File Type: PC - Self-extracting Executable, Zipped Mac Package File Download File: PC Version Mac Version. Notes: This update to i1Profiler is a new feature release: Adds support for i1Pro3 spectrophotometer and i1iO3 table. Removes all support for revisions A through D of the i1Pro spectrophotometer (i1Pro 1). I have tried everything but after upgrading to the Mac OS 10.8 the 1 Display Pro is not recognized by the i1 Profiler. I have reinstalled the xrite software tried to install the latest X-Rite Device Services (XRD) which allows the device and the software to communicate. The device is not blinking once connected to the Mac USB.
Release Notes
New for the 1.6.7 Release
The following features and improvements have been added for this release:
General Application
- Added support for Korean
- Added an uninstall script for Mac to application CD
- Added support for new Apple iMacs that use GB-LED technology
Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue with export of Tab Delimited data in Measure Chart workflow
- Fixed an issue where CGATS data was not saved correctly for different illuminants and observers
- Made the Reflectance Spectrum check box setting sticky and enabled by default for Custom CGATs dialog where spectral data is present
- Fixed a problem with ProfileMaker 5 CGATS files exported from PatchSetEditor
Installation and Registration
Administrative rights are required to install and uninstall the software.
Do not connect measurement devices until the software installation is complete and the system has restarted.
The i1Profiler Dongle, i1Display Pro or the i1Pro 2 must be connected in order to register your i1Profiler solution.Minimum suggested hardware/software requirements:
Macintosh®:
- MacOS X 10.8.x through MacOS X 10.12.x
- All Operating Systems should have the latest updates installed
- 2GB RAM
- Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor
- 2GB of available disk space
- Powered USB Port
- Monitor resolution of 1024x768 pixels or higher
- Dual display support requires either 2 video cards or a dual head video card that supports dual video LUTs being loaded
- Latest drivers for video card installed
- DVD drive or high-speed Internet connection required for software install, download and automatic software update
- User must have Administrator rights to install and uninstall the application
Windows®:
- Microsoft® Windows 7® 32 or 64 bit
- Microsoft® Windows 8® 32 or 64 bit
- Microsoft® Windows 8.1® 32 or 64 bit
- Microsoft® Windows 10® 32 or 64 bit
- All Operating Systems should have the latest updates and Service Packs installed
- 2GB RAM
- Intel® Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 or better CPU
- 2GB of available disk space
- Powered USB Port
- Monitor resolution of 1024x768 pixels or higher
- Dual display support requires either 2 video cards or a dual head video card that supports dual video LUTs being loaded
- Latest drivers for video card installed
- Network adaptor installed and driver loaded
- DVD drive or high-speed Internet connection required for software install, download and automatic software update
- User must have Administrator rights to install and uninstall the application
Known Issues
Test chart and workflow files made for the i1iO and i1iO2 devices in earlier versions of i1Profiler (before version 1.6.0), will have a different patch height when loaded into i1Profiler. You will need to adjust the patch height to the correct dimension and then re-save the file for current and future use.
The Reference Files for the ColorChecker SG and ColorChecker 24 for scanner profiling have been updated. These new reference files apply well to ColorChecker SG and 24 charts manufactured after November 2014. For ColorChecker editions prior to November 2014, please use the former Reference Files, which can be downloaded from www.xritephoto.com, including instructions how to replace and apply them in i1Profiler.
Profiling and optimizing profiles with very large patch sets (>3000) will require a very large amount of RAM. If profiling fails, reduce the amount of patches in the test chart.
The i1Profiler UI and text may appear very small on 4k/5k displays.
Monitor calibration does not work when multiple monitors are in mirror mode (this issue affects Window® installations only.) Special Note: On Windows XP, if a display is removed from a system, the operating system will put the primary display in mirror mode even though the secondary display has been removed. In this case, the user will get an enumeration error. This error can be dismissed and the user will still be able to make a profile.
i1Profiler does not support the calibration of displays connected via AirPlay.
