Quartz filters in Colorsync Utility to improve print quality

I have trying to improve my printed output. I have set up my camera and iPhoto to get accurate, known colour into my system. I have also installed a custom profile for my printer which improved the colours considerably but the prints were still a little dark.
To fix this, I created a new Quartz filter in Colorsync Utility using the Brightness intermediate transform. My problem is that the Brightness transform has three unmarked, uncalibrated sliders. I think the middle one is brightness and the last one is contrast but I'm only guessing.
Anyone know what the sliders actually do?
This post is probably a bit cryptic in an attempt to keep it brief and cut to my problem but I've spent a lot of time getting to this point and I am happy to answer any questions on the other steps in the process for others who are further down the Colorsync learning curve.
1.8 GHz MBP Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Hello Bruce,
I ran this one by a couple of the 'colour specialists' in the office. One thought the sliders may be for R, G & B but they were guessing and we spent some time searching for an answer but found nothing. We even tried to look at some of the existing profiles, such as Sepia, but found them to be locked and not viewable. Anyway, you've got them intrigued so I think they'll work this one out for you soon, unless someone else knows the answer already.
Paul

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Hello
I wonder if you ever solved this problem.
I have a very similar problem with Photoshop CS5 on Mac OSX 10.6 + HP Photosmart C7180.
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If I choose "Printer Manages Colors" the results are OK. not necessarily great.
I believe I have all the correct settings after going through books and web advice (and wasted a lot of paper and ink).
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My wife suggests I buy a new printer - Epson's looking good.
Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

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Hi Darren and others,
I didn't think more about problem with quality of printing because I hadn't time. But now I must finish my work.
The problem is that the pixelization appears when making picture as well (JPEG, PNG, BMP). Just try. It looks horrible.
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Attachments:
printscreen.PNG ‏93 KB
picture_export_or_print.vi ‏163 KB
matlab_picture.png ‏44 KB

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Thanks Benwiggy for that tip.
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PDF/X-1a
PDF/X-3
PDF/X-4
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HI all.
Is there any way to improve print quality on iPad?
The same photo on PC prints well via Phtoshop Elements to HP Photosmart AirPrint printer.
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CC.

Hello @Strander and welcome to the HP Forums
Just to clarify, are you getting these lines when printing from the Mac or when making a Copy/doing a Scan?
If it's when you're printing, please try the steps within this Fixing Print Quality Problems for the HP ENVY 5530 e-All-in-One and Deskjet Ink Advantage 4510 e-All... document and it should help get rid of anything unwanted.
If the lines are happening when Copying or Scanning, please get a paper towel with some water (or glass cleaner like Windex) and wipe down the glass. If you're not really sure where to focus your cleaning, just line the page up with the glass and see where the lines are and focus your cleaning there
Let me know how this goes for you!
Please click “Accept as Solution ” if you feel my post resolved your issue, as it will help others find the solution faster
Click the “Kudos Thumbs Up" on the right to say “Thanks” for helping!
**MissTeriLynn**
I work on behalf of HP

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I found this work-around:
The solution I realized involves the following:
Right click the PDF file you desire to work with and then select "Open with..."
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Supplied by mrrish_

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http://www.dinagraphics.com/color_management.php
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I am not printing with colorsync color management, rather I am using colorsync *utilty* to correct a misapplied color profile in the driver.
This is documented a few places on the web, and it is Chromix's answer to incorrect prints from ALL the Adobe applications... in my case, PS 7, and ALL CS2 and CS3 suite applications. Very specifically, the print error happens with Photoshop 7 and CS2 and CS3, and Illustrator CS2 and CS3, and InDesign CS2 and CS3. The solutions it to be certain that in your print stream, when you check the details of how the print is being sent, that colorsync is set to standard conversion, generic RGB profile, no quartz filter. The way you typically mange this, if the wrong RGB profile is showing, is by resetting it in ColorSync utility.
I am printing a a profiling target, so I am not setting up a conversion from source space to print space. I am sending with color management off.
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My target print looks like it is being color managed incorrectly, even though all color management is disabled in the Photoshop print dialog and in the print driver. The colors are the correct hue, but they are much too dark.
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Quartz filters in Colorsync Utility to improve print quality

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