Profiling LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper
This is just a quick update on my adventures with LexJet's wonderful Sunset Photo Metallic Paper (see links to previous posts below). LexJet has always said that you can't profile this paper yourself and to just use one of their profiles or one you made for their eSatin paper, so that's what I've always done. Recently, though, I decided to give it a shot on my HP Z3100 just to see what would happen. The Z3100 has built-in profiling capability, which makes creating and using custom paper profiles a snap.
(What's a profile, and why should you care? The short, non-technical answer is that a profile tells the computer how to translate an image's colors from one device to another with the best fidelity possible within the given constraints. When going from your computer's screen to a printer, the paper profile provides the information about the paper's color-handling characteristics so the application doing the printing can compensate for the differences between what you can see on the screen and what the paper is capable of reproducing. Each type of paper, and even different batches of paper of the same type, can have different characteristics, so each requires the creation and use of a separate profile.)
To cut to the chase, I ran the paper through the Z3100's profiler, and lo and behold, the Z3100 handled it without complaint. The prints I've made since have looked at least as good as those made using the profile from their eSatin paper, so I believe the HP did a pretty good job of it, too. (I haven't made identical prints using the new & old profiles, since I'm quite happy with the results from the new one, but perhaps I'll give that a try at some point, too.)
I don't know if other profiling systems would get the same good result, but as the Z3100 uses a built-in EyeOne spectrophotometer for its profiles, I would expect that at least other EyeOne systems would work as well. If you've created your own profiles for the LexJet, Red River, or similar metallic papers, please post a reply below to let us know your experience!
– Jack
Previous posts on LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper:
https://jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/new-lexjet-metallic-photo-paper/
https://jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/lexjet-sunset-photo-metallic-paper-more-print-tests/
https://jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/lexjet-sunset-photo-metallic-paper-print-test-observations/
This is exactly the type of info I need to know at this point in my photography studies. Thanks.
I’m glad you found it useful, Julie – thanks for visiting!
– Jack
Hi, Jack. I’m also profiling the Sunset Photo Metallic paper on my Z3100. Out of curiosity, what Paper Category and Paper Type did you use? I’m starting with “Photo Paper” and “Photo Semi-Gloss/Satin Paper (more ink)”.
Cheers!
Brad
Hi, Brad – I think that’s the setting I used (although maybe standard ink), but it could have been Photo Gloss, too… Sorry, I don’t recall for sure, and I don’t see that information exposed in the HP Utility or Color Center. If you know where to find it, I’ll be happy to check & let you know! (I don’t really think it was Gloss, because Lexjet recommended just using the profile from their eSatin paper, but I’m not positive…)
– Jack
Hi, Jack. I’m getting excellent results with the above settings, although some images benefit more from the “metallic” than others and some not at all. Black and whites look really great!
I don’t know where HP Print Utility stores that info either.
Cheers!
Brad
Hi, Brad –
I’ve noticed the same thing, and I’m not always able to predict just how much a given image will benefit from the metallic paper. In general, I think lighter colors with lower ink density benefit the most – e.g. backlit yellow leaves in an autumn scene. I think black & white images do especially well because the difference is all in the density and not color, so you get a very nice blend of the pearly/metallic white in the grays…
Can you post a link to your work, Brad? I’d like to check it out…
– Jack
Hi, Jack. Thanks for your interest. Many of my images are here:
http://www.turningpointarts.com/portfolio_brad.html
I agree about the lower ink density & lighter colours allowing the pearly effect to create a strong sense of depth in the image. Especiallly if the lighter areas are water reflections, clouds, snow, that sort of thing.
Cheers!
Brad
Thanks, Brad, I’ll check it out!
– Jack