Print Prism
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Print Prism Quick Start

Guided workflow for printing the target, scanning, and creating a printer profile.

Supported scanner models: Canon G3xxx, G6xx, or G6xxx Series, Canon LIDE 300, LIDE 400, any Epson ET or XP model, Epson V39 II. See full list of supported scanners.
Watch the instructional video (creating a printer profile from start to finish).
Overview Requirements Print the target Place target in scanner Scan target and create profile

I Overview

This quick start walks you through the full Print Prism workflow using a supported scanner (Canon G3xxx, G6xx, or G6xxx Series, Canon LIDE 300, LIDE 400, any Epson ET or XP model, Epson V39 II. See full list of supported scanners.):

  1. Print the printer-target-42.tif test chart with no color management.
  2. Place the target in the scanner in the corner of the glass near the arrow (trimming the target is not necessary as long as your target/sheet fits on the glass).
  3. Open Print Prism, verify the proper scanner is selected, enter a profile description, and click Scan Target & Create Profile.

If you use software other than Qimage (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.), the key rule is the same: the target must be printed with no color management in the application and none in the printer driver. Refer to your application’s documentation for the exact steps.

II Before you start

  • One of the supported scanners: Canon G3xxx, G6xx, or G6xxx Series, Canon LIDE 300, LIDE 400, any Epson ET or XP model, Epson V39 II. See full list of supported scanners.
  • You can profile any inkjet printer and paper combination; however, the scanner used to read the printed target must be one of the supported models listed above.
  • The printer-target-42.tif file (installed into your Windows Pictures folder).
  • Photo paper you want to profile (for example, Epson Ultra Premium Glossy or a third-party paper).
  • Print Prism installed and activated. To activate, simply enter your email address when Print Prism prompts you to complete online registration (internet connection required). If you are using Print Prism on a PC without internet access, contact us for manual activation.
  • Optional, but recommended: Qimage for target printing.

For the most reliable profiling, print the target at least 5×7 inches in size. Using 8.5×11-inch or A4 paper and printing the chart Fit to Page is ideal.

III Print the profiling target

Print the target containing color patches directly from Print Prism:

  • Open Print Prism.
  • Under Project in the top left of the Print Prism window, click Print Target....
  • Near the bottom of the Print Target dialog, first select the printer where you will be printing the target.
  • The first tip under the print preview will tell you whether Print Prism was able to turn color management off in the driver. If not, do that manually in the driver.
  • Next following the tips under the print preview, first click the Properties button to open the printer driver for the selected printer.
  • Using the printer driver dialog, be sure to select your media type, paper size, and print quality, then click OK to close the driver settings.
  • Note that you can save these driver settings for future use: see buttons next to the Properties button.
  • Click the Print button to print your target.

Remember to use identical driver settings when using your profile. Qimage Ultimate is recommended because it allows you to save printer setups with all settings including the profile and driver settings to avoid mistakes.

IV Place the target in the scanner

Before scanning, it is best to let your printed target dry for a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably one hour.
Colors on most prints will shift for about 30 minutes on most printers and may take as long as an hour to stabilize completely on some media.

Position the target:

  1. Lift the scanner lid on your scanner.
  2. Place the target face down in the corner of the scanner glass marked with an arrow.
  3. If you printed on a letter size, A4, or similar size sheet that will fit in the scanner, you can place the entire sheet in the scanner without trimming.
  4. You can rotate the target in any orientation that is a multiple of 90°, as long as it fits fully on the glass.
  5. Try to avoid any obvious skew; the chart should be reasonably straight.

V Scan the target and generate your profile

Print Prism now handles everything from scanning through profile creation in one automated step without the need for user interaction.

Note that due to Epson and Canon scanner driver limitations, your scanner must be connected via USB to utilize full automation in Print Prism. If you are unable to connect via USB, you will have to scan directly from Epson Scan 2 or Canon Scangear and then open the scanned images in Print Prism via Open File under Manual Workflow.

For a USB connection:
  1. Open Print Prism.
  2. Enter a description for your profile in Profile Description.
  3. Click Scan Target & Create Profile.

Print Prism will scan the specified number of passes, detect corners automatically, and create your profile using the profile description you entered. If any part of the automated profiling process fails (for example if corners cannot be detected), the automated process will be stopped and you will be notified of the error and given instructions to fix the error and continue manually.