Digital BW, The Print

I've just tested PrintFIX PRO 2.0 for profiling the MIS UT7 inks. For those 
who have expressed interest in this combination, here are my observations:

First, amazingly, it actually works. I would have bet money it couldn't be 
done.

Next, as Paul Roark predicted, it doesn't work as well as profiling the UT3D 
inks. Given that most, if not all, printers that support UT7s also support 
UT3Ds, I would agree with Paul, that moving to the UT3Ds is the right thing for 
those interested in using ICC profiles to control MIS inks.

Now the details: 

Target prints on the 2200 and Entrada Bright paper showed a real break 
between black and dark tones, so I was not suprised to see issues in the final 
profile in this area. Moving the ink density slider all the way to +20 reduced this 
issue significantly. This adjustment is not necessary with the UT3Ds.

Default results are not ideal, as the inkset (on this media) does not 
actually capture the neutral axis, so the software is working towards "best 
substitition" for an out of gamut condition. Again, the UT3Ds offer a bit more range in 
this direction, reducing this issue. 

Using the profile under Custom Proof Setup in Photoshop, and using curves 
VISUALLY (ignore color channel names, they don't relate to ink colors!) to adjust 
to a smoother result, with some tonality of interest, the results can be 
quite good. This also smooths the shadow to black trasition nicely. UT3Ds also 
have switched color channels, but they do not require adjustment to get smooth 
results; you only adjust the image with UT3Ds to get a non-neutral tint of your 
choice, not to attempt to move into an in gamut range, and achieve visual 
smoothness.

Gloss/luster papers should actually be easier to profile, but I didn't try 
the PhotoK ink, so I can't comment beyond that speculation. Other art papers may 
be easier as well, as they may offer more neutral default results, causing 
fewer out of gamut issues. Ironicly the older formulations of Entrada printed 
cooler, and would probably have reached the neutral axis with these inks. The 
newer, warmer, coating (which I requested, and for most uses very much prefer) 
happen to push this warm inkset over the edge into always warm, never neutral.

So the conclusion is the same as the introduction: its amazing that these 
inks can be controlled by 3D   LUT style ICC profiles, but the UT3Ds will perform 
more stongly in all areas, so switch to them, if you want to use PrintFIX PRO 
as your method for controlling MIS B&W printing.

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


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