Author: Michael Lithgow

Author info:

ISO/G7 Compliance Specialist

Fogra Qualified Partner

Colour Accuracy & Consistency In Print

MYIRO-1 in Large Format Printing

The previous week I had installed a Serendipity Blackmagic RIP and an Epson 8070 for proofing. The client had previously been proofing to Fogra 39L but wanted to proof to the output of his Inca X3s. I thought that this presented an opportunity to compare the MYIRO-1 to the Barbieri LFP3 I had sold him quite a number of years ago. Personally I wasn't particularly confident about the result from the MYIRO-1 as I thought the aperture would simply be too small compared to the 6mm aperture I used on the Barbieri. Large format printer resolution has improved greatly over the years but I still thought the dot structure would be too coarse. The result from the MYIRO-1 was a huge surprise and is something of a game changer for me in terms of who I can present the MYIRO-1 to. I am getting quite a lot of large format work and hadn't previously used the MYIRO in the course of my regular work as I didn't think the result would be particularly good and if my clients don't have a Barbieri LFP then I use my own Spectropad with a 6mm aperture. However the result was right up there with the Barbieri and in some respects considerably better. I am really surprised.

2D maximum gamut. This is very interesting in that to many observers the bigger gamut shown from the Barbieri would seem to be better but in fact the proofs made from the Barbieri measured charts and i1Profiler created profile were a little too saturated in the Oranges and Green. The smaller gamut from the MYIRO-1 measured profile is a better visual match to the output of the Incas. I should point out that the following screenshots were from testcharts printed on the same printer and rip (Caldera) and in fact the exact same sheet of 2mm screenboard.

The smaller gamut measured by MYIRO-1 is a better visual match

Shadow Details

When working with large format especially, I like to check what is going on in the shadows and it's not always pretty.

Here is the result from measurements done with the Barbieri SpectroLFP3.

And here using the i1Pro3 and i1Profiler.

 With MYIRO-1 the shadow details are much better.

The LFP3 I used to read the latest charts is a well used unit.

So I used a new Barbieri LFPqb to repeat my tests, measured the same charts again and I still have to say that the MYIRO did a better job.

MYIROtools Multicolor

 I then went to another client who had a brand new Roland LG640 UV which I profiled using the Multicolor component of MYIROtools. It worked extremely well. Excellent gradation and neutrality and the client was very happy with the saturation. I performed the Linearisation and ink limiting in Versaworks and then built the profile in MYIROtools. I was happy with the ink limiting I had chosen as it delivered the charts without any overinking and excellent detail to build the profile on. The results appeared to be very accurate and I was impressed with the subtleties in areas like various skin tones. A particularly excellent outcome, especially for large format.