Digital BW, The Print

I now have a week or so experience with the Epson RIP, I am still at 
a loss with how to set/adjust some of the settings but also was able 
to get things so the prints do look good.  

I use EAM and Matte Black. One need so set the "preferences" for this 
ink (the manual which bears a passing resemblance to the actual 
program seems to say that only Photo Black is supported for the 
2100/2200).  Once set it does not reset.  I found the easiest way to 
bring up these settings is to go the the "Printers and Faxes" section 
of XP "Settings" (not sure where this would be on a MAC) and right 
clicking on the RIP 2200 icon. There is also a way to set the default 
printer settings (the ones that come up during the print driver 
diaglog boxes).  

I also use the "DeWolf" settings.  I tried changing the ink to 
the "color" setting from the "greyscale" setting. Image was more 
contrasty and lighter for the greyscale setting. I tried adjusting 
the tone (color) of the image with PS color balance and on screen 
could get a B&W RGB image to have the tone of a selenium toned print, 
printing it however produced a print with the desired tone, some 
unexpected magents shifts and a significant blocking of the shadows.  

Overall on a XP home computer, using EAM/Matte Black, Setting Matte 
Black in the printer preferences and using the DeWolfe setting 
produces very neutral, slightly warm, prints with a good tonal range 
and detailed shadows. I could still use darker blacks and I would 
still like to know how I might change the ICC profiles assigned to 
specific papers.

Robert




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Kirk Thompson" 
<thompsonkirk@h...> wrote:
> Thanks for a much-needed summary!  Regarding Method 4:
> 
> > 4) Ink: Epson 
> > Driver: Epson RIP
> > Results:  Metamarism is reported to be eliminated, but tonal 
> control 
> > may be very limited.  Epson RIP is expensive ($200), and there 
> is a 
> > software learning curve (documentation?).  A few people have 
> acheived 
> > satisfactory results.
> > 
> I tried this method because it was recommended by George 
> DeWolfe in Camera Arts magazine.  The Mac version of Epson's 
> RIP works only with OS9 (whereas ImagePrint for Mac works 
> only with OS X).  I found the documentation inadequate & the 
> software counter-intuitive, but finally got it going.  I was, 
however,  
> unable to print with all colors, getting quite mottled results at 
that 
> setting - despite DeWolfe's  statement that the color setting 
> worked well for him (from previous articles, I believe he also 
> uses a Mac).  
> 
> What did seem to work was using the black ink setting, which I 
> suspect  kicks in both the matte black (for Enhanced Matte 
> paper) & the light black.  I could find no manual feed setting for 
> this driver, so I couldn't try Velvet Fine Art paper (which is what 
I 
> would've preferred to use).
> 
> The prints on Enhanced Matte were quite luminous, and I got rid 
> of most of the magenta cast of the regular Epson driver.  They 
> are not, however, neutral prints - they're quite warm, rather like 
> darkroom prints on the old Portriga Rapid 111 paper with 
> selenium toner.  The tone isn't adjustable (as on ImagePrint).
> 
> If anyone gets good results with all-color inks and this driver, 
> please let me know - I'd like to figure out what I'm doing wrong! 
> 
> I would suggest that if you use XP or OS X, you'll probably get 
> better results with ImagePrint - another studio in my 
> neighborhood uses a 9600 with ImagePrint, & the results are 
> marvelously neutral, so I suppose the "lite" version for 2200 is 
> worth the money.   
> 
> Kirk
> thompsonkirk@h...