Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "daniel" <dnj@...> wrote:
>
> I'm considering a change of inkset to UT-3D, using the
> PrintFIX Pro with the extended grays target to generate a
> color profile, printing with the standard Epson driver, and
> tinting in Photoshop. The advantages of this approach
> seem to be: a fully color-managed workflow with the
> standard printer driver, only one profile per printer/paper
> combination, (rough) monitor/print matching on tints
> without needing soft proofing profiles, ability to generate
> web images that match prints.

Hello Daniel, I don't know if you are still around and I didn't see any responses (I've been 
out of internet range for the past six weeks) but here is some info.

1)  You won't need the extended grays target with PFP and UT-3D.  The standard 225 
patch color target will be fine.  Remember that UT-3D is essentially a color inkset with a 
very limited gamut and that is how PFP will view and measure it.

> Has anyone tried this?

I used PFP to profile my color printer for third party inks and papers.  I then used it to 
profile my b&w printer for UT-3D as well as it was much simpler than building profiles via 
Paul's method or QTR.  More on this later.
> 
> I have two concerns in particular:
> 
> 1. What's the best way to tint in Photoshop to keep within
> the ink gamuts? Is this easy to do?

Very easy.  Go to: View/Proof Setup/Custom/"your PFP profile"   Then click on: View/
Gamut Warning.  You can change the gamut warning color to anything you want.  I 
typically use a bright chartreuse or magenta as it pops out immediately.  A very easy to 
use tinting procedure is: Layer/New Adjustment Layer/Color Balance as that command 
gives you seperate sliders for Shadows, Midtones and Highlights with Cyan/Red, Magenta/
Green and Yellow/Blue sliders in each.  Any other tinting procedure will work with the 
Gamut Warning feature as you will be working in RGB.  Also because you are working in 
RGB you will want a profiled monitor.  The Color Balance command is just easy to use 
especially for split tones.
> 
> 2. How do you handle glossy papers? Will I need to install a
> photo black? It seems that the approach Paul Roark
> suggests of using Eboni on glossy paper (using dark grays
> to add density?) might not work in this approach.

I haven't found a way to make Paul's dual grayy approach work for glossy with PFP.  What I 
use is MIS PKN for my printers (Epson 220s) in place of the Eboni on glossy papers.  You 
loose the simplicity of not changing inks but gain a lot in ease of use.  Check with MIS for 
which PKN to use with your printer.

> In particular, I want to print on Innova Fibaprint White
> Gloss. Maybe this will take Eboni OK anyway?

The Eboni will have a massive gloss differential on the glossies and will rub off at touch.

The main disadvantage to using the PFP/UT-3D approach is you will need to switch 
cartridges for matte/glossy changes.  At the same time you can make up any inkset you 
want as well.  UT-3D has a very limited gamut from carbon warm to slightly cooler than 
neutral with most papers.  You can create a sepia if you are willing to change out the 
yellow position cartridge and insert a reddish/yellowish ink.  You'll have to profile again 
for that inkset as well.  I tried it with a yellow/magenta mixture and it was way to brassy.  
What I have now, but have not had the time to play with it is a bottle of Red ink from an 
R800 set that will probably make a better sepia.  What I have to work on is whether to just 
add the red as a pure ink in the yellow position or mix a batch of Red/Eboni or Red/Cyan 
position UT-3D.  The smoothness of the tinting for sepia will, I think, necessitate a 
mixture of some sort.

I've also had very good luck, though not near enough time to work with it as I'd like with 
Paul's profiling method and with QTR using the UT-3D.  I do two types of printing.  New 
work which is almost always neutral based and a long term restoration/copy project that 
spans from albumin prints from the 1880s to modern silver prints up to the 1940s.  The 
UT-3D gives me the ability to match tone/paper combos for the different reprints 
throughout that period as well as the ability to get very good neutral prints for new work.
It's hard to give an objective opinion over which method is better.  I like Paul's profiling 
method with some matte papers but haven't had the time to work out the curves necessary 
for using the double gray approach.  QTR gave me some very good and interesting prints 
with both matte and glossy, but again, using the two black Eboni/PKN approach.  PFP is by 
far the simpler method to implement although I subjectively feel I get better shadow 
seperation using Paul's profiling method and QTR or UT-3D.  Perhaps more work with the 
PFP sliders could improve that.

Hope your still around and this helps a bit.