Stress Testing The Printer Workflow (Extended Printing Accuracy Assessment)

Reykjavik & Its Graffiti by Mark D Segal
Introduction
When taking the time and effort needed in a digital workflow to make prints that translate our photographic vision onto paper (for example – the contrast and vibrancy of tone and colour), we first express that vision on a properly calibrated and profiled computer display, ideally under soft proof, editing the photos until we’ve achieved our intended vision. That editing process changes the color numbers (tone and colour values) being sent to the monitor and the printer. We want the printer to lay down the appropriate colours.
An ideal printing process will translate the photo’s intended colour numbers into a print, wherein the measured colors on the print exactly match the colour numbers sent to the printer. Unfortunately, that ideal printing process does not exist (for many reasons), but it is a worthy goal and we can come close. The more accurate the conversion processes from colour numbers to ink laydown, the more confidence ...