Digital BW, The Print

Dimitri wrote, in part:

>* ... what should I use to make sure
>* what I'm seeing on my screen matches the print as
>* closely as possible?

Martin wrote, in part:

>First you have to start with a calibrated monitor.
>These means creating a monitor profile which is
>best done with something like ColorVision's OptiCal
>or PhotoCal software with their Spider color sensor.
>...

Or, if you're as cheap as I am, you just use the Adobe Gamma procedure (in
the Control Panel for Windows 98).  When I match the gray bars, I find it
useful to blur my eyes.

Then to get the monitor image to match the print, I used the Photoshop 6
preview feature/procedure.  A very good description of it has been done by
Tyler Boley at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/piezography3000/message/17849

This procedure uses the Edit, Color settings to make a custom dot gain
curve, and saves the curve in a manner that it can be used in a View, Proof
Setup preview system that does not alter the working space and affect the
RGB values when the image is converted to RGB for printing.

Here is the guts of Tyler's post:

"1) Open the file, go to image/ mode/ assign profile, select "don't
color manage this document".
2) Go to edit/ color settings. Check Advanced Mode, check preview. At
working spaces, scroll gray up to "custom dot gain".
3) Adjust the curve so that the image on the monitor matches your
print, name the curve in the space provided. Click OK.
4) You should now see your curve as the gray working space, click on
it and scroll up to save gray, it should automatically
have selected your colorsync profile folder on the Mac, no idea
where it goes on a PC, hopefully PS automatically brought up the
right location by default. No need to rename it, save.
5) You should now still have the color settings box open, don't hit
ok! Hit cancel so all you working spaces will remain as
before, this new curve will only be used for preview.
6) Go to View/ Proof setup/ Custom. Scroll down to the bottom, your
new curve should be there, select it. Check "preserve
Color Numbers", unlike previewing with color profiles. Hit ok."

The only thing I recommend in addition to this procedure is to record a
Photoshop "Action" so that the preview/monitor profiling steps become a
simple, single-keystroke function (a function key on my PC was designated).
That makes the procedure easy to apply to images after they are opened.

I use variable-tone inksets and find that having the monitor hue match the
print is unnecessary.  We're talking about subtle B&W color biases.  I find
small proof prints are where I make all my final decisions.  I can't imagine
I'd ever go to a large display print on cotton paper before doing 8x10
proofs on EAM.  So, I find the manual procedure just outlined to be more
than adequate to get first rate B&W prints.

But, of course, for those who like the ultimate there is always more that
can be done.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com