Digital BW, The Print

Frank,

Without your prints in front of me I really don't know where to point you.
You might go back to basics and make the digital equivalent of a straight
print on #2 paper which I do by taking the scan and doing only a levels
adjustment consisting of setting the black and white points just outside the
limits of image information (maybe cheat a little on the black and bring it
into the bottom edge). Then put the file through your printing process and
see what your basic information looks like.

Looking at that "straight print" decide where you want to go with the
overall contrast and brightness. Then do an adjustment using a
Brightness/Contrast layer. This may not be the most sophisticated adjustment
tool but it will be more intuitive to start with. Starting with the
"straight print" file try printing some variations at +/- 10% and 20%
Contrast and Brightness to get a feel for how the results look on paper.

Try ignoring the screen image and make your adjustments based on looking at
the last print and deciding what needs to be done. Just like darkroom work.

The only other thing I can think of is something like the Digital Zone
System software which I have never used myself but a couple of people on the
list who tried it said that it was helpful.
http://www.digitalfilmtools.com/html/ozone.html

Use your website to post scans of the prints that are giving problems and
maybe with a visual image people can offer some advice.

On the VM inks, the toner always gets printed no matter what curve you use.
The curves adjust where in the tone ramp it gets added and how wide. For the
strong color the toner is applied broadly and far up into the high lights
for the weak color or neutral in your case, the toner is buried down in the
deep shadows. The density of the toner is accounted for in the curves. Don't
use the sliders in the driver to adjust the color. Always leave them at
zero.

Your site is looking good and you have some very impressive work in there! I
added a link to your site in the Bookmarks section under Photographers.

Good luck and keep asking questions,

Martin Wesley

http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html



----- Original Message -----
From: "frankg_photo" <frank@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 7:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] prints looking "muddy"


> 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, Bookmarks, Polls and
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> Please follow these basic guidelines:
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> - Include the address of your website, if you have one.
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&amp;amp;quot;flames.&amp;amp;quot;
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