[scribus] Colour Profiles

[Hal V. Engel]

On Friday 04 September 2009 12:44:34 pm John Beardmore wrote:
> > On Windows and OS/X this is true but this is NOT true for the most common
> > *nix drivers for ink jet printers.  The general case is that printers and
> > printer drivers can and do accept input in color spaces other than and in
> > addition to RGB.  The GutenPrint drivers that I use, for example, can
> > accept CMYK input and will use it directly with the only processing done
> > (other than ink limiting and gamma correction) is for the driver to work
> > out how to mix the light/dark inks for each channel.   This same driver
> > will accept Gray input and only use the black/light black/light light
> > black inks.
>
> OK, though I suspect that at least in the wonderful world of windows,
> most people use HP, Epson, Dell etc manufacturer sourced drivers.
>
> One epson driver we had a few years back couldn't even render a simple
> bit map without ballsing it up.  Epson were no use, and nor were the ppl
> that wrote the drivers for them.
>
> I suspect that at least in windows, the use of superior third party
> drivers is pretty much limited to a few cognoscenti with esoteric
> hardware, RIPs etc.

You are correct about the Windows situation.  In fact 3rd party drivers/RIPs 
are generally very expensive and in most cases require specialized work flows.  
The situation for *nix and OS/X users is somewhat different because the 
GutenPrint drivers have many features in common with high end RIPs and it is 
steadily getting more of this type of functionality over time.  There are many 
*nix and OS/X GutenPrint users who use it like it was an ordinary printer 
driver who do not even know how powerful it is.   With a specialized front end 
like PhotoPrint the GutenPrint drivers can also be used in Windows although 
you would need to do all of your printing outside of the normal apps print 
dialogs to use it (IE. GutenPrint + PhotoPrint = a RIP like environment).

Hal