Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "brinkker2000" 
<stevebrink@m...> wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm a big fan of BO printing because it works,and because I prefer 
to 
> snap the shutter instead of sitting in front a computer making 
> tweaks.  As an engineer I get sick of tweaking! 

I'm also an engineer (in image processing, no less!) and I agree with 
you that tweaking is for anal retentives.

That said, I did a disturbing experiment with BO printing.  I 
personally find the dots and mid-tone coarseness annoying but many 
people don't.  So I preinted some BO images and also printed some 
REALLY TINY text - just at the limit of what someone with good close-
up vision can see.  I asked people to evaluate the images and also to 
read the text.   I did this experiment on two groups of subjects:  co-
workers (scientists and engineers) and a group of musician friends of 
my wife (a pianist).

There was no difference between the groups - both had some people who 
liked the BO printing and some who founds the dots/coarseness 
annoying.   But here's the thing:  The people who DIDn"T like it were 
the ones who could read the text - the people who DID like it could 
NOT read the text.   The experiment confirmed what I have long 
suspected -  that people who like BO printing don't have good closeup 
vision.  A new pair of glasses could ruin some previously nice 
prints. 

I still think BO printing is good for REALLY BIG prints that are 
viewed from a distance.   But I don't think it's a general solution 
for prints of all sizes.


> In the same vein, I've seen custom color printer profiles using 
> Gretag equipment which provides quite neutral B&W prints, and it's 
> nearly as easy as hitting the Print button.  My local shop will 
> profile 6 papers for $250.  So you get results at fair price with 
no 
> hassle.  I'm wondering what y'all think of this approach as 
compared 
> to other seemingly more complicated options, an albeit,I guess 
better 
> results, but at what cost in time...? 

Profiles can't fix metamerism because they can't change the driver's 
selection of inks.