Digital BW, The Print

My 21-step wedge looks fairly good, with a solid black and slight 
compression in steps 7-12 (from the black end).

Jacques Cornell


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "tzinzunzan2000" 
<ldmr@c...> wrote:
> How is your step wedge printing out? Are there noticeable 
breaks?
> 
> Chris Hargens
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "jacques10040" 
> <jacques10040@y...> 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