Digital BW, The Print

Phil,

>...more questions about choosing or creating my ideal lustre set.
> 
> My aim is Ilford Gold Fibre on 1400 using QTR.  
> My ideal tonality would move from Warm/Neutral Shadows, 
> Neutral Midtones and up to Cool/Neutral highlights.

See page 9 of http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/UT14.pdf  This is 
rather like the approach LensWork magazine uses.

I thought you liked PKN and cool shadows.
 
> I note that on the UTRC set, there are 3 separate sets...
> warm, cool and neutral.  
> But my ideal set is not one temperature...I want a split.

Yes, you can do that by using different inks in different positions 
or having a variable tone inkset and using curves/profiles to control 
the tone.  For the R260, what I'd consider an entry level printer, I 
made the assumption most would prefer the easiest workflow.  The plug 
and play approach with no curves is easiest.  For the UT14, I assumed 
a more hands-one user who might want more control -- thus the 
variable tone.

>  I am also making the assumption that the 
> UTRC set are greys...not the strong toner color of the 
> earlier sets. 

Yes, most of the inksets I'm now recommending use gray inks that are 
easier to profile than are the strong toners.  It's hard to make a 
really bad print with these inksets.


> First, my assumption is that these UTRC sets each have 
> same basic degree of color 
> temperature with different dilutions....yes???

Yes.  There are 3 sets -- warm (100% carbon), neutral (20% color) and 
cool (30% color).  You can mix the sets.  

With the UT14 I kicked the color up to 40% because it's a variable 
tone where people will want both the cool and warm jets firing most 
of the time.  But, with both inksets available in bulk and both using 
the same toner (cyan-blue) mix, everyone has a broad range of inks 
that will all match and not have any weird color cross-overs.  As you 
can see from the charts at http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/UT14.pdf 
the mixes keep Lab A close to where the papers set it, but usually 
with just a slight rise.  In general, we don't seem to like any green 
tints in our prints.  So, Lab B is the main variable.


>  So I am wondering if I could start with my black position one 
> of the new PKneutral 

You'll note in my examples with the RC inkset I usualy used PKN.  
However, on glossy papers, this is usually slightly cool.

> 2nd ink a warm dark grey, 3rd a neutral mid grey, and then 4th 
> and 5th warm grey and cool grey toners and a glop as the 6th 
> position.  


Consider 2 profiles -- one warm and the other cool.  Then use the 
sliders to make whatever split tone you want.  Each profile would, of 
course, have the PKN and glop in it.  I assume you have a new QTR 
that has the sliders for highlights, midtones and shadows.  If not, 
download it and you'll see what I'm talking about.  I have not given 
this a try yet, but it looks like a nice way to play around with 
various split tones.  

If you want cool highlights, you better consider the UT14 cool inks 
there.  Aside from that, you're really going to just have to try it 
and see what happens.  It sounds like your warm channel -- LK and 
LLK - will be fine.  Your cool channel of RCN-PK, plus dilutions of 
the other PKNs mentioned and a glop will give you everything you need.

Good luck.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com