Digital BW, The Print

"jrandall1149" <jrandall@...> writes:

> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., David Dyer-Bennet <dd-
> b@d...> wrote:
> 
> <snip>
> So I've looked at the Brandon, Randall, and Woolfe curves (and
> workflows) at MIS to consider a partitioned workflow.  
>  
> The big thing that bothers me about all of these is that I have no 
> way to fix the curves for myself or generate curves for a new paper, 
> or select the optimal media and paper settings, or anything.  I'd 
> have to use them for packaged systems.  (And none of them have curves 
> for Glacier Matte or Aspen).
> <snip>
> 
> Since I don't have a densitometer this may be an essentially insoluble
> problem. 
> <snip>
> 
> Anybody have a method for end-users to produce their own quadtone 
> separation curves? <snip> 
> 
> David:
> 
> I publish the RGB I/O values so folks CAN tweak the curves for them 
> selves (it is a lot easier using Picture Windows, but that's another 
> story).  I generated my 1160 partitioned curves using only a scanner 
> as my densiomenter.  It can be done.  It's not rocket science.  It 
> only take time, paper and ink.  
> 
> My basic procedure for generating partitioned curves is to scan a 21-
> stepwedge in color with VueScan setting the WP and BP to clip the 0 
> and 255 patches and autolevels color balance.  I then open the file 
> using Picture Windows curves/histogram feature in the HSV colorspace 
> and check the location of the other 19 "peaks" across the 0-255 range 
> and iteratively adjust the partition curves to evenly space the 
> peaks.  This is just manually building an inkset/printer/paper 
> profile. 

I think I almost understand that; so if I really went at it, I
probably would.  (And reading it again carefully it already makes more
sense :-) ).  I take it that *how* you change the curves to equalize
the steps is a matter of experience and black art?

I'm a big fan of Picture Windows myself, so I may just move my B&W
work over there if I start doing this.  Their curves/histogram tool is
*so much* better than the one in Photoshop, in particular!

I do like working in adjustment layers, though; the *other* things
that have me in photoshop at the moment are specific to color (the
Applied Science Fiction ROC and SHO plugins).  And the color balance
and color correction tools in PW are really good too.  And I prefer
the tools for converting color to monochrome in PW as well.  And I
like the filter bank.  And I like being able to do everything in
16-bit. 
-- 
David Dyer-Bennet, dd-b@...  /  Ghugle: the Fannish Ghod of Queries
 John Dyer-Bennet 1915-2002 Memorial Site http://john.dyer-bennet.net
        Book log: http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/Ouroboros/booknotes/
                 Photos: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/