Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, BKPhoto@... 
wrote:
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>  Steve-
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> You've question leads to a core issue in printing on the OEM path. 
You have an excellent printer, inks, and you're working with 
excellent papers. And, while ABW is pretty nifty, it is part of 
the "black box" that is the print driver software. This means you are 
printing through a embedded profile locked in the box; this, combined 
with the fact that Epson print drivers habitually lay down too much 
ink, can easily result in loss of tonal definition. In your case, the 
inability to replicate image code values into print tonality 
accurately.
> 
> If you want to stay on the OEM path, there are two options you can 
explore. First, make adjustments in the Printer Color Management 
panel; try using Normal or Light in the Tone menu. You can also 
experiment with the other controls in this panel, but I'd suggest 
making small moves, printing, trying again, until you get something 
usable. If you do find something usable, be sure to save the settings 
through the Presets menu. You'll have to do this for each paper in 
turn. Sorry.
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> Also, you can experiment with the Color Density slider found in the 
Paper Configuration panel. Again, make small changes, print, try 
again.
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> What you'll be doing, essentially, is twiddling with the knobs and 
switches attached to the black box. While this will allow you to stay 
on the OEM path, it will never produce the accurate print that a 
properly ink limited, linearized, and profiled system is capable of. 
Understand, I'm not advocating that you stray off the path. You may 
be able to tweak your workflow enough to solve the problem. You'll 
certainly learn a lot about the behavior of the print driver this way.
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>  
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> 
> Bill Kennedy
> K2 Press
> Austin, Texas
> Author of "The Photographer's Guide to the Digital Darkroom", 
Allworth Press.
> 
> Thanks, Bill, this helps!
>  
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> 
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SteveZ <blizzie12@...>
> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 10:23 am
> Subject: [Digital BW] Dark skies and Dmax
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> I need some advise on printing images with dark skies and/or skies 
that 
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> have a distinct transition gradient from dark to lighter tones
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> Unlike most of you, I'm relatively new to digital b&W printing
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> and, as such, technically challenged when it comes to measuring 
dmax, 
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> creating profiles, etc.
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> I'm using a 3800 with k3 inks with matte papers that include VFA, 
HPR 
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> and MPR. For b&w I normally use the the ABW driver but even when 
using 
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> the RGB driver/media profiles the results invariably are the same.
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> I've also made test prints with all of the above papers with 
similar 
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> outcomes: solid black skies with no detail.
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> Without getting too technical,
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> can anybody shed some light?
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