Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Ernst Dinkla" 
<E.Dinkla@c...> wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Roy Harrington" <roy@h...>
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 5:32 AM
> Subject: [Digital BW] Re: MIS VM Sepia and QTR
> 
> 
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Roger L
> Sopher"
> > <rlsopher@c...> wrote:
> > > Has anyone had any experience using the MIS variable-sepia
> inkset with QTR?
> > > I have been well satisfied using MIS FSN in a CIS for some
> time but I now
> > > have a number of images that would benefit (I hope) by being
> printed warmer.
> > > I know Paul R's curves will work but I rather am taken by the
> idea of being
> > > able to blend in just a bit or a lot of warm tones which QTR
> should do
> > > easily. Two questions, I guess, With the toner turned off how
> would a print
> > > compare to MIS FSN? and second with the full sepia setting
> just how warm
> > > will it get?
> > >
> > > I suppose the best answer is to let some of the moths out of
> my wallet and
> > > buy a set but being inherently cheap Would like to know
> others experience
> > > before I splurge.
> > >
> > > thanks
> > >
> > > Roger
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Roger L Sopher
> > > rlsopher@d...
> > > http:\\deCorrales.com
> > >
> >
> > Hi Roger,
> >
> > VM-Sepia has been my major inkset for quite a while.  In my
> 1160 I'm
> > using the off-the-shelf set; I've been customizing the set in
> my 7500
> > to fine tune the exact color/tone that I would like.
> >
> > I haven't used FS-N but my understanding is that VM-Sepia grays
> are
> > identical color to the FS-N,  so with no toner you would get
> the same
> > result as using the FS-N inks.  The sepia toner is a very warm
> color so
> > it's possible to go quite warm if that's what you like.  With
> QTR you can
> > go quite a bit more in that direction than Paul Roark's curves.
> >
> > My personal goal has been to introduce a small amount of the
> sepia to
> > neutralize the excessive cold tone (IMO) of the grays.  To my
> eyes, the
> > path from cold grays to warm sepia passes slightly to the
> greenish side
> > so I've customized my sepia toner by adding a lot of magenta
> ink.  In
> > the neutral range I really like the new color, but the strong
> sepia  may
> > be a bit magenta.
> >
> > Roy
> 
> Roy,
> 
> Are you using that toner in the LM channel next to the blue toner
> in the M channel ?  And two B&W printers in QTR that share the
> same port and hardware ?
> 
> Or will it be possible to extend QTR with two toners and a more
> complicated blending of the toners ?
> With one channel not used one starts to fantasize :-)
> 
> Ernst

Ernst,

I'm using the VM-Sepia inkset, so the toner is sepia and the grays are
cool/cold gray.   I've been evolving that setup -- started as K,C,LC,Y are
grays and M,LM are sepia.  My first change was deciding I didn't need the
LM (light sepia) so I thought why not smooth out the gradient so I expanded 
the grays to 5 grays.  Well that worked nicely but the color for neutral was
a little greenish.  I debated on trying to remix all the grays but that seemed
like difficult task to match them all.  I then got the idea to just add the
magenta (anti-green) to the toner.  Now I can get a nice selenium/neutral
tone with the VM-Sepia grays.   The downside is that the full sepia is
a bit too magenta/red.


For the future, I'd really like to get more precise control of the color
and I think the two toner scheme is the best possibility.  I'm thinking of
trying out the ultratone ink set but instead of the blue toner keeping the
magenta and cyan inks separate and mixing them in software i.e. curves.
That way I can vary the M/C mixture so the shadows have more M but the
highlights stay more neutral.

MIS just recently packaged a 2200 ink set where two toners are used but
they are the blue toner and the sepia toner.  I suspect that will be used
more as one or the other for a larger range of colors.  I know one guy
trying this out on a 7500 as well.  For a 7 ink machine you could probably
give up an other gray since they are variable dot size and add the
yellow separate and get any tone you want.

Roy