If you have problems loading the display profile after it has been created or if the system cannot load the display LUTs, turn off Automatic Display Control (ADC) on the measurement page and try again.
i1Profiler uses OpenGL to display the profile’s 3D gamut. If you encounter a problem with the gamut preview, make sure that your video card drivers are up to date.
i1Profiler can import CGATS measurement files from other applications. However, the color engine has been optimized to work with the patch sets generated within i1Profiler. The profile quality from profiles made entirely within the i1Profiler workflow will exceed profiles made from legacy charts and measurements. In the case of CMYK+N profiles, some legacy patch sets may not even build a profile successfully. It is strongly recommended that users build new charts within i1Profiler for CMYK+N profiling.
If you are using Ambient Smart Light Control when making your display profile, expect to get higher Delta E values in Display QA. This function optimizes profiles for visual appearance based on measured ambient conditions not for minimal Delta E.
The i1ProfilerTray does not update the time stamp on a rebuilt profile. If a profile is rebuilt using the ambient monitoring feature in the Tray, the original profile creation date is displayed instead of the rebuilt profile creation date.
The i1ProfilerTray application looks for connected displays at launch. If you disconnect or connect a display, the i1ProfilerTray will not see the change until it is restarted, the user logs out or the system is restarted. On Windows the i1ProfilerTray can be restarted from the ProgramsStartup menu, on Mac, the tray is located in the same folder as the i1Profiler application.
The application may lose its connection to a measurement device if the computer goes into sleep or hibernation mode. If this happens, disconnect and reconnect the device to restore the connection.
Installation of older applications that use the previous version of X-Rite Device Services may cause i1Profiler to not connect with devices or to not launch. If this occurs, reinstall i1Profiler to restore the latest Device Services.
If you encounter any problems connecting to your measurement device, please disconnect and reconnect the device to restore the connection.
Make sure your i1iSis power button is on when you connect the USB cable. If you connect with the button off, then turn the power on, the i1iSis will not be seen.
The i1iO device does not support single row charts.
You cannot measure an optimization test chart that contains patches extracted from an image if you are using an i1iO or i1iO2.
The version of XRD being installed by i1Profiler causes an issue in ColorPort where targets containing partial rows cannot be read using the i1iO table. The instrument will measure the row, but the data does not come into ColorPort. This affects ColorPort 2.0 and later.
Change History
Version 1.6.3
General Application
- Implemented new “All in One” measurement mode for the i1Display Pro to improve the measurement stability for certain displays and projectors. (Only affects Rev. B devices.)
- Added support for Microsoft® Windows 10®.
- Incremental enhancements to the infrastructure of the product as well as the color engine have been implemented.
Bug Fixes
Fixed issue where test charts saved in the PDF format were low resolution and were in the incorrect color space.
Fixed issue where some ColorPort xml test chart reference files were not reading with the i1iSis and i1iSis 2 devices in the Measure Reference workflow.
Fixed issue where IdeaAlliance P2P25Xa and P2P51 charts could not be read with the i1iSis and i1iSis 2 devices in the Measure Reference workflow.
Fixed issue where CMYK+N channel names were not being written into the profile correctly.
Fixed issue where custom profile white points were not getting written into the profile correctly.
Fixed issue where the i1iO and i1iO2 would frequently switch to spot mode during measurement.
Version 1.6.1
Bug Fixes
- Fixed issue where users could not save PDF files for single-page test charts.
- Fixed issue where the standard Japan Color Proof Equip/Operation Coated target was getting reformatted for the i1iO with an i1Pro 2.
- Fixed issue where XYZ data was not properly written into CGATS files.
Version 1.6.0
Added support for dual scan mode (M1 and M2) for the i1iO table. (User must have the i1Pro 2 device as well as an i1iO 2 table running firmware version 1.0.7 or later.)
Added support for the new i1iSis 2 with M1 measurement condition.
The Patch Set Editor allows users to create custom patch sets and to modify existing patch sets from i1Profiler, ColorPort, MeasureTool and other applications.
