Digital BW, The Print

Tim, Sepia unlike platinum is a color in the color palette of many
manufactures' color sets. However, just like platinum it seems to have some
"defined" idea by the millions of people that refer to it. There are tones
that come across the visual playground of our eyes that we think of as sepia
and we try and match that ideal. The newer Epson printers with ABW give one
a great deal of control to make that warm reddish orange look that can be
sepia. When you say antique sepia, it could be an orotone, a tone albumen,
or kallitype; toned silver particles that vary in size. The sepia that comes
from silver gelatin papers, with all the forms of developer and paper
combinations can produced marked differences in the sepia look. 

 

For control of that look, or dare I say, any split toned look as sepia is
generally split to some degree I'd recommend a good calibrated profile with
colored inks. I have been using the piezotone sepia set for years from Cone.
While it may not be quiet my sepia look it is a pleasing warm brown color
with a black ink set. But with the newer printers, and good control to make
B&W and color with one set, I find that Color Visions' Advanced B&W method
of extended grays a good solution. I prefer to selenium tone along with my
sepia, either before or after. Time and combination sets in place a blacker
Dmax with selenium first with warm highlights.  

 

Do you have a good calibration for a flat bed scanner and can you make a
scan of one of these antique sepia of which you speak? I find that most
preset sepia looks are no where close to what I like and look for in making
my sepia. What did they use to make there evaluation of sepia? Had any of
these designers ever worked making them? Do they come close to what you'd do
in the darkroom? 

 

You may play with a curve adjustment layer set that will give you a look
your happy with but it needs to be done in a CM environment. I don't have an
small printers currently running Epson inks. My 1160s are set up for other
inks. 

 

Eric

 

Eric Neilsen Photography

4101 Commerce Street

Suite 9

Dallas, TX 75226

http://e.neilsen.home.att.net

http://ericneilsenphotography.com

Skype ejprinter

  _____  

From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tim
Timmermans
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 9:03 PM
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] antique sepia setting

 

--- In DigitalBlackandWhit
<mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint%40yahoogroups.com>
eThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Eric Neilsen" 
<e.neilsen2@...> wrote:
>
> Tim, What are you using to print with, on, etc.

Eric,

I'm using CS3 and I'm back to printing with a standard 1280 (after 
trying both the 1800 and 2200)using standard Epson inksets.

I just admire some of these old prints from the 1800's that are a very 
darkish form of sepia that I just can't seem to replicate with my 
current tools.

Tim

 



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