Digital BW, The Print

Chris,

The problem you describe below is similar (probably exactly the same)
to a problem I had with this image:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianechapman/117916981/

The transition issue was particularly apparent around the "star" and
the transition to the dark background.  

I was never able to adequately resolve it with my R220 and the
"problem" appeared on a print that I ordered from one of the large
printing services (a Piezo print) - so I would say it is not the R220
itself causing it.  With the R220 the transitions were much better
with the Innova F-Type gloss and a print from the same service and
same file on Silver Rag didn't show the issue either.  A separate
print (Piezo as well) of the same file from a local printer produced a
much smoother transition.

While I am not currently printing myself, I would suggest looking in
to ways to linearize your system - here's a clip from Paul that I
found helpful when I was trying to figure it out.  I think it probably
takes a densitometer or a profiled scanner to do properly but the
definition is helpful nonetheless and I think a correctly linearized
sysetm would probably not produce the harsh transition you are
describing. 

"getting the printer to output a grayscale that is visually even and
smooth. That is, if a 21-step test file is printed, the steps should
be visually even -- or, more accurately, coincide with some
pre-determined, standard distribution of values."  

Hope this helps...

Brian
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianechapman/
http://www.brianchapmanphotography.com




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "chriskjezp"
<chriskresser@...> wrote:
This file is one example
(http://static.flickr.com/62/202370145_620711ee7a_o.jpg). On
my r220, the transition between solid black and lighter grey in the
upper right
corner is
very abrubt. It almost looks like I took a felt pen and colored it in.
On the
MP800,
however, it prints smoothly and appears basically as it does on my screen.