Color Workflow question on-topic?

Question

I have set up a complete color workflow in order to photograph artwork in a studio setting.

1. Using Passport Color Checker to make a custom camera profile for Lightroom
2. Calibrating my monitors with XRite i1Pro (Δe < 2)
3. Using Epson-supplied print profiles matched to the Epson printer and paper I'm using
4. Verifying in Lightroom "soft proof" that nothing is out of printer gamut
5. Verifying that a print of the Passport target is virtually identical to the actual target under identical lighting conditions

The problem is that even with all these steps there is a visible difference at the blue end of the spectrum, and the difference seems to be non-linear relative to luminance.

I want to ask what I should change to get better results. I would provide a lot more detail regarding equipment and lighting setup.

Is that on-topic for the main site or is it too nuts-and-bolts technical? If off-topic, is there a site where it would be on-topic?

Answer 1

Yes, this would be on topic. It's certainly related to photography and it's on the artistic side since it's reproducing art. Computer vision and analysis questions tend to be poorly received, but this is a relevant work flow for producing art or replications of art through photography and photographing art is really an art in itself as you need to choose how to light and how to shoot. Paintings might seem simpler, but take sculpture for example, that's much easier to see the artistic selection in how it's photographed, but the same can be argued for photographing paintings I think.

Answer 2

The litmus test I use is, Would photographers be expected to be able to answer it? If the central issue is non-photographic, but it happens to incidentally involve, say, image files, then I would consider it off topic. However, the issue you describe is definitely photographic. (Color is light. Part of photography is attempting to capture and reproduce light accurately.)

Depending on how you pose the question, it might be considered too broad because it potentially involves several issues. But rather than ask the question to ask if it's on topic, why not just ask the question? If there's a problem with it, people will comment and you can fix it. The worst that would happen is it's closed.