Digital BW, The Print

Good news everyone! (to quote Futurama): 
the new Darkroom Range Gloss Paper that Lyson introduced recently will soon be 
available in large sizes all the way up to full sheets. 
Coupled with their range of monochrome inksets, this promises to be the closest to a 
darkroom silver print yet. Having it available in large sizes makes it a serious 
contender for exhibition prints.

The samples I have seen were printed with the OS X version of IJC/OPM using a 
number of different Lyson mono inksets from warm through neutral and cold. The 
paper surface was absolutely smooth, no bronzing or differenciation between heavyly 
inked and lightly inked regions. The semi gloss finish looks much like the air-dried 
fiber darkroom print many have been looking to duplicate in digital. To my eye it 
looks like a far better match than the new Oriental paper which is just too glossy 
(closer to an RC glossy). The extra heft and feel of the paper backing is also 
reminiscent of exhibition grade papers that used to be only available in the 
darkroom.  The new Lyson paper is of the swellable polymer technology which also 
has the effect of protecting the ink by enveloping it.  Dmax can hit somewhere out in 
2.7 territory. 

The one downside is that this paper takes an unusually long time to dry and some 
users may find they need to raise the front rollers of the 2200 to avoid marks. 

The other issue that I am sure will be on the mind of many is the dye vs pigment 
debate. In this regard, it would be useful to read the current article in Photo 
techniques, written by the President of Lyson USA. Since the author is obviously 
affiliated with this product line, this may seem biased to many. However, some 
arguments seem to make sense regardless of perpective:
- Lyson dyes are the ones associated with the most widely accepted digital fine art 
prints (known as Iris or giclee prints). Their core technology has been around longer 
than pigments and has a record of stability over the last 15 years or so.
- Wilhelm has given high ratings to these dyes when used with Lyson's papers.

That last point is important: Lyson dyes need a different coating than pigments and 
even if manufacturers like Hahnemuhle make papers for Lyson, the result is not a 
simple rebranding but a version of the paper that has been coated with chemistry 
developed by Lyson specifically for their own inks. So, while it is true that the same 
inkset can be used for either matte or glossy (without the hassle of the dual black), 
any archival claims only hold true with Lyson papers. This may or may not be a 
limitation for some users, but it's worth remembering when committing a printer to 
these dyes.

My sense is that probably pigments in the long run will outlast dyes by a small 
margin. Unless I see a side by side fade test I wouldn't know for sure. But the thinking 
is that slightly shorter longevity may be a worthwhile tradeoff for the surface and look 
of these glossy prints. I wouldn't bet on a glossy paper/pigment combination coming 
out soon that circumvents the usual surface problems (bronzing etc)  - at least not 
without the hassles of coating. 

One thing is for sure: these dyes are not in the same class as the infamous dyes that 
Epson was marketing up to the introduction of the UC inks. It may be time to re-
evaluate the belief that _any_ pigments are absolutely superior to _any_ dyes. 

Another issue that users will have to decide for themselves is metamerism. I didn't 
see any with the sets I looked at but also didn't try all possible light sources. I found 
it reasuring that the inksets were not made up of colored dyes mixed to produce 
gray. Instead there is basically a warm and a cool gray dye which when mixed 
together produce the neutral set. Lyson is currently working on how best to take 
advantage of the 6-, 7- and 8- position printers to offer sets that can shift from 
neutral to either warm or cool. 

Which brings us to another topic: the sets are not likely to have a "toner" in the sense 
of an extreme warm or extreme cool ink intended to run over the whole grayscale. A 
user who wants extreme sepia - or other unusual  color shifts - would have to seek 
out other inksets (UC, UT etc) perhaps coupling gray dilutions with primary colors 
(like in a 2200, or better yet a 4000). 

The nice thing about monochrome insets that offer a single hue per set (warm, cool 
etc) is that (a) they are easier to profile without running into crossovers and (b) they 
don't depend on our eye to mix together dots of relatively bright colors to make up 
shades of gray, therefore opening up the door to metamerism.  But many may choose 
to put these technical considerations aside if the "look" they want is only possible 
with color/gray ink combinations.


As for the OS X version of IJC/OPM with which all these tests were run : I am told from 
Bowhaus that those who buy the OS 9 version will receive the current beta of the OS X 
version free of charge. It is officially still in beta, but runs just fine in my tests. It 
seems that the beta status is just a formality until official release. There are probably 
nooks and crannies in there that haven't been tested yet, but if you just want to 
profile and make prints with no size limit all the way up to the 9xxxx size printers, 
you won't be dissappointed. Considering the cost of RIPs for large formats, this offer 
would seem like quite a bargain.


The OS X version is not your grandfather's IJC either (!!). Here are the highlights of the  
new features (since OS 9) :

- Fixed the 36" print length limit when printing to roll-capable machines like the 7/
9xxxx class.
- Allows inks to be easily controlled across a grayscale by using sliders, though the 
option of using curves with points remains (for more flexibility in some situations). 
-Allows the user to linearize using a scanner (an instrument is more accurate  but 
now optional)
- Can linearize to any gamma chosen via slider (previous version was locked to 1.8)
- Can import density readings as a text file which simplifies linearization for those 
who have access to any instrument that can dump the numbers into a spreadsheet.
-Runs the 76/9600 printers.
-Can save the job settings which includes everything on the front panel of OPM for a 
given picture.

Carried over from the previous version, OPM continues to offer the Blender feature  
which allows on-the-fly blending betweeen 2 profiles.

Also worth noting is that, much like the OS 9 version, installation under OS X is a 
simple drag and drop of a single folder into the Applications. This folder only needs 
to contain IJC, OPM and a folder containing the profiles. OPM is not dependent on 
other system-level drivers to run.

Some limitations of IJC/OPM: 
- unlike a RIP, it won't allow impositions or qeuing of jobs. Only one picture can be 
brought in at a time
- no postscript option is available
- You can only make one copy at a time (per hit of the Print button). 


To get the current beta after purchasing the OS 9 version, please inquire at
software@...

To find out when Lyson papers and inks become available in the US you may check 
with  www.photofile-ink.com

The Lyson site is at: www.lyson.com

My usual disclaimer applies: I have no financial interest or other business ties with 
these products. I have only been a beta tester and consultant since the inception of 
IJC and remain an enthousiastic supporter and end-user. 
The information presented here about Lyson products is the result of a recent 
meeting with Tony Martin, President of Lyson USA.




Antonis


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IJC = InkJetControl
OPM = OpenPrintmaker

UC = UltraChromes
UT = UltraTones