Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, CDTobie@... wrote:
>
> 
> In a message dated 9/19/06 12:48:15 PM, paul.roark@... writes:
> 
> 
> > Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think that as long as a workflow uses
> > the OEM driver and OEM inkset, the amount of color ink injected is strictly
> > within the OEM drivers' control, and not an issue that any ICC or other
> > profile can deal with. 
> > 
> 
> Correct, but the latest Epson and Canon printers use sufficiently gray-based 
> blends for light grays to limit metamerism, and offer very acceptable prints. 
> Its a great step forward from the previous generation 
> (2100/2200/4000/7600/9600) in combined color/B&W print functions in the same 
printer. At Photokina we 
> will have a light booth with multiple light sources, so that its possible to 
> see what degree of variation occurs in such prints... its pretty acceptable. As 
> I said to Tyler earlier on this topic: no doubt those with a big investment 
> in specialty inks and RIPs will wish to continue using them, those looking for 
> a simpler solution will want to examine the new alternatives.
> 
> C. David Tobie
> Product Technology Manager
> ColorVision Business Division
> DataColor Inc.
> CDTobie@...
> www.colorvision.com
> 
> 

I think its all going to boil down to what level of "very/pretty acceptable" do people
want.  The B&W community is by far the most critical about color casts and
metamerism.  Certainly the K3 printer/drivers are a lot better than the older UC ones,
but they still don't use the minimum amount of color pigments.  The fact that they
have an ABW mode is evidence that the RGB mode isn't as good for B&W.

The substitution of a pure light-carbon ink for the yellow is the most ingenius idea.  It
single-handedly eliminates the yellow pigments and minimizes the cyan and magenta
pigments.  The only down side is that you really need to make completely new custom
ICC profiles for that setup.

Roy