The Patch Set Editor import supports:
- i1Profiler Patch Set Files (*.pxf)
- i1Profiler Test Chart Files (*.txf)
- i1Profiler Measurement Files (.mxf)
- i1Profiler ICC Profiles (*.icc and *.icm)
- ColorPort XML Files (*.xml)
- CGATS Text Files (*.txt)
- CxF Files (*.cxf)
- Tab-delimited Text Files (*.txt)
The Patch Set Editor export supports:
- i1Profiler Patch Set Files (*.pxf)
- i1Profiler CGATS Files (*.txt)
- Custom CGATS Files (.txf)
- ProfileMaker5 CGATS Files (*.txt)
- CxF Files (*.cxf)
- Tab-delimited Text Files (*.txt)
The Patch Set Editor will also allow users to manually create custom patch sets, add or remove patches from existing patch sets and change the order of patches within a patch set.
i1Profiler Publish users can now see detailed measurement data for individual patches within a measured test chart. To access the information, double-click on a measured patch within any printer-related Measurement Page. (Does not apply to display measurements.)
Information displayed includes:
- Patch ID
- Patch Location
- Patch Visualization
- Patch Recipe
- Spectral Curves
- Colorimetric Data
- Density Data
Added the ability to specify a target white point using u’,v’ coordinates.
Added the ability to specify a custom target black point or measure a secondary display to set a target profile black point.
Added the ability to change the reference data for the ColorChecker 24 and ColorChecker SG. These reference files are now located with the other scanner reference files in the i1Profiler Assets.
Added the following targets to Printer QA:
- IDEAlliance ISO 12647-7 2013 Control Wedge i1Pro
- IDEAlliance ISO 12647-7 2013 Control Wedge i1iSis
- IDEAlliance TC2011 Color Control Wedge i1iSis
- IT8-7.4 Color Control Wedge i1iSis
- P2P25Xa Color Control Wedge i1iSis
General Application
In addition, some incremental enhancements to the infrastructure of the product as well as the color engine have been implemented.
Fixed issue (Mac Only) where i1Profiler would crash at launch if a secondary display or projector was connected to a system using a VGA/Display Port or VGA/ Thunderbolt adaptor.
Fixed issue where scanner profiles were failing due to a reported contrast error.
Fixed issue where Hasp dongle driver was crashing on MacOS X 10.10.x.
Version 1.5.6
i1Pro SDK Fix: Fixed a bug in the i1Pro SDK that caused slightly false measurement errors when calculating M1 (D50) & M2 (UVCut) spectral values. It is important to note that this issue did not affect M0 (tungsten only) measurements.
General Application
In addition, some incremental enhancements to the infrastructure of the product as well as the color engine have been implemented.
Version 1.5.4
Support for New Version of i1Display Pro: i1Profiler has been updated to support a new revision level of the i1Display Pro hardware and firmware.
General Application: In addition, some incremental enhancements to the infrastructure of the product as well as the color engine have been implemented.
Version 1.5.0
Device Link Profiling: Added the ability to create Device Link profiles.
NOTE: Users must have an i1Pro 2 with an i1Profiler Publish license OR a dongle with an i1Profiler Publish license to unlock device link profiling.
Dual Spot Measurement for i1iO: Added the ability to perform dual mode measurements with the i1Pro 2 in a supported i1iO table. This is spot mode only.
Display and Projector: Better support for Plasma Displays with the i1Display Pro: Fixed issue in previous releases where plasma displays yielded poor calibration results when measured with an i1Display Pro.
Display and Projector: Enhanced the Projector Location algorithm for more accurate location of projected image on screen.
Printer QA: Added the Ugra/Fogra Media Wedge CMYK v3 LFP for large format printing.
Scanner Profiling: Added support for HutchColor (HCT) family of scanner targets. Removed the resolution restrictions for scanned targets.
Patch Generation: Fixed an issue where there was a slight discrepancy in the CMYK device values between the CGATS and TIFF files created for a given patch set.
Tray Application: After installation and restart, the Tray application will no longer launch automatically. The Tray is only activated if a user selects the Profile Reminder and/or the Ambient Monitoring feature found in the Display Profiling branch.
Tray Application: Fixed the issue where the Tray application was preventing the MacOS from shutting down.
General Application: In addition, some incremental enhancements to the infrastructure of the product as well as the color engine have been implemented.
