PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | DECEMBER 2019
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not have indicated correct readings. I found
it dif cult to run the patch reader smooth-
ly along the guide, eventually settling
on moving it faster than recommended
while counting to make sure I’d read all
the patches. The i1Photo Pro system works
more smoothly, but some of that may have
to do with my greater experience with it.
I printed and read targets for Epson
Premium Glossy 250, Premium Luster
260, Moab Colorado Fiber Satine 245, and
Hahnemühle Bamboo 290. I found the
before and after results to be subjective,
varying among viewers. In each case, the
Spyder Print pro les gave results that were
warmer and more saturated than the man-
ufacturer pro le results. This was similar
to the results I found comparing the moni-
tor pro le of the SpyderX Elite with that of
the i1Photo Pro. This may indicate a look
preferred by Datacolor rather than any
shortcoming in the devices or software.
I felt the Epson pro les that came with
the SureColor P7000 gave a more pleasing
result than the pro les I generated with the
Spyder Print. Some in the studio agreed,
but others disagreed.I preferred the results generated with
the Spyder Print pro les for the Moab and
Hahnemühle papers. Interestingly, I pre-
ferred the Epson pro les to the i1Photo
pro les but use the i1Photo to pro le non-
Epson papers.
In any case, printer pro ling is a wor-
thy endeavor, and the 10 minutes it took
to read each sheet was time well spent for
lessons learned, if nothing else.
Overall, the SpyderX Studio is a valu-
able system if you care enough about your
photography to desire accurate color from
capture to print output. The system is pre-
sented in a handsome metal carrying case,
though the equipment is meant to be out of
the case and used almost constantly. The
SpyderX Studio components, sans case,
cost about $670 as sold individually: Spy-
der Cube, $55; SpyderX Elite, $270; Spyder
Print, $345. The SpyderX Studio, with case,
is available for about $500. The i1Photo Pro
at $1,669 does not deliver three times the
performance. •Stan Sholik is a writer and photographer
in San Clemente, California.The SpyderX monitor calibrator in position to begin monitor calibration