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Digital BW, The Print

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Re: [Digital BW] How to get neutral B & W prints

2014-10-29 by Richard Smallfield

Hi Jim,
I've read a lot of the replies to your questkon, but not seen one that mentioned DataColor's Spyder Print colourimeter which makes 'Extended Grays' profiles as an option, using a colour workflow for BW. These profiles allow adjustment of the hue within the profile.

Using the colour driver for my Epson 3800 and 'Extended Grays' profiles, I have been able to achieve truly neutral prints with greater ease than with ABW or QTR. Because the hue is controlled by an ICC profile, neutrality is achieved throughout the tonal range. I've not managed quite as neutral a hue with ABW or QTR. (With more work, I probably could achieve perfect neutrality with QTR if I wanted to, but the 'Extended Grays' profile does it simply.)

If I want true neutrality (which I usually don't quite want), or if I don't want to use the slightly more long winded QTR workflow, I use the colour workflow with an 'Extended Grays' icc profile.

That is what I would do if I had your problem with a non-Epson printer.

For my exhibiiton prints, however, I have returned to QTR for now, because I use an Epson and: (1) QTR uses the least colour ink of any of the BW workflows using colour ink sets, so should be less prone to colour shifting over the years. (2) It allows split toning; and (3) It is easy to profile, using my Spyder Print Colourimeter and QTR Create-ICC, to achieve greyscale linearity - only 21 grescale patches to measure.

The fact is that I've achieved good results with all three workflows, though ABW's lack of split toning has been a drawback on some papers.

Good luck,
Richard


--
richardsmallfield.com

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