QuadToneProfiler
QuadToneRIP calibration with every parameter in reach
QuadToneProfiler is a family of Mac applications for photographers who print
through QuadToneRIP. It builds and linearizes .quad curves from
measured density data, previews the result against your image, and gives direct
control over ink limits, partitioning, and toning.
If you are not using QuadToneRIP and would rather not learn it, the Tirage family covers the same ground on standard Epson and Canon drivers.
Everything in one application
Profiling, toning, and printing without leaving the app
See the toning before you print it
A live soft proof of predicted color and tone on your own image, mapped to that profile’s real printable range and Dmax.
Print from the app
One button installs the curve into your Quad printer and presets the QuadToneRIP dialog. Calibration targets print with no color management, so there is no Print-Tool round trip.
A tighter profiling loop
Generate charts, print, measure, and build a dense profile without leaving the workspace.
Color prediction is powered by the TirageChrome Color Matching System, and every curve it writes records that in the file header.
The applications
QuadToneProfiler-DN
Digital negatives and photogravure
Linearizes .quad curves against your measured process, with image preview and soft-proofing. Covers digital negatives and direct-to-plate photogravure. Formerly QuadToneProfiler QuickCurve-DN (QCDN).
QuadToneProfiler-Pro
Direct black and white inkjet printing
Builds curves for printing directly onto paper through QuadToneRIP, with the profile manager for creating and blending .qtp profiles for color toning.
QuadToneProfiler-DN-Pro
Digital negatives with custom ink sets
Pro-level curve control aimed at digital negatives printed with custom ink sets onto transparency film.
QuadToneProfiler-K3
Black and white printing, profiles included
Arrives with dense toner-prediction profiles already built for four Epson printer families. Soft-proof a toning and print it, with no calibration pass first.
Free companions
Target Generator
macOS · free
Build the grayscale step targets and QuadToneRIP ink separation images that calibration depends on, at the step count and patch size your instrument needs.
QuadView
iPhone and iPad · free
Open a .quad curve on your phone and see every ink channel
plotted. It reads files rather than building them.
Which one do I need?
The applications differ by what they produce, not by how capable they are. Start from the output you want.
| If you want to make | Use |
|---|---|
| Black and white prints, on a supported Epson printer, without calibrating first | QuadToneProfiler-K3 |
| Black and white prints, building your own profiles from scratch | QuadToneProfiler-Pro |
| Digital negatives, and direct-to-plate photogravure | QuadToneProfiler-DN |
| Digital negatives with custom ink sets | QuadToneProfiler-DN-Pro |
| All three — prints, negatives, and gravure plates | QuadToneProfiler-Pro and QuadToneProfiler-DN together |
What each application outputs
| Application | Output | For | Photogravure |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuadToneProfiler-DN | Digital negatives on transparency film | Photographers making digital negatives and direct-to-plate photogravure | Yes |
| QuadToneProfiler-DN-Pro | Digital negatives on transparency film, custom ink sets | Photographers running custom ink sets who need full curve control | No |
| QuadToneProfiler-K3 | Prints directly onto paper, using profiles that come with the application | Photographers on a supported Epson printer who want a calibrated print without calibrating first | — |
| QuadToneProfiler-Pro | Prints directly onto paper through QuadToneRIP | Photographers making direct black and white inkjet prints, with color toning | — |
Shared Pro-level capabilities
QuadToneProfiler-Pro and QuadToneProfiler-DN-Pro share the same advanced feature set. What separates them is what they output.
- Advanced curve creation for up to 8 ink channels
- Ink channel partitioning
- Quad blending
- SCTV color tint linearization for multi-layer processes such as tri-color gum and carbon transfer
Only QuadToneProfiler-Pro includes the profile manager for creating and blending .qtp profiles containing measurements and quad values for up to 4 components.
The .qtp and .qtpx profile formats describe positive
inkjet printing, so the digital negative applications neither read nor write
them — they work in .quad curves and .tdn process
files instead.
System and printer requirements
Versions 4.3 and later run on macOS 12 Monterey or later. Version 4.2.1 is the last release for macOS 10.13 High Sierra through macOS 11 Big Sur, and stays available on the downloads page.
The downloads page has both builds of each application, each button labeled with the macOS range it is for.
Epson P7000 editions
The two P7000 editions use different ink configurations, which changes what is supported.
- Epson P7000 Standard Edition
- K3-style Supported by the automatic starter curve setup in all applications.
- Epson P7000 Commercial Edition
- K2-style — Photo Black, Matte Black, Light Black, and Violet in place of Light Light Black Not supported by the automatic starter curve setup in the non-Pro applications. Custom curves can be built with QuadToneProfiler-Pro or QuadToneProfiler-DN-Pro.
Where did QuickCurve-DN go?
Nowhere — it was renamed. QuadToneProfiler-DN is the same lineage of software that many photographers still call QCDN, and existing users are not being moved off it. If you arrived looking for QuadToneProfiler QuickCurve-DN, QuadToneProfiler-DN is the page you want.