Digital BW, The Print

Phil,


> ... Photoshop v. 7 and ... Epson C86 ... Enhanced Matte paper.
> The tonality of the printed image does not match ... my monitor,...

Getting a match between the apparent light-dark density range of the print
and monitor does help.  With most of my systems I use the PS preview/soft
proofing method outlined here:
http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Monitor-Profiling.htm .  I ignore matching
color or hue. 

With the C86, one might be able to get a fairly close match just with the
sliders -- without using a printing curve.  I have some starting settings at
http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/C86-EZ-UT-Readme.htm .

For my use of the C86 to print files made to my usual and expected printing
ramp (in short for historical reasons that should not affect one starting
out fresh), I use a preview curve on my monitor as well as a printing curve.
One might just as easily either match the print and monitor with the sliders
and no curves, or use at most one monotone curve (perhaps loaded as a
transfer function) to take the place of both curves I use.


> 
> I've taken a number of steps to calibrate my printing process, but the
> printed image is lighter, overall, than the image on screen ...

Yep, it was an artifact of a limited (256) scale and an attempt to optimize
the efficiency with which that scale was used.  Now we ought to just use 16
bit and trash the old B&W standard.  Use RGB and Lab as the guideposts.

I think I'll take a shot at a C86 Lab curve that puts L 50 in the middle.
I'll be curious how that works.


> I suspect that I'll have to cross the threshold into the Dark
> Arts of adjustment-curve editing (for which I would avail myself of Paul
> Roark's excellent instructions at
> http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Monotone_Curves.htm).

That would be a last resort, of course.

By the way, be sure you're using your "color" inks with the C86.  My
approach is not a "Black ink only" ("BO") one.


Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 




 Before I take that
> step,
> however, I want to see if I've missed anything else in the process. Here
> is
> the summary of what I have done so far:
> 
> 1) Using the Photoshop gamma utility, I've created a monitor profile and
> confirmed (right-click desktop->Settings->Advanced->Color Management) that
> the profile is being used by my PC.
> 
> 2) Photoshop working settings are as follows:
>   - Image->Mode->Grayscale
>   - Image->Mode->Assign Profile->Don't Color Manage
>    -Edit->Color Settings->Working Spaces->RGB Mode->Adobe RGB (1998)
>    -Edit->Color Settings->Working Spaces->Gray->Gray Gamma 2.2
> 
> 3) In Photoshop, I created an Adjustment layer into which I loaded Paul's
> C86-EZ-EEM-Con-15.acv, verified that it is the topmost layer and that it
> is
> visible when I print.
> 
> 4) In C86 printer driver:
>    - Color Management is Gamma 2.2
>    - Brightness and Contrast sliders are both at 0
>    - Paper is Matte Heavy
>    - Print Options are Black Ink Only and Edge Smoothing

NO.


> 
> First of all, I want to clarify that I'm using the adjustment curve
> correctly. I've loaded C86-EZ-EEM-Con-15.acv into an adjustment layer.
> When
> editing, I make the adjustment layer non-visible; when I print, I make it
> visible. I gather that the printed result should look the same as the
> result
> on screen when the adjustment layer is _not_ visible. Do I have this part
> of
> things correctly?
> 
> If I do need to modify the curve, I have these questions:
> a) Should I start with the C86-EZ-EEM-Con-15.acv or is there some other
> curve I should be using?
> b) Which of the various step tablets (K156, K168, K180, K220, K240) I
> should
> be using for the C86/Eboni Black/Epson Enhanced Matte combination?
> 
> Thanks for your help!
> 
> --Phil
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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