Digital BW, The Print

OK, so after some horrid B&W output I figured out how to use the Epson "in 
the box" profiles to make some pretty darn nice B&W prints (for you purists out 
there who think I am not, I also have a 2200 about to get UT-7's, a C82 
EZ-UTFSN glossy setup, an 860 with Piezo, and a 7500 with UT-1). There is more than 
one way to do Black and White, so I'm trying them all.

Instead of using Custom/Advanced/No Color Adj. in the Epson driver with the 
Atkinson profile applied in QImage or Adobe PS Prints space, you MUST use the 
Printer Color Management setting in PS Print space, select the 
Custom/Advanced/ICM setting. The 4000 Epson driver will automatically apply the right profile 
in concert with the paper selection matching the paper used.

Printing out various step wedges, there are no obvious "color warbles" 
(Atkinson term) in the output. All in all, pretty good B&W in using only what comes 
in the Epson box with Epson papers. Certainly ver saleable to portrait clients.

The steps hit visual Dmax at about 93%, so the Roark Curves/UT-x solutions 
are still better there, as well as the Piezography ICC or Export driver. YMMV.

Oh, by the way, it makes great color out of the box also using the same 
methods.

RIPS are looking like less of a necessity these days, but still offer many 
choice benefits.

Claude Jodoin
Tech. Editor, Rangefinder.


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