Digital BW, The Print

Darrell:

Several comments:

1)  The apparent evenness of the false colors (CMY) applied to your 
image is in no real way indicative of an even printed grayscale.

2)  Chris Brandon's workflow (eg., curve 4t_eam.amp, et.al.) is 
specifically set up for MIS Original inks.  These inks have different 
densities than the MIS FS inkset and therefore would not initially 
work well without significant modification.  *MOREOVER*, the 
positions of the inks in the MIS-Orig inkset are Red/Cyan=light gray, 
Green/Magenta=dark gray, and Blue/Yellow=medium gray.  The MIS-FS 
inkset (and PiezoBW inkset) positions are Red/Cyan=dark gray, 
Green/Magenta=midium gray, and Blue/Yellow=light gray.  

You didn't say which inkset you were using, but position *DOES* 
matter.  Of course you can locate your three gray inks in any 
positions and create curves for them that will work well for you, 
but....

3)  The profile_make2.pdf document broadly outlines the proceedure I 
use to modify curves.  More specifically for instance, if the 10% 
step (light end) is too dark, I would move the 10% control point on 
the Blue curve up a little (this discussion assumes the MIS-FS ink 
positions)  If the 85% step (dark end) is too light, I'd move the 85% 
control point on the Red curve down a little.  For steps between 
about 30% and 60%, control point moves on one or more of the 
individual R,G,B curves might be applicable. Note:  The 30-60% region 
is where the individual gray inks overlap.

4)  I again recommend you gain experience modifying single curve 
workflows (i.e., lumped RGB workflow curves like Woolf's and 
Nivin's). I also recommend you turnoff the Epson driver color 
control.  Position doesn't seem to matter with these lumped workflows.

Learn to walk before you fly.

Happy Trails.

Jeff Randall



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "darrelleifert" 
<darrelleifert@y...> wrote:
> Jeff --
> 
> Thanks for the detailed response.  I'll do some careful reading in 
> the Files section.  To clarify question (2), when I print a 
stepwedge 
> using a TS curve (specifically 4t_eam.amp) that shows an even CMY 
> breakdown on screen, the printed version shows a sharp tonal break 
> between 90% and 85%, and two groups of three bands (100, 95, 90 and 
> 85, 80, 75) print as a dark solid tone, with no discernable 
> difference.  This produces landscapes for example, where parts of a 
> grassy field suddenly go "flat" because certain defined tones in 
the 
> negative are indistinguishable from each other in the print 
(obvious 
> problem).  On the other hand, bands 5% through 70% show an evenly 
> spaced progression.  I'm assuming (hoping) that some kind of TS 
curve 
> adjustment can fix the problem.
> 
> Cheers,
> Darrell