Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Michael King" <drmrking@...> wrote:
>
> Ok so that recommendation is crap VFA is far too heavy ink load for HPR
> which is why you have the shadows problem.
> The 4800 recommendation is the following - try using that - I find it works
> fine on 4800 and I am sure it will be good for 3800.
> Watercolor Paper - Radiant White, 1440 dpi, Matte Black, Perceptual

Good info...also...

Try exploring other media settings to open shadows...

Don't know if the 3800 has a media setting for "Ultra Smooth", but try that.

I did a test some time ago to find the "best" media setting for William Turner paper on my Epson 4800.

Epson's black usually comes in hard and fast, less so with the newest printers, and I wanted to find the media setting that has 
smoothest black ramp from 100% to 90%.

I printed a ten patch gray ramp from 100% to 90% with five media settings.

My Excel results are below for William Turner on the Epson 4800:

http://homepage.mac.com/johnvito/WilliamTurnerMediaSettings.png

From 100% to 90% only two media settings show fairly smooth linear density loss, albeit stepped at times -Ultra Smooth and 
WaterColor media settings. While the other three actually have spiked increases in density - called reversals - on some patches. 
For example Epson's Enhanced media setting has the same density at the following patches: 100%, 99% and 97%. The 98% patch 
has a lower density than 97% patch and another reversal at 94%.

My chart does show VFA media setting is crap...as Mike put it!

My media setting choice for William Turner was UltraSmooth as it has the most smoothest linear path. If I was building a custom 
paper profile, the profile would have less heavy lifting to do once the "best media type" is found.