Digital BW, The Print

Hi Bruce


> From: btvarner <btvarner@...>
 
> The two or three great threads going on now are wonderful but I am
> losing track.  I find myself unable to remember which subject is
> being discussed in which email.  What applies to which printer, to
> which ink set, to which operating system, to glossy or matte, to
> spray or glop, to which printers can glop????

Know how you feel

 
> With my hat humbly in my hand I have some questions:
> 

> 1) Could someone with intimate subject knowledge of large
> threads sometimes periodically provide a summary if they are so
> inclined? (The thrust of a given thread sometimes moves from one
> subject line to another & hard to follow from beginning to end.)

Probably a good idea but some of the threads on development issues are fast
moving and inconclusive by nature as we collectively explore new notions and
ways of doing things.  The current QTR Matte/Photo discussion is a key
development made by Roy and stems from a long discussion had quite some time
ago about managing the (rather large, in the case of matte paper)
compression of tonal range that must occur from image file (a range of
possible values from pure black to pure white) to print (dMin to dMax).  QTR
and any RIP that linearizes Lab values (L) straight lined this compression
without regard to the image content.  A good way to think about it is to
draw a chart which has its x axis 0-255 (8 bit) and L on the y axis ie
0-100.  Pure Lab space would be a straight line up from 0 (black) at 0 to
100 at 255 (white).  If one has another linear line but the best white is,
say, L=96 and the best black is, say, L=16 (roughly matte paper) you can see
the two colour spaces are very different - the latter is generally lighter
and lacks contrast (slope).  In order to get the same relative "look" in the
print, people had to construct various arbitrary "s curves" in their images
to increase contrast.  If you think about it, the net result from screen or
image file to print was then the collective impact of the mapping to the
flatter print space (pixels with value 0 are printed at 16, values of 100 at
96 etc) and the s curve.  We also had to use soft proofs to check the
results of our work.  A bit messy.

In a colour managed world we have the use of colour engines and various
intents which can automate on a much more sophisticated basis this necessary
tonal compression.  Roy has managed to find a way to make use of this
existing technology.  Specifically he uses Perceptual Intent (with Black
Point Compensation) to manage the compression (as we would in a colour
managed world).  Very cool.  Arguably better and easier proofing and no more
(or certainly less) arbitrary s curves.

The workflow is essentially the same for Mac and OC (on any printer) except
for the last step.  Because PC QTR uses don't use PS to print they can't use
PS to do the last colour conversion "on the fly" at the print stage.  They
must do this manually (converting the document profile) and save the file as
a tiff, reopening the file in the print software.

> 
> 2)Does anyone know of a "dictionary of terms" on the web for the
> acronyms used in this newsgroup?

I don't think this exists but please feel free to ask about any terms.  Keep
reading the posts and you will find you come up the curve quickly.

> 
> 3)Can an Epson 2200 use glop (gloss optimizer)?  What ink set
> companies provide this option?

Any printer can use glop or any other inkjetable substance IF you have the
software to drive the ink jets and the cartridges to put the glop in.  QTR
allows you to precisely control the individual ink slots.  Cartridges are
available from KIS for the 21/2200 which are initially empty - you can load
them with whatever you want.  Think of QTR as simply a tool to say to the
printer "spray from that cartridge at this rate when receiving this image
value".
 
> 4)Can Epson Premium Semimatte (or Semigloss or Luster) be used on an
> Epson 2200?  Then sprayed with PremierArt Print Shield?

Yes.  The 2200 can take most (if not all) of the papers discussed in this
forum.  Some papers are better than others and in many instances a paper
will perform better with a particular ink.
> 
> 5)Does PremierArt Print Shield increase the dmax of a print on the
> Semimatte paper?  If as I believe, the answer is yes, does this
> improvement occur with the standard Epson pigment inks or should one
> of the aftermarket inks (MIS, etc.) be used?

I think the answer is a little.  I think your choice of inks is better
determined by other factors than whether you will spray.  For example do you
want to move to a dedicated B&W ink set?
> 
> 6)I have been using QTR & have enjoyed it.  The version I am running
> is an older non-gui version for Windows.   1st, how do I tell what
> version I am now running?  2nd, is the end product (the print) better
> now using the newest version or is it just easier to use?  So many
> improved versions have come out in the last several weeks that I have
> stayed on the sidelines rather then upgrade with every version.
> 

I am not a PC user but I think you would be well advised to update as there
have been big advancements in the PC version recently - and more to come
shortly.  The Mac version is more static.  You should definitely take
advantage of Roy's new Perceptual Intent workflow and Lab Gray work space -
see his website for more info.


Hope this helps.  Keep asking questions!

Steve