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sponj · #1 (**permalink**) 08-14-2007, 01:45 PM

i'm trying calibrate a 7800 and am having a heck of a time. the 7800 is an eight color machine and i'm not sure how to calibrate my light light black.

thats not my real problem. my real problem is that i'm trying to calibrate with an old ccdot reader and/or an x-rite 418 denso. none of my dot readings are consistent. i know, when you really think about it, its all relative. but i'm anal (no snickering please). i like for everything to be a mathematical equation.

i'm just frustrated and wondering if anyone has any advise for me or if someone can get back on the right track.

yes, i did download the nexus tech notes for color proofer output and calibration.

thanks

Dub · #2 (**permalink**) 08-15-2007, 12:53 PM

Well I hate to be the one to break your heart but here it is: I too went thru the same thing as you, we upgraded our 9600 to a 7800 and 9800 before the summer and this is what I learned: The current epson module will only support 7 color output, meaning that it will not fire the LLK. So even though it says that you are choosing a Epson 7800/9800 as your device when you output, it is using all the same 9600 driver.

I was told that I would be able to get "good" enough output using the current driver but that wasn't the case. Not only was my black output not sufficient but also there was a stange banding that caused me to try every different dot/ microweave setting possible which let still to less than favorable outcome.

Luckily we had a old version of Best color that I was able to upgrade to EFI Colorproof XF to drive the two proofers which we currently use and it works great. Below are some replies that I copy and pasted from emails that I was sending back and forth to Long at AWS support. Let me know if you need any more help. -DUB

BELOW ARE AWS' RESPONSES TO MY PROBLEMS AND SOME INFO ON THE DOT SIZES THAT THEIR DRIVER USES

All of this are about ink droplet sizes.
1 is small, 2 is medium and 3 is large.
Each 2 bit pixel can be print with these 3 different droplet sizes.

So in this case a normal 2 would print using a larger droplet size.

This is it, I can give out any more info, if you want better print quality then you will have to wait for Nexus 9.0.

Micro dot => 2880 x 1440 (1 bit)
Normal2 dot => 1440 x 720 (pseudo 2-bit, levels 2 & 3)
Other dot => 1440 x 720 (pseudo 2-bit, levels 1 & 2)

Normal2 gives you a heavier result than if you use Default or Normal
dot. So this may be useful in cases where the printer is not putting
down enough ink.

At this point we only support up to 7 colors so the Epson will use CMYKcm and the default black that is set on that printer. We are working on some new driver and it not quite ready yet.

Use the same set up that you st up for 9600 on the 9800 and it should give you a close enought result. If the result is not good enough then you have to wait until we finish the 9800 driver or get a Best Color and put it in front of the 9800.

Sorry not much to offer here.

UncleSam · #3 (**permalink**) 08-16-2007, 10:48 AM

I suggest you to get CGS Oris Color Tuner or GMG to drive your Epson 9800. No one know when will AWS come up with a new driver since they are still going through the merger with ESKO!