Epson Print Image Matching (PIM) to ICC Color-Managed Word

Epson recently uploaded a free Print Image Matching import filter for Photoshop so the gate from the PIM into the ICC color-managed world is now open. the Epson PIM is incorporated in the EXIF 2.2 Jpeg standard.

First a quick look at the results, below a Casio QV-3500EX photo is published using the Epson PIM import filter and using the XLProfiler created ICC profile. Please note that the Epson plug-in does some editing, mainly it sets the blackpoint automatically according to the PIM information. Since the XLProfiler ICC profile does not support clipping of the blackpoint (when blackpoint adjustment is needed it is much better to do that later in the post-processing, not at the acquire/conversion time) so direct comparison would be a little unfair, therefore two versions of the XLProfiler workflow are provided, one with manual blackpoint after the ICC conversion (using the Tonality plug-in) and the other with the ICC conversion only.

How does the PIM import filter perform

The PIM import filters seem to leave the dark end of the tonal range somewhat unnaturally dark, while toggling between the above (2) and (3) versions see e.g. how the underneath of the bridge appears (or see the darkest shadows of the trees at the center of the image). While toggling between (1) and (2) it can be seen that the PIM import filter does not affect to the dark end very much. Also the colors are somewhat different than what the dedicated ICC profile provides, due to the compression in the dark end the highlights seem to appear somewhat hard, with too high contrast.

Most probably the dark end is intentionally left somewhat compressed, opening it correctly would bring the dark end noise visible with many consumer grade digicams so perhaps it is better to hide it like this. Personally I'd rather take accurate tonality in the dark end also and then if the noise level would be too irritating I'd post-process that. Now as it is one has to post-process every image in order to show the shadow detail properly.

Installation of the Epson Print Image Matching import filter

On the Print Image Matching download page Epson provides three packages of the PIM import filters for different MAC OS versions but seemingly 6 different Windows versions. However in the Windows packages the PIM import filter itself (PRINT Image Matching.8ba) is exactly the same, the packages differ only by the printer profiles that are built into them. The PIM import filter is the only thing that is needed for ICC enabled workflow so in case one does not have an Epson printer it does not matter what package is downloaded.

The packages are self extracting EXE files that will expand the setup set and optionally will run the setup program. With two of my machines that I have installed the package the setup program decided to create the following directory and to save the plugin there C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop 6.0\Plug-ins\import-export\PRINT Image Matching.8ba but the Photoshop is not installed there on either of the machines. So I had to move the PRINT Image Matching.8ba file to the correct \Plug-ins\import-export\ directory under the directory where Photoshop is installed in order to get it running. On my third machine I simply copied the PRINT Image Matching.8ba file to the the \import-export\ directory under Photoshop install directory and the conversion on that machine works OK, so the PRINT Image Matching.8ba is all that is needed.

Usage of the Epson Print Image Matching import filter

The filter is very easy to use, it is accessed by the menu command:

File/Import/PRINT Image Matching...

it will show the following dialog:

PIM Open dialog

The Import operation is not lighting fast but still bearable. At the end of the import an Embedded Profile Mismatch dialog is opened:

Profile Mismatch dialog

Select the "Use the Embedded profile (instead of the working space)" -option and press OK. The image is then shown by Photoshop 6.0 and later properly ICC color-managed with the EPSON RGB 2001 ICC profile embedded:

Imported photo in Photoshop with the EPSON RGB 2001 profile embedded (and note that the original filename is lost).

To get it nicely into the RGB working space of Photoshop first convert to 16-bit/c mode by:

Image / Mode / 16 Bits-per-channel

and the apply the Convert to Profile conversion by:

Image / Mode / Convert to Profile:

Convert to RGB working space.

Now the image is in the ICC color-managed world, savely in the RGB working-space... perhaps still not very accurately but far more so than how the original PIM version is.

The workflows in the above demonstration

Casio non color-managed JPEG (original PIM version)

1. File/Open... (with no color conversions)
2. Scale down to 500x375 pixels using Bicubic method.
3. Apply USM with A=150, R=0.5 T=0.
4. Save as JPEG at quality level 9.

Epson PIM plug-in, relative ICC conversion

1. File/Import/PRINT Image Matching...
2. Image/Mode/16-bit/c
3. Image/Mode/ConvertToProfile: TO=AIMRGBpro, Engine=MicrosoftICM, Intent=Relative, Blackpoint compensation=OFF.
4. Scale down to 500x375 pixels using Bicubic method.
5. Apply USM with A=150, R=0.5 T=0.
6. Image/Mode/ConvertToProfile: TO=nativePC, Engine=MicrosoftICM, Intent=Relative, Blackpoint compensation=OFF.
7. Image/Mode/8-bit/c
8. Save as JPEG at quality level 9.

XLProfiler profile, relative ICC conversion + blackpoint

1. File/Open... (with no color conversions)
2. Image/Mode/16-bit/c
3. Image/Mode/Assign... Casio QV-3500EX profile v1.1.
4. Image/Mode/ConvertToProfile: TO=AIMRGBpro, Engine=MicrosoftICM, Intent=Relative, Blackpoint compensation=OFF.
5. Scale down to 500x375 pixels using Bicubic method.
6. apply blackpoint correction with the Tonality filter.
7. Apply USM with A=150, R=0.5 T=0.
8. Image/Mode/ConvertToProfile: TO=nativePC, Engine=MicrosoftICM, Intent=Relative, Blackpoint compensation=OFF.
9. Image/Mode/8-bit/c
10. Save as JPEG at quality level 9.