Digital BW, The Print

> From: Paul Roark [mailto:paul.roark@...]
>
> I printed a 21-step test print on EEM using my standard 2200-UT7-Neutral
> curve.
>
> I then compared the print to my standard monitor view.  They did
> not match.
>
> So, I made a simple Photoshop curve that adjusted my monitor so that it
> matched the print.
>
> I then made a second curve that I will call a "negative" of the
> first curve.
> I noted the amount I had to move the Output of the individual
> points on the
> first curve to get the monitor match the print.  I then moved the
> output on
> the second curve points that amount in the opposite direction.  So, for
> example, at 50% (AdobeRGB curve input 127), I had to move the
> default (127,
> 127) point up to (127, 132), a change of 5, on the first curve to get the
> view on the monitor to match my print.  So, on the second,
> "negative" curve
> I moved the point down to (127, 122), 5 units down instead of 5 units up.
> (At the 95% point this didn't work because the change was too much, so I
> just set it at half way to the 90% point.)
>
> This second, "negative" curve I saved as my "Monitor" curve.
>
> The resulting print matched my monitor almost perfectly -- as well as any
> other system I've tried.
>
> For those with full Photoshop, this seems like an easy way to not only
> adjust for the monitors, but also to "linearize" curves for different but
> similar papers and correct or other glitches that may affect the
> print ramp.
> This, in effect, adds a "linearization" layer to the standard curves that
> adjusts for both the monitor and other differences.  It was an entirely
> visual process that takes nothing except visual comparison of the
> monitor to
> a test strip.
>
> If the monitor and print match, is anything else really needed?  Do we
> really care if the ramp matches Lab or any other space?

Sounds workable to me. That's one good thing about B&W: only one dimension
to mess with, and any remaining errors are far less objectionable than they
would be in color. Years ago, before I got calibrated, I used to try to do
that same sort of thing with color: create curves and color balance tweaks,
and then try to "negate" them. Never worked very well.

--

Ciao,               Paul D. DeRocco
Paul                mailto:pderocco@...