• Click output resolution only if you need to print the image at its native size.
  
  
• Select Layout- 1up for printing one image. The size is selected below. 4x4 is used to print an image 4 rows x 4 columns. The image is resized to fit. I use this for contact sheets.
  
  

We want CaptureNX to control the colors.

• Click on Use Color Management.
  
  
• Image Profile- reflects the colors space currently loaded in the image.
  
  
• Printer Profile- This is critical.
  
  Select the downloaded premium profile for the combination of- Printer being used, paper being used and the intended QUALITY level of the printed image.
  
  ie: SPR2400 PremLuster BstPhoto.icc
  
  SPR3800= My printer being used
  PremLuster= the type of paper being used
  BstPhoto= the intended QUALITY level of the printed image
  
  

INTENT. You have five choices but only two are used most of the time.

• RELATIVE COLORMETRIC - I use this most often. The whites are adjusted to match the whites of the destination. The paper being used is not pure white. With the correct manufacturer profile selected above, all the colors are shifted to maintain color relationships. Out of gamut colors are shifted to the nearest color available.
  
  
• PERCEPTUAL - This mode tries to maintain VISUAL relationships of the colors making the colors look natural to the eye. It does, however, change the colors to accomplish this. This may be the best choice if your image has a larger color space than the printer can work with. If you are using a four color printer (CMYK) this may be your first choice. Printers with six or more colors should have a larger color space and should be better with RELATIVE COLORMETRIC intent.
  
  
• SATURATION - This does what it says. Colors are pumped up making then more vibrant. This is typically used for printing graphs, charts, etc.
  
  
• ABSOLUTE COLORMETRIC - Colors inside the printers gamut are unchanged. Colors out side the gamut are adjusted to the nearest available color. If you are printing a product or logo where the color is critical this would be your first choice.
  
  
• BLACKPOINT COMPENSATION - This is RARELY turn off. The BLACK points of the image and the output device are matched.
  
  

The printer manufacturers have a vested interest in you getting the best results from the equipment you bought from them. I use Epson for all my printing and office work. At the time of this writing, Epson K3 inks are said to deliver unchanged color for 100 years in archival conditions. Other printer manufactures like HP and Cannon also have excellent printers and many people are loyal to these If you are looking to buy a printer, take a file to your retailer and have them print your image from the printers you are interested in to make your own evaluation. Ask if the manufacture offers premium printer drivers as free downloads. Most do, may very depending on the model you choose. If premium drivers are not available or you want the absolute best performance from your printer, there are third party companies that will, for a fee, E-mail you an image with a bunch of color patches to print. This is mailed off, snail mail, and they will send you a profile that WILL match your combination of Printer, Paper, Ink and Quality setting.

The printer manufacturers produce their Premium Profiles with extremely controlled conditions to give you the best AVERAGE results. Let me explain. Every product produced has MANAFACTURING TOLERANCES. Although these tolerances may be very tight and modern manufacturing methods are extremely accurate, we have to deal with ACCUMULATED TOLERENCES. For Example: If 3 components of a device are at the far end the PLUS side of the tolerance, these add up to a variation as compared to device that was at the MINUS side of the tolerances. Therefore, the argument that factory Premium Drivers will give you the BEST AVERAGE result is true. For most of us these drivers will be all we need.

If you use a third party paper, drivers are usually provided by the manufacturer of the paper. Check first to make sure they have a driver for your printer for good results. Again, you could use a third party driver maker on the newly acquired paper for best results.

If you use a third party ink, you will have to use a third party driver maker for best results. Most printer manufactures frown upon a returned for service printer that was using third party inks. Some claims have been made that these third party inks cause nozzles to clog or spray unevenly. I do not know for sure about the validity of those claims as I always use the factory inks. After all, that is one of the reasons I bought it in the first place.