Setting Up Color Management for Proofing CMYK for Press - Need Some Expert Advice

I have a small commercial print shop and I am getting a crash coarse (mostly self educated) on setting up good color management for high quality proofing.

I have a lot of icc profiles on 2 computers from previous devices over the years. Currently I have the following equipment that uses icc profiles:
(2) computer monitors
(1) Canon Lide50 flat bed scanner
(1) Epson Ultrachrome 7600 printer
(2) Canon ImageRunner C3220 printers
(1) Nikon D70 SLR camera

My question is (to make sure I understand things correctly) with the exception of different icc profiles for different media for the Epson 7600 & Canon C3220 printers I only need 1 profile for each of the other devices (monitor, cameras, scanner) correct? And if that is correct I could delete or uninstall all the other unused icc profiles right? (except of course I won't delete the default icc profiles in InDesign, Photoshop, etc.)

My goal is to have 1 profile for each monitor, 1 for the scanner, and 1 profile for each paper, etc.

More specifically, I am trying to setup the Epson 7600 using the Gracol 2006 icc profile to print proofs on Epson Standard Proofing Paper (Grade 1 Gracol Certified) to use to match our offset presses to. Once I get all my icc profiles correct and get a good proof (linerized & grey balanced), I will then be finger printing the offset presses for dot gain and grey balance.

Am I going about this the right way?

Also, I am aware that many print shops use expensive software to calibrate their entire process (monitors, proofers, etc.). However, being on a small budget, I asked the following question to a printing guru in color management related to offset printing:

If I used the Gracol icc profile with the Epson 7600 and used the recommended Epson Standard Proofing Paper - Grade 1, should I be able to achieve a highly accurate quality color proof without using a software RIP for proofing and/or icc profiling software? (BTW, I do have a very good densitometer to check dot gain, gray balance, etc.)

The response to my surprise was yes it should...any thoughts on this?

 

I just helped a printer in California do the same thing. Call me and I’ll help you too!
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