Digital BW, The Print

Paul, there's more than one Photoshop workflow to separate a grayscale
image into 4 channels and print in true CMYK, but here's one that works.
You can of course make an action to automate most of this. 

1. Flatten your final edited grayscale image.

2. Change mode to multichannel. You'll have one channel called "Black."

3. Replicate this channel 3 times (you can drag & drop onto the little
document-like icon at the bottom of the channels pallette) so you have a
total of 4.

4. Change mode again, to CMYK. You'll now have 4 identical channels,
each an exact copy of the final grayscale image. 

5. Add a CURVES adjustment layer, and load your saved separation curves.

6. Print through PressReady, using "unspecified - advanced," and printer
profile = "same as source."

Re. getting a decent black, try different PressReady media settings to
see which gives the best linearity and ink limits with your particular
ink set and media. Then see what combination of inks give you the best
black. It may be 100% K plus an overprint some percentage of the next
darkest color, or it may just be 100% K. 

hope this helps,
Richard Wolfson


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Roark [mailto:paul.roark@...] 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 12:14 PM
> To: DigitalB&WPrint
> Subject: [Digital BW] PressReady & 3000
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Is anyone on the list using PressReady to print quads with an 
> Epson 3000?
> 
> I just bought a copy of the software and have started to 
> experiment with some workflows that I've found on the web.  
> However, I have no experience with this or any other RIP, so 
> the precise procedures that work with Photoshop 6 and a PC 
> are not clear.  If anyone has a clear workflow that works 
> well with PS 6, I'd love to see it.
> 
> So far, I have yet to see a decent black with the software.
> 
> Also, I'm doubtful that I'm actually getting true CYMK 
> printing.  My attempts to totally eliminate the toner in the 
> vm-sepia inkset has not been successful.
> 
> The workflows I've seen on the web seem to use the PS 
> duotone/quadtone printing procedure.  This activates curves 
> that are actually the transfer function graphs.  My 
> experience with transfer functions is that they are far less 
> accurate and useable than the Image Adjustment Curves.  This 
> makes me wonder why the duotone procedures are used instead 
> of just going to CYMK and using the better curves tools.
> 
> Anyway, I'm just starting with this software.  Any tips would 
> be most appreciated.
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com