Digital BW, The Print

Martin,
You are right that my skill level has definitely not caught up with 
what I'd love to see on paper. For sure I cannot blame poor tools or 
materials for not being able to bend the materials & craft a fine  
print There is much to learn! Ive tried the auto levels/curves that 
Jerry has suggested but usually find that using the droppers and 
shaping a curve or sliding the levels gets me closer. Even with a 
black point set, I just always seem to be fighting against a 
blah 'flatness'/'evenness'/'muddyness' - perhaps it's worse when I 
apply a stronger col tone curve (sepia>neutral mis inkset)- maybe the 
toner ink col fills in more than just the density required i.e. it 
adds col tone density plus the basic density value ? Not sure if that 
statement/question makes sense ? 
Frank
btw my daughter is in the finishing stages of putting together a 
webpage for me - i invite you all to have a look at
www.frankgross.com


> Frank,
> 
> That is pretty hard to answer. I think we all struggle getting just 
the
> right combination of adjustments to get that "snap". It is 
difficult in the
> darkroom and in digital. It can take awhile in either medium. So it 
could be
> a craft and skill issue. If you don't feel this is the case, then 
try
> different curves or combine curves (two curve adjustment layers with
> different curves and adjust the opacity of the top layer).
> 
> Other than that you can try different papers or inks.
> 
> Kind of hard to say. By muddy is the overall contrast weak? A lack 
of local
> contrast? Is it in a particular tonal range?
> 
> Martin Wesley
> 
> http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "frankg_photo" <frank@f...>
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y...>
> Sent: Saturday, August 10, 2002 9:35 PM
> Subject: [Digital BW] prints looking "muddy"
> 
> 
> > 1160 with MIS sepia>neutral inkset on EAM & Paul's curves.
> >
> > I just cant get "snap" & "sparkle" into my prints. They tend to be
> > too "flat" I don't really know how else to describe it.
> >
> > I'm using curves and/levels to set black points & white and 
adjusting
> > the midtones, highlights & shadows - and it looks good on the 
monitor
> > (Win98SE) but not on the print. So I go back after seeing a print 
and
> > make levels or curves adjustments to compensate, but I just cant 
get
> > there.
> >
> > Is this something everyone fights with or is my "profile" 
wrong/bad
> > or ?
> >
> > thanks for ideas,
> > Frank
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, Bookmarks, 
Polls and
> other resources as they are often being updated. The page is at:
> >
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint
> >
> > If you wish to receive no emails or just a daily digest, or you 
wish to
> unsubscribe, please edit your Membership preferences by visiting 
this same
> page.
> >
> > Please follow these basic guidelines:
> > - Include your full name with your message.
> > - Include the address of your website, if you have one.
> > - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier 
messages to keep
> them short.
> > - As the topic of a thread changes remember to change the subject 
header.
> > - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or
> &amp;amp;quot;flames.&amp;amp;quot;
> > - Complete your Yahoo profile.
> > - Before posting a question, search the message archives and the 
various
> resources on the homepage.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to 
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >