Digital BW, The Print

Hi Brian,

Since I just started this set up today I can't tell you a great deal. Give me a week. But as for 
soft proofing. I use a Mac in OSX Panther with a calibrated Lacie crt monitor. I have not 
been viewing the color tones on the monitor yet, just the density and contrast. I really 
have never used hue proofing on a monitor for subtle monochrome work. I personally feel 
this is mixing apples( monitor) and oranges( ink on paper). I prefer to do careful print 
tests, catalogue them, and save them to refer to. Ink on paper simply is a different animal 
than mono tones on a monitor. I prefer to work out my color curves, proof them, and 
simply assign that at the time of output.  But I will give this type of  color soft proofing  a 
try. As for judging density and contrast on the screen my results look exactly like the print 
on the monitor. I also have develped a technique over the years where I start out setting 
the midtones of my scans visually on the monitor and then use the info/eye dropper 
density measurements to judge my deep shadows( 5) and highest end values(245). This 
works well for me. Overall using a gamma space of 2.2 on the Mac, my monitor profile 
looks right on in terms of overall tonality with this rip, not light, not dark. But, like I said I 
haven't used the monitor ever to judge monochrome color. To me it is much too subtle a 
process to do that. I judge my test prints in a uniform 5500K diffused flourecent light 
arrangement . Hope this helps. I'll spend a lot of time mixing these curves. It's a whole 
new ball game. But, I'll tell you one thing, I can do an important job tomorrow and feel 
confident that I can nail it. One thing I can say about these 9600 printers, they are all very 
close in tolerance making "generic" profiles really quite good. Thanks for your cool curve 
suggestion. I'll try it.

Best,

John


> 
> Hey John,
> 
> I am using a 9600 and QTR for the last couple of days.  Amazing 
> results. Question for you as we are using presumably similar setups.  
> Are you able to soft proof in PS?  Do you find that the prints that 
> you make at 1440 are dark in relation to your screen (about 2 
> stops)?  I profile with Monaco so I am pretty close on the monitor.  
> Just wondered if you had any words of wisdom with the QTR / 9600 
> combination
> 
> On your question below I love 80%CS/20 N for cool tones but there are 
> a world of possibilities;-)  QTR is an awesome solution to a tough 
> problem!!!
> 
> In terms of ink I assume some Cyan is used as well to cool the tones 
> but I am just speculating.  
> 
> Best regards
> Brian
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "john dean" 
> <deanwork2003@y...> wrote:
> > 
> > I just wanted to thank Roy Harrington once again publicly for all 
> he had done for this 
> > global digital monochrome community. He deservs the engineer of the 
> decade award for 
> > QTR, and the way he had made it available to us so unselfishly. I 
> thought is was cool with 
> > straight quad inksets but with Ultrachrome, I'm amazed.
> > 
> > I set up my new 9600 yesterday and today I did 15 variations of 
> monochrome toning of 
> > one  portrait image on H. Photo Rag. These curves are so easy to 
> use and this interface so 
> > amazingly clear and user friendly I don't know what to say. It took 
> me six months to TRY 
> > to do with the Lyson Small Gamut tonable quad inkset what I did in 
> one hour with 
> > UltraChrome and QTR. And the Lyson tonable system never was 
> satisfactory in regard to 
> > metamerism or color purity.
> > 
> > Everyone of these variations I did this first day with QTR are 
> worthy of putting in a gallery. 
> > None of them are THE one, they all have their own qualities and 
> none by the way have any 
> > noticeable metamerism and with my drum scan I have very nice blacks 
> and subtle high 
> > values. And I've just started.
> > 
> > So far if I have a favourites from one days work the hue curve 
> selections that I like ( today)
> > are -  W 50%/ C 50% for a warm neutral, CS 70% / C 30% for cool 
> neutral, and W/W 100% 
> > for a carbon sepia hue. But there plenty of other combinations that 
> I like as well, such as 
> > the 100% CSel curves he already worked out. I know this took a lot 
> of work from this team 
> > and I just feel so much hope with my vocation when I see someone 
> doing things right that 
> > can make me think more creatively without having to fight the 
> technology.
> > 
> > Does anyone have any personal choices for curve percentages/ paper 
> combinations with 
> > QTR and Ultrachrome? I'm curious what others are doing with this 
> set up. Finally, how 
> > much of this ink is coming out of the color channels? This I am not 
> clear about. I mean 
> > there is no metamerism and I find it hard to belive that I'm 
> getting this subtle of tonal 
> > rendition out of just 2 black channels?
> > 
> > Thanks again,
> > 
> > John