Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> 
> AZinn@n... wrote:
> 
> >>...
> 
> >>In the Piezography manual it says: "Although images print with
> >>clarity at 240dpi, there will be a remarkable increase in detail 
if
> >>you can obtain your images at 720 dpi and higher."  ...
> 
> C. David Tobie wrote:
> 
> >...
> >The dpi in the Cone Driver is significantly higher than that of the
> >Epson drivers ... allowing files of high resolution to produce even
> >finer results. ...
> 
> My resolution tests sure do not show an advantage to the Piezo 
driver with
> respect to the detail that can be printed.  See the scan of test 
prints that
> had high resolution line pairs.  The image file name is "Piezo-Epson
> Resolution Test.jpg."
> 
> Go to the Files section of this forum at
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/
> 
> Then follow the path to Message Related Files > 10_2001 uploads.
> 
> The bottom line is that in this test the Epson driver seems to have 
a bit of
> an advantage in rendering sharp fine detail.  I tried this same 
test with
> 50% gray bars instead of 100% black, and it produced the same 
results.
> 
> I think the Piezo image quality advantage is limited to smoothness 
on older
> quad printers.  Of course, there can be other factors at well.  The 
Piezo
> driver seems more susceptible to microbanding, but the Epson driver 
needs
> workflows and image adjustment curves that may be sensitive to 
differences
> in printers and platforms.
> 
> I have the Piezo driver but prefer to use the Epson driver for most 
prints.
> I don't see any significant image quality differences even on the 
3000 in my
> 16x20 display prints.  The Tmax 100 grain is the limiting factor, 
not the
> Epson driver dots (with a proper partitioning workflow).
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I think the Piezo driver has some real 
advantages for
> some things (paper profiles, for example) and some people 
(beginners who
> need plug & play).  But I've always had a problem with some of the
> "over-the-top" representations and implications that have been made 
for that
> system.
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com