Digital BW, The Print

Steve,

>...
>I am using UT2 in a 1290 printer (using a 1280 driver ...

I've now tried and seen comparisons of the 1290 and 1280 drivers in the
1290, and I don't see enough difference to worry about which one you use.
The samples I've seen mostly look good.

> ...the results so far have been excellent. No fading or metamerism!

>What I would like to do is modify the curves, but I have no idea how...

MIS once had Dirk Hobman's tutorial in the "What's New" section of the MIS
website.  However, that has been re-done (so everything is mixed up from
what I can see).

Dirk, are you lurking?

>I am particularly interested in making split tone curves, where the
>highlights are one tone and the shadows are another. In the darkroom I
>am fond of cold shadows and very slight sepia in the highlights. Is
>there any way I can replicate this using the curves?

Yes.  I usually use a 2-image split-tone technique.  That way I can control
very accurately where the tones are.  So, it's more than just a
highlight/shadow differentiation.

One could, however, make a curve that had relatively cold shadows and warm
highlights.

With matte paper, the warm matte black will ultimately give you a warm 100%
& 95% -- and somewhat higher up depending on the inkset.

With the UT2 and UT7 inksets and glossy paper, you can go cold all the way
down.  Those inksets use the dark cold and dark warm gray inks together to
make the 100% black.  The best black is not necessarily with both the Red
and Green curves all the way down.  Either one can be pulled up to about 35
and, in some cases, not only give tone ("hue") control, but also result in a
deeper black.  

(Carbon black is not necessarily the deepest or best-looking black.  I
suspect Epson might also be using the color inks in the R800 in combination
with the black ink.)

>Another thing I would like to do is get a cold toned print on glossy
>paper. Is there a way to do this with curves? I am using eboni ink ...

Now your talking -- cold glossy prints.  I'm making those curves for the
UT7, and I think they look great.  

At least for practice, use Epson Glossy Photo Paper (cheap but very good).
I recommend using this paper as a standard and starting place.  Its
artifact-free surface is really easy to deal with.  No spray is needed to
reduce the bronzing or protect an overly-sensitive surface, as is found on
most other glossy papers.  

(I think it is the older & dye-compatible technology of the Glossy Photo
Paper gives it characteristics that are very helpful for the MIS B&W
pigments.  The newer microporous-coating papers may be great for color
gamut, but they may have made the wrong compromises for B&W pigments.  This
is even more true for the 2200, which can pump more ink onto the Glossy
Photo Paper than the newer papers can handle.)

Open a 21-step test file, convert it to RGB, and paste it to the top of a
black 8x10 as a layer.

Apply the UT2-GlossyPP-Eboni-Neutral curve to the 21-step image.  Pull the
Red curve (cyan, cold ink) down, toward the dark end of the vertical axis
about 20 - 25 units at the middle (127) and top quarter (191).  Do the
opposite with -- push up -- the Green curve at those points about 20 - 25.
Do the same at in the shadows with about a 10 - 15 unit moves at 63 and less
as you work your way to the bottoms of the Red & Green curves.  You can make
the deep shadows deeper and even pull the Green curve off the bottom by up
to 35 to cool the 100% ink patch. 

You'll get the hang of it after printing some test strips (7 per 8x10) and
seeing what the curves changes do.

You can just visually compare and adjust the curves to fine-tune them.  

Print a 21-step test file with an existing curve for reference.

Good luck.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 

For UT2 information, curves, and settings see:
http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/