Version 1.4.2
Scanner Profiling: Added support for the following scanner targets:
- X-Rite ColorChecker 24
- X-Rite ColorChecker SG
- LaserSoft Reflective IT 8.7/2
- LaserSoft Transmissive 4x5 and 35mm IT 8.7/1
- Wolf Faust Reflective IT 8.7/2
- Wolf Faust Transmissive 4x5 and 35mm IT 8.7/1
CGATS Functionality: Improved the support for 'SampleID', 'SAMPLE_NAME', and 'Sample_Loc' column types.
Made enhancements for custom output column selections. Made location information content optional in 'SAMPLE_NAME' column.
Added support for P2P and other popular single-page color control wedges. Dropped support for MacOS 10.5.x (Leopard.)
Version 1.4.0
Note: The 1.4.0 release was distributed on a limited basis to OEM customers. It was not put into wide release.
Added basic scanner profiling to the application.
Fixed issue where channel names were incorrectly assigned in CMYK+N profiles.
Fixed memory issue where application would fail or crash when trying to measure very large (greater than 3000 patches) test charts.
Changed System requirements from 1 GB of RAM to 2 GB RAM. Added support for MacOS 10.8.x (Mountain Lion.)
Version 1.3.2
Fixed issue where i1Profiler would hang during display calibration (Windows 7 64- bit only).
Version 1.3.1
Fixed issue where i1Profiler assets were not being installed correctly.
Added the Process Standard Rotogravure (PSR) characterization data (published in 2009 by bvdm/ECI/ERA/FOGRA) to the Printer Quality workflow.
Added the Russian translation of the license agreement to the installer.
Version 1.3.0
Added support for the new i1Pro 2 Device.
New chart layouts for i1Pro 2 with smaller default patch size and removal of spacer lines between patches.
The i1Pro 2 supports three measurement conditions; M0, M1 and M2. The user must be in dual scan mode to get access to all three.
The i1Pro 2 device was added to the OBC workflow. Can transfer license information from i1Pro to i1Pro2.
The i1Pro 2 can be used in legacy mode to measure charts previously created for the i1Pro.
Can now use the included ColorChecker chart as OBC reference standard.
Added the Measure Reference feature. User can import a test chart reference file from ProfileMaker 5 and measure a previously printed test chart.
Added the Measure Chart capability. User can specify measurement device and number of rows and columns for a previously printed test chart and measure.
Added the ability to change the white point of printer profiles. The white point can be specified in Lab, extracted from a saved measurement or extracted from an ICC profile.
Fixed issue in CMYK+N profiling where extra colors were not being handled correctly within the user interface causing measurement issues.
Fixed CMYK+N issue where +N color names and values were not getting written into the DCS file for saved test charts.
Improved handing of CGATS measurement data.
Added two new photo paper sizes; 8x10 in. (203x254 mm) and 8x12 in. (203x305 mm).
Changed default page orientation to landscape for both i1Pro and i1Pro 2. Added Russian language support.
Version 1.2.0
Added the ability to balance RGB controls during display calibration. Improved ADC’s functionality and connectivity for all platforms.
Added the reporting of target and measured values for luminance, white point and contrast ratio during display profiling.
Fixed issue where profiling and QA of second display was producing inaccurate results (Mac only).
Added the ability to calibrate EIZO ColorEdge displays using ADC.
Added the ability to select M0 or M2 measurements for profile creation (when both measurements are present.)
Improved CGATS exporting. Allows user to customize exported CGATS data for multiple uses.
Added support for the Japan Color standard in Printer QA.
New X-Rite Device Services solves Japanese connection problems with i1Display, iO with i1Pro Rev. B problem and various connection issues.
Fixed issue where profile could not be made if the black ink on the test chart was too chromatic.
Added the ability to do small (119), medium (220) and large (478) patch sets when doing advanced display calibration.
Added the ability to specify a target contrast ratio for the display to match the ICC standard PCS black point (287:1).
Added the ability to use the contrast ratio of a printer profile as the target contrast ration for a display profile.
Miscellaneous minor bug fixes.
Version 1.1.0
Support for the i1Display monitor calibrator.
Ambient Smart Light Control adjusts display profiles based on the ambient lighting condition of the viewing area.
Flare Correct provides the capability to measure and correct for incident light falling on the display.
Display QA has been improved allowing users to test their display against known standards, spot colors and images.
