[Openicc] [argyllcms] Re: CC Profiles In X Specification and dispwin

[edmund ronald]

I had a hard look at Gutenprint some time ago. I am a color consultant
with the experience and the equipment needed to create profiles. Let
me be blunt here, Robert knows my position on this:

0. The print quality from Gutenprint is roughly equivalent to that
from the native manufacturer drivers, and thus well worth profiling.
Minor issues that remain need more users to report so that bugfixes
would occur.

1. The parameters required to put Gutenprint into a state where it can
be decently profiled for a given paper are not easy to fathom. I got
fed up with the strangely named options and suggested that some decent
starting points in the form of loadable/savable configuration settings
be provided. The community responded to this by saying that I could
just read the code to figure out which settings to use. I did read the
code, but it wasn't illuminating. Of course I know that all of you
Linux guys out there will answer that this just demonstrates that I
have an IQ of 90, my PhD in comp sci notwithstanding.

2. Configuration management is a nightmare on all print chains and
particularly so for an open system. Any change somewhere in the
libraries can impact the usefulness of the profiles.

My take on the state of print color management using open-source
drivers is that loadable/savable configuration files for print
settings (ink density, dither method etc) are the first step to
getting to a system that can be reliably used by third parties. And I
would recommend a creation of a Virtual RIP that would be centrally
maintained with "certified" tested versions of the drivers, even if
such would become updated. Judging from the problems already
encountered by the Apple Mac community where OS changes impacted color
management, I don't think that color stability and open-source
multiple dependencies can be reconciled.

Native driver suppliers have the advantage of non-regression test
suites, automatic measuring instrumentation, and a strong financial
incentive preventing them from tinkering with their drivers and
causing them to deviate from their published profiled state.

Edmund

Robert wrote:

> That's also what I'd rather be doing.  In this particular case, I'd
> rather add the necessary features to Gutenprint to allow people who do
> have the hardware and expertise in this area to create and publish
> these profiles, and for users to use them easily.
>
> --
> Robert Krawitz                                     <rlk at alum.mit.edu>