Digital BW, The Print

Thank you Tyler, that was very helpful.  Being new to digital, just 
having aquired a grasp of color management, I suddenly found myself 
in a new area where my knowledge was close to zero, and I obviously 
interpreted some of your comments incorrectly.  Thanks for clearing 
things up.

Mike


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Tyler Boley" 
<tyler@t...> wrote:
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Mike Botelho"
> <mfractl@h...> wrote:
> > 
> > As I've mentioned, I'm deciding on my digital switch-over, and I 
am 
> > fairly new to the subject of RIPs, though, as I said, I have a 
demo 
> > copy of StudioPrint waiting for when I get my printer.  Sounds 
like 
> > it's something I may want to at least try, since trying it out is 
> > free.  I wasn't really thinking of RIPs as being usable with 3rd 
> > party inks,
> 
> using 3rd party inks is one of the main reasons might chose to use a
> RIP, since linearization and profiling is so controlable. These
> abilities "may" be less necessary with the Epson ink and driver the
> printer was designed for.
> 
> ...one but, as yet, I'm not very familiar with the Cone inks and 
> > everything that accompany them.  I assume that they can be used 
with 
> > StudioPrint due to the profiles you mentioned, correct?
> 
> No, linearization for quad printing in StudioPrint or other
> RIPs/drivers designed to optimize quad printing is different than 
icc
> profiling. Though IJM is aparently coming out with a stripped down
> version of StudioPrint with supplied environments (linearizations).
> The profiles I mentioned were for color, and access the Epson
> screening. There is no way it can be less inferior to the Epson 
driver
> in this sense, since it IS the Epson screening. However, this is 
only
> for color, individual ink control necessary for critical quad work 
is
> not possible using Epson's proprietory screening (at least for 3rd
> parties) so other impressive screenings are available in the RIP 
when
> in Quad made.
> 
> >  Having just 
> > gotten a handle on calibration and profiling in regard to color 
> > management, I'm totally ignorant on how this relates to B&W.  I 
> > wasn't aware that profiles could be done for B&W printing, but, 
like 
> > I said, this is unknown territory for me.
> 
> They are not the same. Color icc profiling is 3 dimensional in a
> sense, quad linearization is 2 dimensional, density adjustments 
only.
> It is not a color management workflow.
> 
> >  I suppose I should spend 
> > some time and look into the Cone system also.
> 
> StudioPrint IS the current recommended Cone system. If you go to 
IJM's
> site, you'll even see a step by step guide to how linearization is
> done in StudioPrint.
>  
> > Well, it's definitely seeming that B&W digital is very much like 
B&W 
> > from the (wet) darkroom in the sense that it may look like a 
simple 
> > process on the surface yet is a complex task to accomplish with 
> > finesse.
> 
> I don't think it's even simple on the surface, don't trust anyone
> telling you anything about it is simple, or economical. Be ready 
for a
> big commitment and many decisions to make.
> Tyler