Digital BW, The Print

What printer? Which QTR curves?  Why not use 2880 in QTR?  Are you using a
QTR ICC profile in your QTR workflow or did you skip that step?


> From: David Keenan <ausdlk@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 12:17:13 -0500
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [Digital BW] printing with Epson ICC profiles
> 
> 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.
> -- 
> David Keenan, ausdlk@... on 9/28/2005
>