Digital BW, The Print

I am not using the PServer. 

When using PS7 and Win XP after editing an image, this is the workflow I have been trying : 

Print>Name: Stylus RIP>Properties>Paper/Quality Tab>Paper Source: Automatically Select>Color: B&W button chosen>Advanced>Paper Size: A3>ICM Disabled>ICM Intent: Pictures>Scaling 100%>True Type Font: Substitute with Device Font>Advanced Printing Features--Enabled>PostScript Output Option: Archive Format>True Type Font Download Option: Automatic>PostScript Language Level: 1>Send PostScript Error Handler: Yes>Mirrored Output: No> Media Type: Enhanced Matte Paper>Quality: 1440X720>Ink: Greyscale>High Speed: Off>RGB Simulation: Adobe RGB>Greyscale Control: Image>Auto Cut: Off>Borderless: Off>OK

Layout Tab>Orientation>Landscape>Page Order: Front to Back>Pages per Sheet: 1>Advanced>(The same settings as Paper/Quality above)>OK

Then>Control Panel>Printers and Faxes>Device Settings>All Settings are left alone except>Installable Options--Black Ink Combinaton: MatteBK+Light Black>Apply>OK

In addition to myself, a friend who has many years in B&W chemical darkroom and a well-known professional landscape photographer who works in only B&W viewed several of the test prints and found these to very acceptable. These prints were compared to several printed with the "color" button chosen,  black only (with the 2200's driver) and Mr. Schofield's photorealistic method. The ones printed with the Epson RIP with the workflow described above were the unanymous choice.  I looked at the prints with a magnifying glass which did not reveal any dots or lines. The prints were viewed in bright sunlight, natural light indoors and under incandescant light indoors. We could not see any metamerism not matter how we held the pictures in the light. 

When the color button is chosen, the printer is extremely slow. If this weren't the case I would use more trials in this mode.

Viewing pictures with a magnifying glass and every which way under different lighting conditions seem like a strange way to enjoy a photograph. The most difficult challenge after producing a decent picture for me is finding a framing glass that doesn't dull the picture and create too much reflection. :-)

Let me know if you have any questions. I would appreciate your trying the workflow above and having your critique of it. Too, any suggestions for any setting recommendations would be most welcome.

Peter Palmieri

I agree.  That could be part of the problem.  I certainly did not try all
possible settings.  I did try the following beyond DeWolfe's settings.

In the Color Manager dialog:
CMYK: Custom, Icc Profile: -, Color Adjust: -
RGB: Adobe RGB, Icc Profile: EW-Adobe RGB
Media: Enhanced Matte Paper_1440x720, Icc Profile: CPS SP2200 MCMP,
Calibration: -, Paper Configuration: Color density: 100%.

In Print Setting dialog:
Media Quality: Enhanced Matte Paper_1440x720
RGB Simulation: Adobe RGB
CMYK Simulation: Off
Grayscale Control: Image (I also tried Text)
Ink: Color (I also tried Grayscale).
High Speed: unchecked.

Results with ink set to Grayscale were horrible.  The shadows were blocked
up from about 85-100%  I had much better luck with the ink set to Color,
although it still did not give a smooth neutral gray ramp.


> Any comment on the printing time?

Yes, the Epson RIP was much slower than printing with the Epson driver.




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