Digital BW, The Print

Jacques,
  What platform are you working on?  I believe the
curves for PC have been better worked than those for
mac(and if you are on PC, what OS?).  For the 1280 on
PC, I think version 13 of the curves are the latest. 
Don't know if MIS has the latest for all printers.
Also, what version of PhotoShop are you running? 
These curves perform far better on PS6 than PS5.5.

 -Daniel

--- jacques10040 <jacques10040@...> wrote:
> I've installed MIS VM ink carts on a 1280 and tried
> the Roark 
> workflow current on the MIS site, but my prints are
> coming out 
> slightly posterized in the midtones and lacking
> black. I've had the 
> latter problem using the Brandin workflow on an 1160
> with MIS 
> original quadtones as well. The problem is not in
> the file: I'm an 
> experienced scanner, and one of the images is a
> professional 
> RGB drumscan.
> 
> 1) lack of black:
> I clipped a bit into the black to try to force the
> printer to use more 
> black ink in the deepest shadows, but these areas
> remain 
> unconvincing, and dark areas just turn muddy. I am
> now 
> tweaking the black channel in the transfer function,
> and that is 
> looking promising, but it darkens the image overall.
> I guess I 
> need to reduce the amount of dark gray ink used
> (cyan position?) 
> to offset the increase in black. Am I on the right
> track here?
> 
> 2) midtone posterization:
> Transitions in the midtones are not smooth. This is
> particularly 
> evident in shadow areas under the chin on a softly
> lit portrait. 
> Transitions from light to dark gray are abrupt, and
> separation 
> within the dark areas is lacking. The lack of black
> (stubble on the 
> chin, for example) makes dark areas look mushy.
> 
> These problems crop up with both warm and cool
> curves, worse 
> with the warm, and are not apparent on a calibrated
> monitor or in 
> prints made with Epson color ink or black ink only.
> I don't 
> understand how the Roark and Brandin curves were
> created, so 
> I have no idea how to go about modifying them. So,
> I'm tweaking 
> the transfer function instead. I'm aiming for a look
> similar to what 
> you get with the Epson black ink only, with plenty
> of pop and a full 
> range, but without the dottiness.
> 
> Anyone have any suggestion about how to address
> these two 
> issues? Thanks in advance.
> 
> Jacques Cornell
> 

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