Digital BW, The Print

One more thing. This means some of those old papers, which failed on the
blacks, might have new life.

Todd

> Here I go, answering myself, as usual. Okay, after I wrote the stuff below I
> happened two print two grayscales which overlapped, and sure enough, max
> black was denser where the two overlapped. So I tried it on an image that
> has some large black expanses - the one I used for the first piezo exchange
> in fact. Yes, rather noticeable difference.
> 
> Ya hearin' me Jerry? BLACKER BLACKS! Perfect registration on my 1160 with
> the paper guide set just snug.
> 
> It's all in the right mask. Where you allow the overprint to cut off, and
> curtail spill-over into unwanted areas. I happen to like masks, but for
> those who don't, but like good blacks, this might be reason enough to pull
> that PS book off the shelf for review. ;-)
> 
> Todd
> 
> 
>> Well, I got the feeling if the print were being back-lit the extra density
>> would have made a difference, but once enough is put down to be opaque over
>> the paper, the only way at that point to increase depth would be to add
>> gloss, to change it's reflectivity. What was happening in my case was that
>> the more tones of "black" I included in my image, the more they blocked up,
>> and detail was lost, yet just hitting the true blacks with a second pass was
>> too minimal to matter.
>> 
>> 
>>> Todd, I've also noticed that SOME times you can indeed get a perfect
>>> registration. I couldn't hardly believe it. It sure is odd you didn't
>>> get any denser blacks with a second pass. Guess the ink was really black,
>>> no?
>>> 
>>> J
>> 
>>> 
>>> Todd Flashner wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Regarding multiple passes of the same sheet on a press, I did try running a
>>>> print through my 1160 twice to try to lay down a denser black. First I ran
>>>> the print through as normal, then I made a mask which allowed for printing
>>>> only of the lower values of the print. I wanted to leave the mid tones and
>>>> highlights alone on the 2nd pass, but double up the blacks. Good news and
>>>> bad. Good: perfect registration (if anyone is going to try this I recommend
>>>> you do immediately successive passes on the same printer, so that the paper
>>>> guide and everything is exactly as it was on the first pass. Bad: no
>>>> visible
>>>> density difference. Now if I did two passes over the entirety of the print
>>>> it'd double the density, and the whole print would be (was) a stop darker,
>>>> but by just doubling up the blacks *I* did not see the benefit.
>>>> 
>>>> Oh well...
>>>> 
>>>> Now, if you could/can get exact registration on two printers you could do
>>>> some very interesting toning effects by printing colors over quads, for
>>>> instance. Not that any one should want to, but it does make for some
>>>> interesting possibilities.
>>>> 
>>>> Todd