Digital BW, The Print

Have you by any chance, Murray, printed any step tests with_out_ 
curving the image file at all?

When I first put the VM Sepia-Neutral ink set in one of my 1160s, I 
printed (on EAM) Paul's then relatively new 21-step test file five 
times. Once with each of the four curves on purpose. And once by 
mistake with no curve at all.

All five looked good to me except that only on the mistake was the 
darkest step obviously darker than the next-to-last step. The mistake 
also printed lighter than the other four, curved files did. And in 
warmth the mistake was in between the two curves which lie in the 
middle between sepia and neutral.

When these warm-and-light traits are welcome, I often print with no 
curve. And in addition to better shadows, I sometimes also get more 
fine detail, e.g., in grasses, twigs, etc. But when printing without 
a curve from a "real" RGB file (not a GS file converted to RGB), I 
also get more color in the print that I would have thought the S-N 
ink jet could produce. Sometimes I like it; sometimes I don't.

Good as they sometimes are, I wouldn't want to be restricted to 
un-curved prints. But if it works for you, it might help you get some 
prints done while you sort out why the curves don't help.

Sam


>RE: [Digital BW] More on 'posterization again'
>
>This is going back to the above thread.
>
> I have printed out the 100 step greyscale wedge (Alex Pettit from
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/Image%2
>0processing/ ) on my 1270 loaded with a new set of VMS inks in a CIS
>onto Epson Archival matte paper. I had areas of my prints with no detail
>that is clearly there on my file. It was in areas from approx 50 to 100
>in the info pallet. This is confirmed on my printout of the above
>mentioned greyscale wedge. There is NO visual differentiation between
>any individual squares between 54 and 99 (info pallet) on the greyscale
>wedge that I printed out. I also scanned the greyscale wedge printout
>and checked it out with the dropper (3x3 sample) in Photoshop as well
>and it confirms the same.
>
> What is going on here? I can't see anyone being happy with this lack of
>detail and the posterized look that results. Is there a possibility that
>the curves are corrupted or something? Can the curves be adjusted to fix
>this? I just cannot see that Paul would have been happy with these
>results in the first place, therefore something must not be right.
>
>My settings in Photoshop 7:
>
>Working Space: Adobe RGB
>Gray: Gray Gamma 2.2
>Print Space: Printer Color Management
>
>I am following to the letter Paul's instructions for his curves.
>
>I am using an Epson 1270 with the proper 1270 curve (vm70-NCA-w1) and
>printing on Epson Archival Matte paper.
>
>Driver settings:
>Matte Paper - Heavyweight
>1440 dpi
>High Quality Halftoning
>Microweave on
>High Speed off
>No Color Adjustment
>
>I have perfect nozzle checks as well.

["Murray Zaharia" <zaharia@...>]