Digital BW, The Print

Hello Scott,

>Here is some more data. I just sent an RGB file to the ABW driver 
>rather than my previously used greyscale and the "tint" of the image 
>is still different than my 8x10 work print. So what has changed? 
>Well I went up a size in EPSG paper from 8.5x11 to 13x19. So, can 
>different batches of paper make a difference? 

Yes!  Absolutely.  There can be a significant difference in different
production runs.  Right now I have 8x10 and 13x19 boxes of the same
paper (Merlin Smooth) that are different enough in contrast to require
a different adjustment curve for each one.  A paper vendor told me
that on occasion when they order some coating chemicals from a
supplier they are out of it, so they have to go to a different
supplier.  So there can be differences and it is actually common for
there to be some.  I have observed this with quite a few papers over
the past few years. I've seen papers change in color, contrast, and
density, all three in a single different batch (Kayenta and Entrada
most recently).  I've seen differences in dmax among PR batches.


>I have also changed some of the ink cartridges recently (all K3 
>inks). My bigger prints look colder and greener. 

This happened to me as well.  I swapped in a new K3 M cart and
everything was a tiny bit pinker.  Fortunately because of the great
ABW system all it took was moving the H coordinate by a point or two
to correct for it.  I have also experienced slight differences in
Eboni on occasion (in both color tone and dmax).  

Regards,
Clayton


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