Digital BW, The Print

Hi,

While new to the group, and new to BO printing, I'm an old timer with respect to photography, both film and digital.  Recently I upgraded my Epson R2400 to a 3880, and decided to dedicate the 2400 to black only.  Research on the Web led me to MIS, Paul Roark, and this group.  

Not being one to tip my toes in to test the water, I dove in head first and bought a set of blank carts and 8 bottles of ink (Eboni-6) from inksupply.com a couple weeks ago.  I've been getting decent results printing on Red River polar matte using Epson's ABW, but based on what I've read, can probably get better control using QTR.  I've even tried Blick's Arches Cold Press watercolor with ABW.  While the result was ok (a little flat), I suspect that QTR will help me there as well.

Now for my questions...  I've read the QTR instructions and a number of the articles by Paul Roark and Clayton Jones, but can't relate what I've read to the inks I'm using (Eboni-6, with extra EB6M and EB6LM for the LK and LLK positions).  Do I use the QuadR2400 or QuadR2400-K7 printer model?  Nowhere can I find a procedure for my 8-ink printer.  What QTR curves should be used with my printer/paper combo?  Do I need to create my own curves (..I tried, but my "ink separation test page" came out quite dark for all channels with the RR polar matte paper)?

Hopefully someone out there has a similar setup and can offer some advice.  

Thanks,
-len

On 8/25/2010 9:31 PM, lenwk wrote:
> Hi,
>
> While new to the group, and new to BO printing, I'm an old timer with respect to photography, both film and digital.  Recently I upgraded my Epson R2400 to a 3880, and decided to dedicate the 2400 to black only.  Research on the Web led me to MIS, Paul Roark, and this group.
>
> Not being one to tip my toes in to test the water, I dove in head first and bought a set of blank carts and 8 bottles of ink (Eboni-6) from inksupply.com a couple weeks ago.  I've been getting decent results printing on Red River polar matte using Epson's ABW, but based on what I've read, can probably get better control using QTR.  I've even tried Blick's Arches Cold Press watercolor with ABW.  While the result was ok (a little flat), I suspect that QTR will help me there as well.
>
> Now for my questions...  I've read the QTR instructions and a number of the articles by Paul Roark and Clayton Jones, but can't relate what I've read to the inks I'm using (Eboni-6, with extra EB6M and EB6LM for the LK and LLK positions).  Do I use the QuadR2400 or QuadR2400-K7 printer model?  Nowhere can I find a procedure for my 8-ink printer.  What QTR curves should be used with my printer/paper combo?  Do I need to create my own curves (..I tried, but my "ink separation test page" came out quite dark for all channels with the RR polar matte paper)?
>
> Hopefully someone out there has a similar setup and can offer some advice.
>
> Thanks,
> -len
>
>
>
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"lenwk" <lenwk@...> wrote:
>
 
> ... decided to dedicate the 2400 to black only. 
> 
> ... bought a set of blank carts and 8 bottles of ink (Eboni-6) from inksupply.com a couple weeks ago.

Be sure to read http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Eboni-6.pdf

Note that there are only 6 densities of Eboni-6 (thus the name).  M = Lk, LM = LLK.

>  I've been getting decent results printing on Red River polar matte using Epson's ABW,

Are you using ABW with Eboni-6?  I don't recommend that.

With Eboni-6 you can use the Epson driver, probably set to the best matte paper setting and Color Controls with gamma 2.2.  An ICC made with QTR's Create ICC would make the output match the monitor.  QTR (the rip) can also do a great job.

> I've even tried Blick's Arches Cold Press watercolor with ABW.  While the result was ok (a little flat), I suspect that QTR will help me there as well.

With un-coated papers you really do need the rip.  Set the midtone ink limits very low -- abouty 25.  But crank the black ink limit way up.  The bleed won't affect the dark areas much, but in the midtones they make the print blotchy.  The Epson driver black ink limit is too low to get a good dmax with un-coated Arches.

 
>  I've read the QTR instructions ... but can't relate what I've read to the inks I'm using (Eboni-6, with extra EB6M and EB6LM for the LK and LLK positions).

I've never made profiles for the 2400.  My 7800 profiles may be of some help, but I have a non-standard setup in the 7800.  You might be able to take the ink limit and density information from them and re-arrange the ink positions, but I think that's going to be more than you want to do at this point.

I recommend you start simple -- Epson driver and a good coated matte paper.  Try Epson Hot Press natural.  Then make an ICC using QTR's Create ICC.  This requires linearization.  So, you'll need to learn how to read the values of a 21-step test strip, with either a spectro (best) (see, for example, http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Spectro.pdf) or a flatbed scanner (see http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Making_B-W_ICCs-GrayCard.pdf).  Note that Roy has automated this now.  See the Step wedge tool at http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRdownload.html 

I step through this progression in the workflows outlined in http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Eb1400.pdf 

> Do I use the QuadR2400 or QuadR2400-K7 printer model?  ...

I don't think there are any profiles out there now for your setup.  So, I'd recommend the above progression as a good way to learn.

Good luck with the system.  It ought to work well.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com