Digital BW, The Print

Thank you Paul for this answer a few weeks back, it was very helpful,
and clear ... so now i have another newbee question :-) I have
Photoshop Elements - that does not appear to have "curves" 

you said

>Again, it is controlled by Photoshop image adjustment curves
> being applied to an RGB version of your file.

and the faq on the inksupply.com has a workflow that is for Adobe
Photoshop (not elements) that assumes that you have curves - 

Is there a plug in, that would allow the use of the curves that you've
developed for the epson printer for black and white prints? Or, is
there another option? 

thanx

Altaf 

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark"
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> 
> 
> >Ok,so i'm gonna get the epson 1280, and am trying to find out the best
> >way to get good quality black and white - ...
> >But I'm a bit confused, on which quadtone to get, and
> >what the differences are...
> 
> >From the inksupply.com - I see that a couple of options are
> >availaible: one is variable mix quadtones,
> 
> MIS VM was the original variable-tone/mix "quad" (B&W) inkset.  What
this
> means is the tone/hue can be either warm, neutral or cold. 
Photoshop curves
> applied to an RGB version of your grayscale file control the inks
and are
> available free on the MIS website (inksupply.com), in the Files section
> here, or from me or others.
> 
> The MIS Ultra Tone inkset is the new version of the MIS VM inkset. 
It is
> more lightfast, does not warm up significantly with light exposure
(which
> the older quads do), is RC paper compatible (when a "Photo" black ink is
> used), and has a potential for warmer images than the MIS VM inkset.
> 
> > and the other full spectrum,
> 
> The FS inksets are Piezo-driver-compatible inksets that comes in either
> medium-warm or neutral-cool versions.  It is a monotone with no
variability
> (aside from the slight differences one gets by using different
papers).  The
> FS-E series is the same ink but geared to the Epson driver and RGB
curves
> for controlling it.   The FS-N (neutral-cool) inkset was the first
> non-warming quad, and was really made for the purpose of being the
base gray
> ink in the VM-S inkset.
> 
> > and then there is Sepia tone
> 
> The MIS VM-S is a variable-tone/mix inkset that has a range of
neutral to
> sepia.  As noted above, it uses the FS-N as the base ink and then has a
> sepia toner.  Again, it is controlled by Photoshop image adjustment
curves
> being applied to an RGB version of your file.
> 
> >... how do I decide what to get?
> 
> What tone/hue do you like to print?  I personally like neutral for my
> landscapes, and warm for reproducing old photos, "southwest" type
images,
> old barns, etc.  In mixed media competitions, I've found that the
sepia tone
> holds up better next to color paintings.  So, the variable-tone
option has
> appealed to me due to its flexibility.
> 
> On the warm end, the sepia is about twice are warm as the UT with
the warm
> curve.  However, for old photo reproductions, the purists who want
the best
> lightfastness and archival stability will want pure carbon.  The
sepia toner
> has yellow and magenta pigments in it that are not as good as
carbon.  So
> the UT with the warm curve is essentially pure carbon warm.  So, for
a warm
> tone that is the most stable, the UT inkset is much better than the VM-S
> inkset.  (I've also made a pure carbon 1280 inkset aimed specifically at
> genealogists and the like.  It requires no special "workflow" [curves,
> etc.], and will print from any application.)
> 
> Do you like glossy/RC prints?  Frankly, I'm not that impressed with
any of
> the RC papers at this point, but there is no question that for the
deepest
> blacks they are hard to beat.  Only the Ultra Tone ("UT") inkset is RC
> compatible among pigmented quads.  Dyes make better RC prints, but
they fade
> and often have other problems.
> 
> >I'm also assuming that in the 1280 there are two catridges, one black,
> >and the other color? So, if i were to get these catridges - do i get
> >two of the same, put one in the black, and the other in color?
> 
> The 1280 must always have a black cartridge and a "color" cartridge.
 With
> quads, the "color" cartridge contains the lighter gray and, with
> variable-tone inksets, the toner inks.
> 
> Since I did a lot of the design work on these inksets, I may be a bit
> biased. (I do not receive royalties -- just free MIS supplies.  I
make these
> inksets because I want them for my own use or for others who have a
specific
> need for an ink that does not exist yet.)
> 
> However, for what it is worth, I recommend the Ultra Tone inkset
with the
> Eboni black.  This inkset is 100% pigment, very lightfast, stable, and
> flexible.  The black & gray inks are carbon-based, and the toner is pure
> pigment -- no dyes in this inkset.  I have made curves for the UT
inkset and
> the 1280, which is what I'm now using.
> 
> Some like a darker black than the carbon-pigment Eboni.  However,
the darker
> blacks have dye in them that will cause the black to warm and fade.  I'd
> stick with Eboni, which I find to be plenty black.
> 
> Enjoy your digital B&W journey.
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com