Digital BW, The Print

Mitch 

I would disagree with your last statement here.  I suspect Epson's Darker
has been "calibrated" to "align" with a GG2.2 workspace, that most commonly
used.  By using one of the other settings you are likely introducing
adjustment beyond a more natural transform from file to print.  People get
hung up printing step wedges and looking at the 90K and 95K vs 100K patches
- and completely forget to ascribe a colour space to their comparison.  If
you like the look of your image in GG2.2 there is NOT meant to be a big
difference at all between 95K and 100K and only a small difference between
90K and 100K.  In contrast, people often print a step wedge and complain
that the shadows are "blocked up" because they note that the 95K patch is
not significantly separated from the 100K patch. A good exercise is to print
a GG2.2 tagged step wedge with colour management ON, through the colour
driver and measure the patches.  GG2.2 says they are meant to be bunched at
the ends.

Personally I would rather make lightness adjustments in PS rather than in
the driver.  I would also recommend profiling your favourite Epson Adv B&W
setting with QTR Create ICC.  You'll likely get improved tone mapping and
also a very good soft proof.

Steve


> From: <mitcha@...>

> 2. The default tone setting in the Epson driver is "Darker":
> apparently is better to use Normal or Dark.
>