How to set up Print Specs and Profiles in CS5 Suite

Question

I am no color management expert but I do want to get my printer to print the same colors as my monitor displays in PSD, AI and InD applications.
My Intel iMac and Cinema Display running OS10.5.8 are both color calibrated with Spyder 3 Elite to achieve correct color reproduction.
After days of searching and testing, this is my solution which I offer to help those new to CS5.
1. Start: PHOTOSHOP:
     Set colour settings (Edit>Color Settings) as follows:
          RGB - Adobe RGB 1998
          CMYK - US Web Coated (SWOP) v2 (This setting does not effect printer).
          Leave Grey and Spot as default 20%
     Color Management Policys:
          RGB, CMYK, Gray; all set to Preserve embedded Profiles
     Conversions Options:
          Engine - Adobe ACE
          Intent - Relative colourimetric ( my choice for AI artwork. Choose Perceptual for photos in PSD).
     Go to Save, give profile a name, and note the Conversion intent so you can create another profile for Perceptual and PSD. 
     (I called mine Epson R2400 and noted the Relative Colorimetric intent).
     Finally, Go to Settings at the top of the Color Settings dialogue and select the color profile you have just named and saved. Click OK
2. Go to Bridge>Edit>Creative Suite Color Settings. Find your saved profile and select it and click Apply.
     Now AI and ID have the same colour preferences.
     Users without Bridge will have to set these items in Color Settings for each Adobe application.
3.   Photoshop>File>Print: Color Management
          Color Handling - Photoshop Manages Color
          Printer Profile - Choose the ICC Profile to suite your printer and paper stock. I used Epson canned ICC SPR2400 Premium Glossy with great results.
          Rendering Intent - Relative Colorimetric for artwork or Perceptual for photos.
4.  At top of Print dialogue box, select Printer (Epson Stylus Photo 2400 in my case).
     Below, Click and open Print Settings;
     Layout - select  Paper Size and number of pages (copies). Layout is one of several items in a drop down menu.
     Open the next drop down item, Color Matching. Check that he two options, Color Sync and Epson should be grayed out.
     Move to Print Settings.
          Media Type - depends on your paper. (mine is Photo Quality InkJet).
          Color - select Color or Black
          Color Settings - OFF, This turns off color management in Epson Driver leaving Photoshop in charge!
          Mode - I chose Advanced to get fine quality print. Automatic OK for general use.
      Click Save. Click Print and you should get a print matching your Monitor.
ILLUSTRATOR CS5
Bridge will ensure that Color Settings match Photoshop as 1. above. If you don’t have Bridge Go to Edit>Color Settings and specify the same as      Photoshop. Note Settings, at top of Color settings dialogue box requires the profile you created in Photoshop.
     Go to File >Print. There are 3 steps to check.
     In the  window at left are headings General, Marks and Bleed, Output, Graphics, Color Management, Advanced and Summary.
     These are self explanatory. If you do not use Bridge, check Color Management as below:
1. Printer: your printer. Color Handling: Let Illustrator determine colors. Printer Profile: select your monitor RGB icc profile.
   Unlike Photoshop, do NOT use printer/paper ICC. Rendering intent: to suit your image.
2. Bottom left of Print dialogue box is Page Setup. Set your size etc.
3. Bottom Left is Printer. MOST IMPORTANT. Here are the similar setting options as PSD 4 above which require different handling.
     Select Layout, go down to Color Matching>select COLORSYNC not Epson. This ensures Apple ColorSync does color conversion.
     Profile - Automatic should appear with name of your preferred Printer/paper ICC below. ( be careful here as I have found AI sometimes finds the wrong      paper icc. Close Print and start again).
     Move down list to Print Settings - Basic:
          Page Set up - Standard; Media type - Your choice, (Photo Quality InkJet for me).
          Color - Color
          Color Settings OFF to ensure Epson printer driver does not try to manage color.
          Mode - Advanced if you want fine quality print. Automatic is OK for general use.
4. Click Print to close Printer dialogue box. Click Print to close the Print dialogue box and you should get a print to match your on screen image.
INDESIGN and General Comments.
Always select your Printer first as settings vary according to printer type.
InDesign Print set up is very similar to AI. Select Color Management at left and the Printer, Printer Profile and Rendering Intent require identical settings.
Go to bottom left, Page Setup. Specify Printer and paper size. Select Printer and the settings required are the same as AI.
If you switch between these apps there is considerable danger that the different Profile choices will trip you up. Photoshop color management requires the Printer/paper ICC, AI and InDesign require Monitor ICC. My primary error was to select my professionally scanned printer/paper ICC profile which resulted in weird colours on AI and ID. The clue that led me to choose my Monitor ICC profile instead was the ColorSync option in Color matching in AI. I hope you will find printing runs a lot smoother for you and I heartily invite better informed users than I, can add to, or qualify this post.
May the Force be with you!

Answer 1

Regarding print brightness at output. The Settings of monitor calibration determine white point and black point. At the time you run Spyder 3 or whatever your monitor calibrator is, the software sets a white point of your choosing. current iMacs are far too bright and prints resulting from unmodified Mac monitors will appear too dark because of the excessive screen brightness. My iMac at lowest reading is 139 candelas. To get prints which match the screen I specify 80 candelas. The Spyder software also reads ambient light in the room and makes a calculation which effects the white and black points registered for both viewing and printing. Since paper reflects a light level according to lighting conditions, we each view prints in different conditions according to illumination source. This effects also effects screen viewing so conditions determine what we see.
In simple terms, ambient light reading also modifies the software calculations for colour output. If it is too high, prints are pale, too low and prints are too dark. If the Monitor calibration has been done properly there should be no problem. The point here is to make certain your calibration process is accurate. Personally I have calibrated in a dark room at night-time and I have calibrated In a shaded room at midday. Hugely different conditions. Under both circumstances I have found the calibration has resulted in good prints. So I suspect it is user white point settings or calibration error which results in prints being too dark or too light. I understand the data used by the calibration software applies to the ambient light reading to the monitor for reading conditions and uses other color gamut data for the printing process. So printing error must surely originate with the user.
I welcome comment from more experienced people in this matter.
Cheers,