Greetings.
I am trying to color correct an old printer while simultaneously prepare images for output both at home for proofs as well as to a service bureau. Have never done this so I need a bit of help. Back in the day, I would include a gray scale and a color scale with the artwork when photographing so that labs could color correct images more accurately. I want to do the same thing but I have no digital gray scales or color scales.
Are these two items available somewhere or will I just have to scan my own?
How do I assure the scanned scales and the output are matched?

Any help with this would be appreciated.

it can be handled by any number of hardware/software solutions. doing this by hand is nearly impossible. spiders come to mind. what you want to do is CALIBRATE (google this) all your stuff.... your monitor, your printers, your scanners. that way you are always WYSIWYG.

tim

Calibration is fine as long as you are working on a closed network. But this is not the total case. As much as I need to be able to prepare files as WYSIWYG ultimately the files will be sent to other facilities for reproduction and they may not have the same calibration set in place. Having worked in a digital printing facility and quite familiar with the way many others work, I assure you that is more often the case than not. So sometimes, if not more often, it will have to be done on a more "Organic" visual basis comparing their test print to the hard copy proof I provide to make the adjustments necessary. I have to feel comfortable I can provide that consistently with each print I produce at my end irregardless of the software source (FreeHand, illustrator, PhotoShop, Quark, etc) and due to the different output applications many working in PostScript and the fact I do not have a PostScript  Inkjet printer at home, this gets to be a prob. So even in my "Closed" environment a visual comparison may be the key, if not, only cheap viable solution. All I hope to do is minimize the waste of paper and inkjet ink in getting something close willy-nilly. Using the step wedge and scales in the file when I print them and comparing to a proven hard copy would help minimize the "Willy-Nilliyness of it all!  :)

suit yourself but most print houses have their own published profiles.