Digital BW, The Print

Martin and Walt,

>>>>>
>I have found that, if I set my color setting (PS CS) working 
>spaces "grey," to Gamma 2.2 and my ABW prints, either warm or 
>neutral to a fine adjustment of "dark," I get a pretty good 
>match to my screen.   I do not know if this is unversal, but 
>it does work for me.
>>>>>

>>>>>
I am also using the ABW driver with "light" (smoother step wedge)
and "neutral" settings. I have not reduced the ink limit. Do you
have any correspondence between screen and print (i.e. something like
a soft proof) and if so, what are you using for screen view
(workspace, monitor calibration, etc.)? I am using a workspace of
gamma 2.2 and a monitor calibrated to 5K and 2.2. The screen view is
much darker than the print and the shadow compression is somewhat
different between the two; so I use a PS curve for viewing to fairly
closely match the print. But I thought you might be doing something
better than this.
>>>>>

I'll try to explain what I'm doing, but first please understand that
these various settings push and pull an image at both ends, so there
are various combinations that can end up with virtually the same
results.  This explanation is in no way suggesting that it is superior
or that I'm suggesting others should do the same.   It's just what
works well for me.

This method originates with the BO technique, which uses "Same As
Source" as the printer profile setting (I use PS CS, I think in CS2
this is called "No Color Management").  This means that the front end
(image) profile does not affect the print, it only affects how the
image looks on screen (for a full explanation of how this works please
see my article #4 at the link below).

Since the Epson BO driver puts out a fairly light print, the image
itself has to be a bit darker to get the proper density.  Because the
image is darker it looks darker on screen, so in order to get good
WYSIWYG (make the screen image match the print), I use a front end
profile of Dot Gain 18 or 20%, which makes the image look
lighter on screen than GG2.2.  

This has proven to be a very reliable and consistent approach.  I have
set the PS default gray space to use a custom DG18 curve, so every new
grayscale image gets this to start with.  Depending on the image, I
may change this to match the first test print, anywhere from DG15 to
DG20.  This gives me excellent WYSIWYG all through the entire process.

I use EEM for proofing.  When it's time for a final print on some
other paper, I usually have to tack on an adjustment curve to tweak
the contrast and/or density to match the proof.  I save this curve
with the image, usually naming it with the paper name.

Suppose now I open an existing image to print to the 2400.  Since the
image is darker, I've found that setting ABW/Tone to Lighter and
reducing the ink limit by 5% produces a print of nearly identical
density to the BO version (which probably means I'm using less ink as
well).  All that's required is an adjustment curve to tweak the
contrast to match the proof, depending on what paper and ABW color
settings are used - essentially the same workflow as I've been using
all along.

Having this consistency is paying off, because I can work up an image
using BO on the R200 (which saves a lot of expensive K3 ink) using my
tried and true methods.  If I decide the final image will look better
as a K3 print, I can then send it to the 2400 using those saved driver
settings and be right in the ball park first time, only needing minor
tweaks on the paper curve .

This was put to the test last week when I made a formal portrait of
some friends at church.  I worked up the proof in BO and then sent it
to the 2400.  No base adjustments were needed to the image, just the
usual curve tacked on to make the final image match the proof.

I was real worried that my entire workflow would have to change with
this printer, so needless to say I was VERY happy to find I can
continue to work this way and don't have to change any of my existing
images.

If you have been using "Same As Source" for the back end and GG2.2 for
the front end, then your images are probably lighter and setting Tone
to Lighter and/or Ink Limit to -5% may not be a good thing.  But there
are many possible combinations of these things, so you just have to
find what works best for you.  But at least maybe this will shed some
light on it.


Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm