A profile is created for your printer and the paper and ink that you want to use. By printing out a couple of charts, we can generate a profile for you that will give you the best prints possible. A profile will help you...

• Print an image that matches your original image.
• Match your prints to a calibrated monitor.
• Match your prints across different papers.
• Maximise the colours that your printer can print.
• Print neutral black and white images.
• Use any paper that you want.
• Use any ink that you want.
• Use soft proofing accurately.

First of all, we need to define what a profile actually is.

A profile (sometimes referred to as an ICC Profile) is a file that determines how colours are to be printed for a specific printer and paper. Combined with profile-aware image editing or printing software, it will transform the image from the colour space of the editing software to the colour space for the printer and paper. A colour space is often referred to as the colour gamut, and is basically the range of colours that can be used (this is explained in more detail further on). The result of the transformation means that the colours are changed so that a certain colour in the image will be printed as the same colour on the paper, taking into account various attributes such as the whiteness of the paper (which does have a big impact on the colours that are to be printed).

Your printer does not actually need a profile to print, and your prints might initially look like a reasonable match. But look at the prints compared to your monitor. The chances are that they're subtlety (or not so subtlety) different - lighter or darker, and with various tints to the colours. Try a black and white print. You will be very lucky if you get an exact match to what you see on screen! Next, try some different papers. Now you will start to see a difference in colours both between your screen and between the different papers.

If you like to match what you see on screen to what you print, or you want to print the same image on different papers, then you have three options.

• Edit the image. In your imaging software you could edit the image to take into account any tints in printed colours. You will have to create a copy of the image and edit it for each different paper that you use. There's a lot of trial and error, with time, ink and paper wastage until you get a close match. Unless you're very adept at your image editing, you will still not get an exact match, and you will not be able to get a match to your monitor.

• Change the colour settings in the printer driver. This is a better option - you will not edit the image. You just have to play around with the driver colour settings. Yet more time, ink and paper wastage and you will still not get an exact match. You might get close to a match, and that might be good enough for you. But there's still not enough control in there so that you can alter individual colours. Try a black and white print and it become even more so noticeable - some shades of grey might have a magenta tint, whilst others have a green tint. It is impossible to correct this using the printer driver settings alone.

• Use a paper specific profile For the person who really wants a good match and to get the full range of colours out of the printer, this is definitely the way to go.

For ease of use, and for an accurate print, a profile is definitely the best way to go. But what do you need in order to use a profile? Please read on...

Unfortunately there are a few requirements for using profiles :

• You have imaging software or a printer driver which can print using profiles - this software is quite often referred to as being "ICC aware" or is advertised as having full colour management. Please check that your software can use profiles first before you order any. Examples of colour managed software are Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Qimage, Paint Shop Pro, Painter, and Picture Window Pro. Also, some printer drivers like some of the epson drivers can also allow you to select a profile to print with.

• Your printer uses a standard RGB printer driver - If you're using a standard inkjet or dyesub printer, then you're almost certainly using an RGB printer driver. It does not matter how many inks you have in your printer - even the latest printers with extra red, green or blue inks are still RGB printers and are compatible with our profiles. The only printers that we cannot profile are the ones that are being used with software called a RIP - this software uses a CMYK form of printing which is not compatible with our profiles.

• You are using a Windows or a Mac operating system - The profile that is created can be used for both operating systems. The profile supplied will have a .icc extension, which is the default extension for Macs. Windows used to want only a .icm extension, but will now accept the .icc extension (if your older windows software cannot see the profile, you can rename the profile with a .icm extension). If you are using Linux, we can provide the profile, but we are unable to test it on a linux platform.

If you're in any doubt about whether your software or printer is compatible, then send us an email and we'll let you know.