Here are some examples of graphed Lab readings from the pre- and post- ICC versions of a 21 step wedge printed using Lightroom. I used a Spyder3print spectrophotometer to measure the patches. The inks I have mixed myself are as follows:
K 100% Eboni black
LK 18% Eboni
C 30% Eboni
M 18% Eboni
LC 9% Eboni
LM 6% Eboni
Y 2% Eboni
These inks can be mixed yourself with a bottle of Eboni from MIS or they can be purchased ready mixed. A pint bottle of Eboni will last a long time and is extremely cost-effective. Note that this inkset only works on matte papers.
I use an ink base using the following mixture (based on the open source formula used by Paul Roark):
Glycerol 225ml
Purified water 500ml
Kodak Photoflo 80ml
Example 1 - Papermill Direct Soft Textured Art paper (similar to Innova Soft textured Natural White):
Lab (luminance) values are shown on the y-axis and expected black density on the x-axis.
Example 2 - Papermill Matte Photo (similar to Epson Enhanced Matte):
In both cases the blue curved line represents the straight print from Lightroom with a Gamma of 2.2 set in the Epson printer driver. The pink line represents the same after an ICC profile has been created using Roy Harrington's Create-ICC-RGB program. I have superimposed a black straight line from paper white to DMax so the ideal can be seen. In both cases the ICC version is much closer to a linear black to white print than the non-ICC version. Other papers work as well. For instance, Papermill Direct Smooth Cotton High White is almost perfect without the ICC profile apart from slightly blocked up shadows which the ICC profile fixes.
All that is required to create the profiles is a text file of lab values which are simply dragged onto the icon of the Create-ICC-RGB.exe file. The programme then creates the profile which can be installed into the Windows system by right clicking it (on Windows XP systems). In Lightroom's printing module the profile is selected before printing and the same Gamma 2.2 setting left in the printer driver.














