Digital BW, The Print

Mark,

regarding monitor preview: this is unrelated to whether you tone or not. An 
RGB file should preview correctly if you follow good color management 
regardless of contents. One way to avoid the games that ColorSync can play 
at the system level, is to process the file through whatever printer profile you 
have and then send it through to the printer after you turn off any Color Sync 
functions available at the driver level.

Regarding crossovers: That is a common profile problem. You would have to 
optimize a profile for gray neutrality and even then, since you are fighting with 
the innards of the Epson driver over which you have no control, it's not a 
foolproof way. Just to make sure: you are talking about using 4 or 6 color inks 
in an Epson right? If you are using MIS VT or other printers or a RIP, please 
clarify. 

Regarding toning procedures: When you say you are using HSB, that means 
you measure your colors in HSB  - or is your file written in HSB.  Are you 
working in Photoshop? There is no such file format there.  Do you have a 
reason that you don't like a Hue/Saturation layer set to colorize? Regardless, 
saving your settings or layer is by far the best way to come back to a known 
point.

Antonis Ricos

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Mark Tucker" <mark@m...> wrote:
 
> First off, I print everything through a custom profile, made for this 
> paper/ink combo. In the Epson print driver, I have saved-out a 
> MediaType setting, which is: 1440, Hi-speed off, and PhotoPaper 
> as the MediaType. My source "working space" is always 
> embedded ColorMatch RGB, because it's suited for my 
> Pressview monitor. My output space is always "Tucker ICC 
> Profile", which is the custom one created for this paper/ink. So in 
> this area, nothing EVER changes. 
.......

> I always scan in Greyscale. Then burn/dodge in Greyscale. At 
> that point, I convert to RGB to get it ready for toning. I have used 
> Levels only to tone; I've used Hue/Saturation to tone. Mostly now I 
> use HSB. 
> 
> I did a test where I took one image, and then cloned it several 
> times on a big canvas area, and then toned it using different 
> approaches. I was shocked at the output, and how much some 
> of them didn't match the monitor. So now, when I find a method 
> of toning that I like, using HSB, I save out those settings, and 
> then LOAD them the next time. I even keep a printout by my 
> machine to remind me how  a given setting will actually print. 
.......