Digital BW, The Print

Steve,

> > I then compared the print to my standard monitor view.  
>>They did not match.
> 
> Yep - they couldn't for no other reason than EEM's black point is way less
> than your monitor (presumably!)

Yes, but it's all relative.  There will never be an absolute match.



> 
> ... Perhaps an easier way is to simply print a step wedge of your
> workspace (no it doesn't matter which one you use so long as you
> understand
> why it looks the way it does) with your normal print curve (eg
> 2200-UT7-EEM-Neutral) and measure the densities.  If you create a curve of
> this mapping (or, as you did, do it by eye) you have a "preview curve"
> which
> when applied to an image will show on screen how it will print.  Edit the
> image to satisfaction.  When it comes to printing delete the "preview
> curve".

I'm not sure that is easier.  Among other things, what I've seen with layers
on the working image is people forget to activate or de-activate the layers
on the file.  I think having everything in the printing workflow may reduce
such errors and be easier.

I will continue to make my original curves to, in effect, the Lab
"linearization" standard.  I think there are some advantages to that.
However, I don't think the average B&W printer could care less about Lab or
any of the theories that are discussed at depth here.  If the print matches
the monitor (all visual and relative), I doubt most want or want to hear
about anything more.

For the rips, what might be interesting is to have a "visual adjustment"
option that has a series of sliders at the steps of a 21-step test print
such that the user adjusts the sliders until the monitor matches the initial
test print.  Then a linearization curve is made from this in a way similar
to what I've done.

For most, "keep it simple" is the key as far as I'm concerned.  I'd add that
most will not buy a spectrophotometer and want to do all visually.  They
really don't want to mess with any curves, numbers, or graphs of any kind.
Sliders are much more accessible.

A visual linearization procedure should be easy to implement in QTR and IJC.
I hope those with the programming talent take a shot at it.  I'd like
nothing more than to eliminate the need for Photoshop -- which is overpriced
and overkill for the B&W photographer.  

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com