Digital BW, The Print

Jon Zax wrote:
> 
> I'm sorry I got on to this thread late because I have run into the
> described problem myself.
> 
> I run a digital imaging studio and print for a lot of different
> photographers so I see more varied
> files than most.
> 
> I have tested several of the popular inks and workflows, currently using
> the MIS FS and the cone driver.
> 
> The "posterizing" and sometimes "edge breaks" are most evident in
> portraits and nudes but do
> occur in other types of images.
> 
> My experience leads me to believe one of the basic problems with gray
> ink printing is that at the
> precise tonallity where the different gray inks "cross over"undesireable
> things can happen.
> 
> The choice of papers does affect how this effect occurs, because of how
> each paper responds to different coverage.
> 
> I have had some sucess curing this problem by mismatching profiles and
> their papers.
> 
> Otherwise I alter the local contrast of the file where the tonal problem
> is manifested.
> 
> If one has not seen this ocuring, they are either extremely lucky or
> they are simply not viewing
> their prints objectively enough.
> 
> Broken up histograms have almost no bearing on this "posterization" that
> I'm specifically referencing.
> 
> J.Z.


John;

Thanks for your input on this problem. I have noticed that the latest
Cone driver allows printing in 16 bit. I wonder if using a 16 bit
workflow from start to finish would help these challenging images?

-Jeff