Digital BW, The Print

$50 is all you need spend.  QTR is really very good at what it does.  You
just need to understand how to use it best.  Here's the longer answer.

First understand that you can't, generally speaking, print as dark as you
can see on screen and that paper isn't generally as white.  That is, the
dynamic range of today's paper with today's inks is relatively narrow.  Not
bad but narrow.  OK that first bit was easy.

Now QTR is set up to print an even gradation L* (Lab's L) from its darkest
black to paper white.  If it could generate perfect black and perfect white
then you could print the Lab space in totality with an even gradation of L*
and have a nice "gamma" or curvature in density from pure black to pure
white.  But as noted above we can't get perfect black or perfect white.   If
the best black is really "light black" and the best white is "almost white"
and there is still a straight line of L* between the two then the gamma or
contrast must be less.  Hence, out-of-the-box the prints look a little
"flat" because the black isn't as good as on screen and the gamma or
contrast is less.  

OK so what do we do about it?  Two solutions.  First, we could introduce an
arbitrary S curve to increase image contrast so that when it is printed we
have a better look. Secondly, we could use some of the tools available to us
to do that for us.  In either case, it is useful to see before we print the
result of either action.

The second of the two is more effective, easier and more readily previewed
or soft proofed.  Roy has designed two ICC profiles, QTR Gray Matte Paper
and QTR Gray Photo Paper, which are in essence general profiles for the two
types of media we print to.  With these you can use two Photoshop's ability
to convert between ICC profiles and to preview a file in another colour
space.  So at the time of printing you can use Photoshop to convert your
image to the print space using the perceptual intent and black point
compensation.  This in effect automates the s curve piece.  Furthermore,
prior to printing you can preview how the file will look once converted to
the print space (matte or photo), ie see how it will look when printed.  Use
View -> Proof Setup -> Custom  to set up the soft proof.  Convert the
document to the print space prior to printing (save a preprint master
first!).  The workflow for last bit is slightly different depending on
whether you are on a Mac or PC.

The ICC profiles can be found here:

http://homepage.mac.com/royharrington/FileSharing2.html

under grayspaceXYZv2.zip

Steve




> From: Diane Fields <picnic@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 12:38:47 -0400
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Best Rip for 2200
> 
> 
> Have you tried softproofing in PS and adjusting tonality/contrast?
> 
> Diane
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: glovinger
>   To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 8:12 AM
>   Subject: [Digital BW] Best Rip for 2200
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   I installed the QTR rip yesterday for my Epson 2200 and made several
>   test prints. So far I like the color tones, but I am very unhappy
>   with the flatness of my prints. I actually prefer the green colorcast I
>   get without the rip because of the wonderful detail and subtle tones
>   the printer can produce.
>   What do you all consider the best rip on the market for the 2200? I
>   guess I need to spend more than $50.- to get the best of both worlds.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, and other resources as
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> unsubscribe, please edit your Membership preferences by visiting this same
> page.
> 
> Please follow these basic guidelines:
> - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier messages to keep
> them short.
> - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or flames.
> Hostile, aggressive or argumentative users may be removed from the membership
> without notice.
> - Keep your posts and threads related to the group topic of digital B&W
> printing. Users who persistently make off-topic posts may be removed from the
> membership.
> - By posting on this forum you agree to abide by the group rules and
> guidelines, and to abide by the actions and decisions of the group Owner and
> Moderators. See „Group Topic, Rules and Guidelines‰ in the Files section:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/
> 
> BY PARTICIPATING IN AND/OR POSTING MESSAGES TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT
> YAHOO! GROUP YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THE „OWNER‰ AND
> „MODERATORS‰ OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU
> FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY
> DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL,
> USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF THE  „OWNER‰ AND „MODERATORS‰ OF
> DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
> DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE DIGITAL BW,
> THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; (ii) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR
> TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iii) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE
> DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; OR (iv) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE
> DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP.
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