Display Trending tracks the color capability of each display over time.
Improved data handling for MO and M2 measurements as well as improved handling of CGATS file made within and from outside i1Profiler.
The i1ProfilerTray application monitors all displays on a system, provides profile reminders and can rebuild the display profile in real time based on changing ambient light conditions (i1Display only.)
Open Source/ 3rd Party Software
El capitan create bootable usb. All Open Source and 3rd Party License agreements and credits are located in the following locations:
Windows: Program Folder/Credits
Mac: Application package/Contents/MacOS/Credits
Introduction
An update to the X-Rite ColorMunki Photo colour calibration device has been launched in the shape of the X-Rite i1Studio. X-Rite describes the i1Studio as a ‘start-to-finish colour management solution for colour perfectionists’.
The device (hardware known as a spectrophotometer) and accompanying software (of which there are now three packages) make up X-Rite i1Studio, to create a colour management system for all your devices, with the end result being prints that match the images you see on screen.
Accurate colour profiles for a monitor or projector are created by the spectrophotometer through measuring the light from a display, while factoring in the ambient light. Printer profiles are made by scanning printed colour swatches. You also get an industry standard 24-patch ColorChecker card, which can be used to create profiles for a camera and a scanner.
So what’s new in this latest version from X-Rite? Now you get printer profiling for black and white, scanner profiling, mobile device profiling, monitor profiling for video plus a new and improved i1Studio software.
There is also the ColorTRUE App for Android and iOS devices. So now it’s possible to colour match the display of your smart device to your monitor display.
Pricing and Availability
The X-Rite i1Studio package is available now from the X-Rite website and will set you back £450. It includes the i1Studio Device called a spectrophotometer, soft case with weighted strap, a mini ColorChecker card and USB cable.
We think it is a shame that the X-Rite i1Studio package is supplied with a simple ColorChecker card, rather than the more complex and hard-wearing ColorChecker Passport. We already have a ColorChecker Passport in the office. If you are taking colour readings when out and about, the card version supplied will not last nearly as long as the Passport.
The i1Studio software and ColorChecker software are available as free downloads via the X-Rite website, while the ColorTRUE Mobile App is free on Android and iOS stores.
Installation
The i1Studio software is available for Mac and PC and needs to be installed before using the i1Studio spectrophotometer hardware.
This software can calibrate a monitor, printer or projector. The ColorChecker Camera Cailbration software creates camera profiles, while ColorTRUE is designed for calibrating mobile devices.
Once the software is installed, you are ready to plug in the spectrophotometer device to your computer and get going.
Our test of i1Studio is based on the Mac version 1.1.0 | XRD Version 3.0.11.
Ease of Use
Around the Device
I1profiler Software For Mac
Whether you are calibrating a monitor, projector, taking an ambient light reading or making an ICC printer profiles, the i1Studio software guides you through each process. i1Studio is similar to X-Rite’s i1 Profiler software.
If it’s your first time using such a device, or your knowledge about colour profiling is limited, then the on-screen instructions are a must.
For those already familiar with X-Rite's colour calibration device, the i1Studio package has the same formula. Getting your calibration complete and profiles set up should be relatively straightforward.
The spectrophotometer device is made from plastic. We wouldn’t want to drop it onto a hard surface, though the build quality is robust enough given it’s unlikely to leave the office space.
A supplied soft case holds the device and features a weighted strap. This balance of weight allows the device to be suspended centrally on a monitor without needing to hold it by hand.
On the front side of the device is a control wheel that can be shifted to any one of four functions; Ambient Light Mode, Projector Mode, iStudio Calibration Mode and Measure mode. The white bar points to the selected function and illuminates when in use. The wheel is fiddly to rotate with the soft case attached - it’s quite the faff to shift from one mode to another.
I1profiler Software
On the underside of the device is a hole that exposes the lens that takes the display output measurements when in Measure Mode. That little window needs to be placed up against the display during the calibration process. At the top is a diffuser that is used to measure the ambient light - that same lens is positioned under the diffuser when in the ambient light mode.
Finally, there is a flap that opens up on the underside in order to position the device for taking spot measurements.
Monitor, Projector and Scanner Profiling
Once the spectrophotometer is plugged in via USB, the software boots up and offers you all of the i1Studio options on the homepage. You have Display Calibration for a display or projector, Printer Calibration for Color Print, B/W Print or to Optimise Profile and finally Scanner Calibration.
We started by calibrating a monitor. As you can see from the screen grab, the monitor is automatically detected. The process is split into three parts; Monitor Settings, Measurement and ICC Profile. In Monitor Settings, there are a few calibration options for Photo, Video and Custom.
In Photo mode the settings are automatically at White Point CIE Illuminant D65 and a Lumincance of 120 cd/m2. In video you have five choice of settings. Custom offers eight different luminance settings.
We suggest that if you do not know the difference between CIE Illuminant values or Tone Curve values, then to leave them be in their default settings and proceed.
Before proceeding, another checkbox is the ‘Flare Correct’ option where the device measures light emitted and light reflected from the screen. We can see this of use in rooms where flare is an issue. For this test, Flare Correct was not needed.
Once all the options are finalised, you can click on Measure. The process is affected by the features of the monitor itself that is being calibrated. For example, adjusting contrast, RBG colour and brightness may need to be done manually via the monitor menu.
During the process, the software displays a color patch for the spectrophotometer to measure and will go through each of the 118 colours.
The whole process can take anything from a few minutes to ten minutes depending how much manual input is needed. Once complete, the profile should be named - by default to the name of the monitor. That profile is now your current display and is stored should you need to switch back and forth between profiles.
At this point, i1Studio software presents a range of test images that you can view, with examples of before and after calibration. Each image features a prominent colour or tone, for example high key, low key, magenta, cyan and so on.
Do not be surprised if you prefer the look of the Before version of the image (display) over the After version. Your eyes will be accustomed to the monitor as it was before. In our test, the first impression of the After version was that is a little too cyan and too dark, with not enough contrast. However, scrolling between the two is not the most helpful indicator on which version is the most accurate.
For the best indicator on how good the calibrated monitor profile is, we recommend leaving the calibrated monitor be and then return to it later to view the corrected profile once your eyes have adjusted. It’s a good chance to go and make a hot drink.
On reviewing, we actually found the new calibrated profile to be nearer the Factory Reset option of the monitor, than what was the current un-calibrated output. In our test, we are left to wonder whether or not a simple Factory Reset is sufficient.
The process of calibrating a projector is very similar to a monitor. If you are calibrating a projector, the spectrophotometer needs to be positioned at a sensible distance from the projector screen and pointed to the middle of it. You’ll have to find a method of positioning the device centrally to the screen, which would be much easier if it featured a tripod mount (presuming you own a tripod).
To calibrate a scanner, you need to supply the color patch. This is where the ColorChecker card comes in use. A drop down menu will initialise a scan of the ColorChecker card. The scanned image needs to be in an uncompressed format (like a TIFF file) in order to work with i1Studio.
Camera Profiling
ColorChecker Passport software is needed in order to create a colour profile for your camera from a DNG format image. If your camera does not shoot in DNG format, the standard RAW file can be converted to DNG with most photo editing software.
X-Rite’s ColorChecker Passport software is separate to i1Studio software and is also available for free with the ColorChecker card.
On the home page of the software, you can choose a profile type from a sample image. You can choose a simple profile for scenes where the lighting is controlled (single illuminant profile) or a dual illuminant profile where the light source is mixed.
Note, images used to create a profile need to be exposed correctly in order to obtain an accurate profile.
The software will scan your loaded DNG file containing the ColorChecker and detect the colour patches from which to make a profile. Depending how clear the image is, some manual intervention may be necessary. Once all colour patches are detected, a profile can be created.
On completion the new colour profile of the image will be displayed. Again, you can view before and after profiling.
As mentioned before, the ColorChecker Passport device is much more detailed than the 24-patch ColorChecker card supplied here. With the Passport there are two colour swatches and an array of greys for different results, like maintaining warm colours. We’d like to see the Passport supplied with i1Studio.
If you tend to rely on auto white balance when taking pictures - which let’s face it is the most convenient yet imperfect option - then the ColorChecker is an excellent reference point in order to take a white balance selection for accurate colours. The ColorChecker Passport is a permanent occupant in our camera bag.
