Setting up IT8 target and scanning with Epsonscan in Epson's V850

[Alan Edward Klein]

I have an Epson V850 scanner with SilverFast SE PLUS and X-Rite i1Scanner reflective/transparent IT8 targets that came with it I believe I have the Chrome target scanned and in the computer. How do you set the settings when you do the scan?

 

[koraks]

Use the IT8 target to construct an ICC profile, then use that profile in your workflow as the input profile. I usually go from there to sRGB and then edit further. If you're working with slides you may want to work in AdobeRGB instead if you worry about reduced gamut of sRGB.

For creating the ICC profile there are a few ways; I don't use Silverfast myself and IDK if it offers this option or how it deals with IT8 targets; you'd have to refer to the manual for this.

I've used ArgyllCMS to create ICC profiles; it can also create a profile based on a scanned IT8. https://www.argyllcms.com/ ArgyllCMS is everything but straightforward to use, though. It's a command-line tool and takes some puzzling to figure out. It's very powerful/flexible though - and free to use.

I've also used the ancient tool that's linked to by Wolf Faust in relation to his IT8 profiles; I suppose this could still be used as well. I've used it to make a profile for my scanner and that worked OK. I did have a Faust target and the patch data for it. The old ICC creation tool is still available through the Archive, I think: https://web.archive.org/web/20071227094937/http://www.littlecms.com:80/iphoto/

reflective/transparent IT8 targets that came with it

You have to check whether you have/can find the patch data for your targets. Using the i1 scanner you should be able to capture the ones on the reflective target if you can't find those. The transparent target is a different matter; assuming you have an i1Pro (any of the versions) I don't think you can do any transparency measurements with those. So you'd have to either find the data that came with the target, or gain access to a device that can measure the densities on the target.

Btw, I find that the factory supplied color profiles with the Epson scan software are really pretty good. Unless you're running into specific issues in your workflow, I'd seriously consider keeping things simple and just using Epson scan with in-built color management. You may find that if you go the full monty with the ICC profiles that the output is slightly better in some areas, but not necessarily in all - i.e. you may trade some pros for a few other cons.

 

[bfilm]

I don't think that SilverFast SE Plus can make custom scanner profiles, but it can probably use them. To make custom scanner profiles requires SilverFast Ai Studio.

This help page makes it sound like your setup would have come with X-Rite software for making the custom scanner profile.

https://helpcenter.silverfast.com/p...ilverfast-ai-studio-s-it8-calibration-feature

You can also use ArgyllCMS to make the custom scanner profile.

https://www.argyllcms.com/doc/Scenarios.html#PS1

There are some videos here that describe how to setup color management in SilverFast SE Plus.

https://www.silverfast.com/mov/en.html

As far as a working space profile, a couple of longtime well-regarded profiles for working with scanned film are Ekta Space PS 5 and DonRGB4, both of which are available for free.

Ekta Space PS 5
https://www.josephholmes.com/profiles/available-products

DonRGB4
http://www.hutchcolor.com/profiles.html

The sRGB working space profile can usually achieve fairly satisfactory results, but both of the above profiles cover essentially all of the colors in reversal film and can potentially achieve better results and are considered nice for archiving.