PC and build the profile in that machine using
Little CMS. The profiles are the same in Mac and PC.

I don't know of any other free stuff for macOSX like the Little CMS
for PC.

As for the Epson used directly out of the box, even the cheaper Epsons
works decently well with their factory profile loaded in the
colorsettings of the Epsonscan. Using a good profilingtarget with a
customprofiling and it will take you higher. A 'locked state' and
'profiled' Epson flatbed doesn't need anything else than the
Epsonscan. You can use the profile in place while using the colortools
in the Epsonscan. Or simply use the scanner completely zeroed and
ASSIGN and convert to workingspace in Photoshop.

If you're profiling externally, scan the target with "no
colorcorrection" activated in the dialog under the configurationbutton
in Epsoncan.

I woulden't bother with anything else than Epsonscan for reflective,
if profiled.

http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoPressStory.jsp?DBID=NEWS_705439

nikita