Digital BW, The Print

After reading here about the long lost Epson ICC profiles for matte paper, I tried using one (the 2880 dpi, mk one) and printing some 11x17 images that I had been printing using QTR for an exhibit that I'm hanging this weekend.

Now, I'm no expert QTR nor digital black and white printer (yet) but I'm astonished how much better the ICC prints are. There is no comparison in the blackness and depth of the blacks. The ICC print leaps out at me compared the flat QTR print. 

The blacks in the QTR print have a distinctly grainy look. The ICC blacks are tight and solid with no grain. Maybe the 2880 dpi setting makes a difference here since I've been using "1440 super" in QTR. 

I know that QTR is very highly thought of so I'm probably not doing something as best as it could be done but I'm not sure what it could be. 

I was the guy who asked about the inherent value of BO printing last week. 

I also printed the same image using black only using the UC ink. (Eboni on the way.)

Another revelation. The ICC print has a distinct green color cast to it visible in the midtones that was not so obvious when compared to the QTR print but is very obvious compared to the BO print.

I like the ICC print except for the green cast and I'm not inclined at this point to fiddle with anything to try to correct this. So, the more I look into this the more questions that arise but it looks like BO is the way for me to go for my 10 exhibition prints -- not what I thought I'd be doing when I started this project.

If any one has any comments on why my QTR blacks might be so weak I'd welcome them.

Dave.
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David Keenan, ausdlk@... on 9/28/2005