Digital BW, The Print

>> "Averaging out the detail in the grain" is the perfect description of the
>> problem I'm having.
>
>Pretty sure that's why big prints show it more.

No! My one experimental big print (a chunk of what would be a 10x15" image)
showed much LESS posterizing; or at least the posterized areas were much
smaller, probably because the image had become that much coarser and the
"averaging" was happening over much smaller areas.

carefully double check all settings in Photoshop and
>the driver, the smallest things can make the difference as Todd
>suggested. The inks are already loaded, what the heck?
>I was suprised a traditional large format image full of continuous
>tone revealed less problems with ink seps than a grainy 35mm image
>from the wrong side of the tracks.

I would need very specific guidance here: as I mentioned to Todd, I don't
do any aspect of color, so someone will have to explain all the color
spaces and profiles and separations in words of one syllable.

>I wonder if someone here familiar with the ink set could assist you,
>all you need is less severe and very smooth sep curves tailored to
>your printer.

My printer is your basic bog-stock 1160... And I did notice that when the
VM curves are applied to the RGB-converted image, THAT's when it starts to
look posterized: big swatches of red and black. I know something else
happens between there and the printed output, but it looks suspicious.

You might try sharpening way more than you need
>just to see how it will print, just don't save the original file that
>way (that's something I would do...)

I will try that; thanks.

>If none of this works, put on the rubber suit, put down the drop
>cloths, and start mixing ink I guess.

I'm awaiting word from MIS tech support as to whether all this is
technically feasible in the first place. I'm also of two minds in general:
the Piezo system is so convenient, and prints so much faster, that the
prospect of using their software with better inks is very appealing. On the
other hand, Paul Roark has made a real breakthrough with the MIS system and
has shared his results freely. I'm trying not only to get the best of both
worlds, but also to support everyone who's doing such valuable work for us
clueless photographers.

-- Nick

NICHOLAS HARTMANN                                +1 (414) 271-4890
611 N. Broadway, Suite 509                  fax: +1 (414) 271-4892
Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA                       polyglot@...

Technical and scientific translator:  German and French -> English