Digital BW, The Print

Matti & all,

I've found the combination of the Epson R1800, native inks and 
Hahnemuehle Fine Art Pearl a great one, at least for my particular 
printer. I use the proscribed let PShop control colors/ printer color 
controls OFF. The Hahnemuehle profile seems very even although slightly 
cool overall for me. So I've added a tritone curve to warm up everything 
but the very low blacks. I've used the gloss optimizer and Print Shield 
UV spray after a day or two. The spray goes on very easily compared to 
other papers without any pooling or noticeable variation.

This is all without technical verifications, but after 20 years of 
selenium toned silver fiber printing, this is the first time I've been 
satisfied with the results from an inkjet. I think the fine spray (2 
picoliter droplets) from the printer really helps maintain a smooth 
gradation of tones. Compared to a silver print, there is a slight 
grittiness however that I sure can be ameliorated with PShop techniques, 
which is my next task. Long term fading is of course still a question mark.

For me, the control of the computer is just too good to pass up. 
Thinking to the future, I'm looking forward to when a good silver paper 
comes out for a Lambda type printer. That combination will be very hard 
to beat for those with a silver gelatin viewpoint.

Will Gibson



Matti Koskinen wrote:

>hi,
>
>I think I found a good combination in printing b&w with epson r1800.  
>For some reason, setting colour management off in photoshop and letting 
>printer use icm, gives much better result, than letting photoshop 
>determine the colours with the same profile. All I still needed was to 
>add a curve, that corrects the slight cyan cast in 10% patch in 11-step 
>grey wedge by adding 3 unit of red, and the slight magenta cast in 60% 
>patch by adding also 3 units of green. Now the prints look dead neutral. 
>A whole another thing is, how long the print remains like that. If I 
>have understood correctly, colours fade unevenly, which will change the 
>colour balance.
>
>But anyway, I've found a way to make neutral prints. Still have my HP DJ 
>9800, which prints fine b&w,  both with the grey cart and black-only, if 
>I need to reassure myself, that the prints are truly neutral.
>
>I used toning too. Found a  picture window pro tint-file, which emulates 
>agfa portriga, and the results are quite nica. Having a controlled 
>colour cast is better than the rainbow-like cast..
>
>best
>-matti
>
>
>
>  
>