Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, hogarth
<hogarth@s...> wrote:
> On Thu, 2004-03-04 at 20:12, jerdiakiw wrote:
...
> Quadtone is a term that refers to an inkset that is four different
> dilutions of the same black ink. Black, dark gray, middle gray, light
> gray.

May I elaborate a bit? I think the concept has evolved a bit from the
original 3000 4 ink printers quads were developed on, next the 1160
printers. They were indeed 4 ink printers, and the scale was
partitioned into 4 tonal zones to send to those inks. Now we have 6
and 7 ink systems that to me are still quadtones, because of the
technique. For example I have a seven ink printer, and depending on
what I want to achieve may use from four up to all seven inks, yet
they are still quadtones to me.
This is because of the tonal partitioning technique, four tonal areas.
Which, or how many, inks I assign to any of those areas is user
adjustable. Also, a simple example is what the older Piezograpgy
system did with the 6 ink printers, it assigned two ink tanks to the
same tonal area, twice, still quadtones.
Another example being the Small Gamuts, four inks but no partitioning,
not Quadtones.
Following that logic, today there are many other systems, some I would
refer to as tritones with an additional toner ink, or two. Even more
variations on theses approaches are being used.
Some don't agree with me, the obvious being the Septone system, named
because of seven inks. But they are still partitioned into four tonal
areas, and appropriate inks assigned to those areas in ways adjustable
by the user. But they choose to call them Septones not Quadtones.
Also, offset press clearly calls xxxtones by the number of inks, period.
It could be that the Quadtone name has faded into irrelevance, but
that's how I keep my head around it.
Tyler