Print dialog (Proof) Simulate Black Ink

Question

I got an Epson 4880 to do some tests for proofing.Its not serious proofing or anything like contract-proof,its just to serve as guideline for some customers but I think Im missing something.
I plan to get a spectrophotometer some time soon but for now I have set up and run some tests with Epson Standart Proofing Paper still using the canned profiles,but something is puzzling me.
On printer dialog I choose Proof (Using FOGRA39 since Epson claims this paper is optimized for this profile white point)
Photoshop Manages Colors and them the corresponding (canned) profile Pro4880 Standard Proofing_PK.
Proof Setup I use a saved custom (FOGRA39 - BPC on - Simulate Black Ink - Relative Colorimetric)
Whats puzzling me is:
Why on earth the blacks are printed deeper whenever I choose Simulate Black Ink?
Shouldnt it be the other way around?
In soft proof there is a visible difference between Simulate Black Ink on or off,and that difference doesnt translate on paper.Both prints are almost identical with the one with Simulate Black Ink "On" having slightly deeper blacks.
Could  it lbe because of the Printer+paper profile having a lower black density than FOGRA39?
BTW: Simulate Paper Color and Simulate Black Ink dont show any difference in preview window on the left of Print dialog box (with Match Print Colors checked)
Ty in advance for any help or clarification.
Miguel

Answer 1

Miguel Curto wrote:
I dont think you can go around the driver unless you're using a RIP.Ive found out that ColorBurst has an evaluation/trial version with some limited funcionality but it has the relevant paper/printer profile.It will do...I'll post a follow-up on saturday.Ty
Miguel,
I really think you can get around the RIP purchase, if you're just doing randoms. My guess is you are, if you were trying to print from Photoshop.
I think the problem with printing from PS is the craziness of it. PS is doing two conversions on output, using the Epson driver. No wonder it gets fouled up.
I will be honest with you, I don't do any printing (post script) from Adobe page layout anymore, and certainly not from Photoshop. All PDF. Post script is cumbersome and troublesome, and you can't see what you've got unless you distill it.
Just bypass this post script nonsense altogether. Try the following test - start with a good Adobe RGB image.  Convert to Japan newspaper with normal settings. Then convert this to your Epson RGB, the three different ways you mention. Make sure the finished images are untagged Device RGB, flat, 300 PPI, 8 bit.
Once you have the three, you can try a few different options, using the Epson bonjour in your print center. Then
1. You can just drag the tiffs onto the printer in the print center (but they probably won't gang)
2. You can try printing them from Preview (again no gang). Preview should produce a dumb clean PS with no conversion. If this option produces reliable output, you can set up a hot folder, and use Automator to print your randoms if you want. There may be a way to set up the Bonjour printer to gang images and save paper.
3. Slap your RGB tiffs onto a black InDesign page. Output a PDF, no conversion, no profiles included. Drop the PDF onto your printer in the print center (orientation and page size will be a factor). This is a crude way of ganging to save paper
Your Epson should produce three very different images, and render the different proof scenarios properly. Please try it, you might save money.
If it's just images you want to print, flat tiffs really should work. You don't need a RIP, they are already ripped. However I will say if you are needing to proof page layout with vector elements, there probably isn't a good workaround, you need a RIP. But then, you wouldn't be printing from Photoshop, either.
If it works, it's just a matter of setting up the desired conversions in a batch workflow. Source RGB requires two conversions. If the images are already FOGRA39, then it's just a matter of the one conversion to Epson RGB, with desired settings, flat, 300 PPI, 8 bit, untagged.