Printer Profiling
As with scanner profiling, an RGB printer profile requires a physical colour patch from which to create a profile for improved print quality for your selected printer/ paper combinations.
What’s needed on your part is to print a colour test chart patch from your printer onto the desired paper type. Before printing the pattern you’ll need to manually input the paper description, select the printer and paper size.
Next, the spectrophotometer needs calibrating to measure the printed test chart patches. This can be achieved automatically by turning the wheel to the calibrate position.
Then you’re ready to measure by shifting the wheel again to the Measure setting, just like profiling other device types.
To measure the test chart, you’ll need to run it over each column (length ways) one by one and you will get on screen confirmation as to whether the measurement has been successful or not.
Once the first chart has been measured, the software creates a second test chart to print for measuring.
After the second chart has been measured, the ICC profile for that printer/ paper combination is generated. The naming of this profile is selected by the user, so it should be as clear as possible, presuming you will be creating several printer ICC profiles. We recommend the printer and specific paper name.
New to the software is black and white printer profiling. The process is very similar to colour printer profiling. You measure the first colour test chart, but then the second test chart is different. It has columns containing a range of tones for a single colour, rather than an array of different colours.
At the end of measuring, there are five styles to choose from; ‘none’, cold tone, high contrast, sepia tone and standard BW. You can create several profiles at this stage, by selecting one of these styles and to then save the ICC profile with a unique name.
We suggest making all the colour and B&W profiles you are likely to need for the one paper type before moving on to another paper type - that’ll speed up the process. Awkwardly, i1Studio software does not save measurement data, so you have to start from scratch each time a new measurement is taken for other printer/ paper types.
Performance
During the course of our test of X-Rite i1Studio, we have calibrated a laptop display, a monitor display, taken ambient light readings, used the ColorChecker card and Passport software for camera profiling, plus done some printer profiling. We have also used the ColorTRUE software for a tablet and a smart phone.
After observing the before and after results, we can say that i1Studio calibration has made a notable improvement in both laptop and monitor displays.
I1profiler Manual
Typically the brightness and contrast of each display had been set a little high. Once calibrated, these values were dialled back a bit. Also, the monitor had a slight magenta tone that was corrected, even if initially the new profile appeared a little cool.
We also did a 'reset to factory settings' of the monitor and laptop displays for a comparison, which were both remarkably similar to the results from the X-Rite i1Studio. On one hand that reassures us of the accuracy, while on the other hand that makes us wonder if periodically reseting the display to factory settings is sufficient for most users.
The whole calibration process is quick and easy whatever your skill level when following the default suggested settings. There are more complex options for this that would describe themselves as having an excellent understanding of colour profiling.
i1Studio is not a perfect setup. The device itself could do with a couple of revisions to improve its handling. The wheel is awkward and we’d like to see a tripod mount for use with calibrating a projector. We also think for the price the ColorChecker Passport should be included.
Conclusion
Is £450 expensive for an accessory like X-Rite i1Studio? Well that depends. For amateurs who print once every so often, it’s not worth it. We recommend the ColorChecker Passport as a brilliant camera profiler, but i1Studio will be a little excessive and a periodic factory reset of your displays will suffice.
However, for those who print often, being sure of accurate end results from the off will save both time and paper wastage. This is a tool aimed at pro printers and editors, for whom £450 will end up as a bargain.
Money aside, what do we make of X-Rite i1Studio? Well, we feel that little has been done to improve the handling of the hardware. On one hand if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. However, the device would benefit from a little refining to improve the user experience.
Performance wise, we have certainly obtained accurate colours, brightness and contrast levels of our displays. It’s reassuring to know that prints will pop out the printer as they appear on screen.
The real improvements in this latest version have come in the software side, creating a more comprehensive package while bringing it up to date with video and mobile profiling.
There really is little else out there to do this sort of job and for that reason we expect X-Rite i1Studio to continue as the industry standard.
What Is I1profiler
| Ratings (out of 5) | |
|---|---|
| Design | 3.5 |
| Features | 3 |
| Ease-of-use | 4 |
| Value for money | 4 |