Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Roy Harrington"
<roy@h...> wrote:

> Tyler, since you've picked the dot gain 20% for your linearized
system.
> I'm wondering how that compares with linear Lab.  For instance, on
> one step wedge I have:  0 step = 97 L, 50 step = 57 L, 100 step =17
L.
> So the 50 step is right in the middle.   What would your system
give?

                                L          A           B
PaperWhite    98.3     0.1       1.4
50%gray          61.1     1.1       6.5
InkBlack           14.3     0.4    -1.6

I've included the a and b because this was from a linearization of my
warmest ink on a warm paper, and as you know accurate density is best
determined from spectral data. Since I don't have the spectral data
and real density for you the a and b is just to indicate the situation
though it may not be relevant. I am reconfiguring my printer and
haven't finished. Relinearizing the more neutral options on a whiter
paper, which might be a better comparison, is far from done. These
inks really settle in, dry down and get richer over a period of days
so all this takes time.
Anyway, dinking around in Photoshop and resetting these end points
seems to put my middle gray at around L 56, so I am printing lighter
than you.
These dot gain selections in StudioPrint are badly named, gamma would
probably have been a better choice. Dot gain is a very specifically
defined phenomena that occurs with ink on paper, and as we know a lot
of hoops have been hopped through to get a handle on it
mathematically. You can do things to try to offset it before printing
in a file, but it only occurs on paper during printing. It's not
really something you add with density adjustments. Just splitting
hairs here, but it adds to the confusion a it.
Don't know if the above contributes to the thread, but there we are.
Tyler