Digital BW, The Print

In a message dated 9/13/06 4:21:46 PM, gudstrand.list@... writes:


> All the early reviews of this printer that I have seen have
> consistently stated that the 9180 delivers exceptional B&W prints
> superior to those from the Epson.
> 

Early reviews are from those with close connections, who must speak very 
carefully, so fuller info always must await other critics.

>   That you don't need to make a bunch
> of adjustments seems to me to be a plus.
> 
Let me say this again: if two papers print decidely warmer and cooler than 
one another, a   non-adjustable system cannot be neutral on both, and is 
probably not very close to neutral on either. Some form of control is required.
> 
> One other thing, the 9180 uses three inks for black and white; a photo
> black, a matte black and a light gray.
> 
One gray... as we've been bandying about all day.

>   This printer is just now
> shipping so we should start seeing some first hand reports.  From
> early reports though this is the printer to beat when it comes to B&W.
> 
Nothing is the printer to beat until its released and tested. At the moment 
the Canon iPF5000 is the "out there" B&W printer to beat, followed closely by 
the Epson K3 printers.
> 
> Neil Snape has extensive experience with this printer and has posted a
> review at his site.
> 
Neil is a friend; I look forward to seeing him at Photokina, along with 
Harald Johnson, both of whom I expect to see working in the HP booth. But guys not 
working the HP booth will need to weigh in as well.

>   He frequents the printing forum at dpreview and
> promptly answers most queries about this printer. 
> 
Neil wrote: "The B&W image quality on fine art media is as good or better in 
some ways than all the competitors. They are all different, all good. It's the 
character that will make you like one over the other.
What I like about the B&W on the 9180 is the all new driver screening that 
looks like a film grain."

I would note a couple of things about that: Different is not good. When I do 
my color management thing and get the best I can manage from the K3 printers 
and the iPF5000 on the same media, there's nothing that could be called "all 
good, all different", it would be called "amazingly good, amazingly similar" 
both in color, and in black and white. When people tell me about liking the 
"flavor" of one or another B&w system, I tell them that first I want dead neutral, 
absolutely smooth; then I'm happy to add flavor as I see fit. If the flavor is 
there initially, then its not a choice, its a limitation. Driver screening 
that looks like any kind of grain at all concerns me greatly... lets hope that 
means: under a good loupe, it looks like film grain!

C. David Tobie
Product Technology Manager
ColorVision Business Unit
Datacolor Inc.
CDTobie@...
www.colorvision.com


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