Digital BW, The Print

Dear Friends,

Permit me to start this message by letting you know how much I appreciate the many thoughtful posts on this listserv.  I am in awe of how much so many participants know about the subject of the listserv and how graciously you are willing to share your knowledge.

I am at a situation in life life where I need to focus on idiot-proof  "out of the box" solutions for making digital black and white prints. I have tried the Epson C88+ plus approach using MIS inks with mixed results.  I am not looking for perfection, just very good black and white prints:
- mainly family photos, but some "street photography" or portraits
- using a Mac/Apple computer
- on non-glossy paper;
- up to size "8x10" normally, but would like to print up to "14x20"
- from a digital file created by digital SLR.

I would appreciate your suggestions for a shopping list that will provide more or less an idiot-proof solution.  Here is the kind of list I hope participants on this listserv could suggest:

- ??? Mac/Apple desktop (21.5-inch: 2.5GHz, 4GB RAM) running Lion operating system (other Mac/Apple?)
- ??? Lightroom 3?  Aperture 3?
- ??? Silver Efex Pro 2? (needed?)
- ??? Epson Stylus Pro 3880 (other printer???)
- ??? _____ (fill in) Epson inks for non-glossy prints ???
- ??? _____ (fill in) Epson (or other paper) for non-glossy prints
- ??? ______ (fill in) RAW converting software (needed??)
- ??? anything else?
- ??? anything else?
- ??? anything else?

Again, this is just a sample list I had in mind.  While I am still paying my kids' college tuition, cost is somewhat a consideration.

Finally, I live in the Montgomery County (Maryland)/Washington, DC-area and was wondering whether any other listserv members live nearby who use a Mac/Apple computer and who could "show me the ropes" on making quality black and white prints on non-glossy paper from a digital file created with a digital SLR.

I make this request humbly, and with great respect for the wonderful participants in this listserv.  Your taking time out of your busy schedules to consider this request is very much appreciated.

Bobby

Hi,
I've been experimenting with the Spyder 3 Print extended greys workflow and it's the fastest, easiest way I've found to get a dead neutral BW print from a printer with black plus two grey shades. Because the hue as well as luminance are colour managed, it is simple to get a neutral print.

Epson Advanced BW does use a bit less coloured ink and Quadtone Rip uses less still; I'm currently doing fade tests to see if using the colour driver via the extended greys profile makes a significant difference as the print ages.

good luck,
Richard

At 06:01 a.m. Saturday 12/11/2011, you wrote:
> Dear Friends,
>Permit me to start this message by letting you know how much I appreciate the many thoughtful posts on this listserv. I am in awe of how much so many participants know about the subject of the listserv and how graciously you are willing to share your knowledge.

________________
Richard Smallfield
Photography:  http://richardsmallfield.com 
EV+1 Blog: http://evplus1.blogspot.com/
Developing Tank Blog: http://developingtank.blogspot.com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RichardSmallfield  

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Here's my recipe that I've used for 10+ years at AAubreyBodine.com:

Epson 7800 (started with 1280, then went to 7600) (I found that once I could print > 11x14, that's what people started ordering).
Epson inks, only.

ImagePrint -- the only thing I use to print on the 7600/7800.

PhotoImpact for retouching.
PhotoShop and Genuine Fractals for preparing documents to print.

homebrew MS Access database to manage the photo archive
MS SQL Server on the homebrew website (MS Visual Studio Web Developer)

I'm "downy shore", but I don't use Apple -- I use Microsoft Windows (I gave up on Apple when they discontinued the Apple II and the first Mac 128, though very sexy, was too puny to take seriously for  business).

To my mind, the production process is a solved problem.  The web, marketing and sales are still a work in progress.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Robert" <bobbylipman@...> wrote:

>
> Dear Friends,
> 
> Permit me to start this message by letting you know how much I appreciate the many thoughtful posts on this listserv.  I am in awe of how much so many participants know about the subject of the listserv and how graciously you are willing to share your knowledge.
> 
> I am at a situation in life life where I need to focus on idiot-proof  "out of the box" solutions for making digital black and white prints. I have tried the Epson C88+ plus approach using MIS inks with mixed results.  I am not looking for perfection, just very good black and white prints:
> - mainly family photos, but some "street photography" or portraits
> - using a Mac/Apple computer
> - on non-glossy paper;
> - up to size "8x10" normally, but would like to print up to "14x20"
> - from a digital file created by digital SLR.
> 
> I would appreciate your suggestions for a shopping list that will provide more or less an idiot-proof solution.  Here is the kind of list I hope participants on this listserv could suggest:
> 
> - ??? Mac/Apple desktop (21.5-inch: 2.5GHz, 4GB RAM) running Lion operating system (other Mac/Apple?)
> - ??? Lightroom 3?  Aperture 3?
> - ??? Silver Efex Pro 2? (needed?)
> - ??? Epson Stylus Pro 3880 (other printer???)
> - ??? _____ (fill in) Epson inks for non-glossy prints ???
> - ??? _____ (fill in) Epson (or other paper) for non-glossy prints
> - ??? ______ (fill in) RAW converting software (needed??)
> - ??? anything else?
> - ??? anything else?
> - ??? anything else?
> 
> Again, this is just a sample list I had in mind.  While I am still paying my kids' college tuition, cost is somewhat a consideration.
> 
> Finally, I live in the Montgomery County (Maryland)/Washington, DC-area and was wondering whether any other listserv members live nearby who use a Mac/Apple computer and who could "show me the ropes" on making quality black and white prints on non-glossy paper from a digital file created with a digital SLR.
> 
> I make this request humbly, and with great respect for the wonderful participants in this listserv.  Your taking time out of your busy schedules to consider this request is very much appreciated.
> 
> Bobby
>

The best "idiot proof" oem solution to totally perfect neutrality, with amazing tonal separation, in a simplistic set up is the Canon IPF 6300 or 8300 with the BauHaus True Black and White software. With either matte or gloss media it is dead neutral with 0 metamerism and uses NO color inks.

http://www.trueblackandwhite.com/

It seemed almost too easy when I read about it and it turns out is just that easy and just that good.

I can't believe these guys aren't out there promoting the hell out of this setup. They don't seem to care about marketing and promoting this but it makes the Epson ABW mess look like garbage.

It only uses gray and black Lucia pigments, no color for neutral on matte OR gloss, and well calibrated, metamerism free color for warm tone, and it is a perfect form of tri-tone. It blows me away that only three values are being used for neutral. It certainly isn't K7 in the very high end values, but it is excellent, especially with the Harmon gloss baryta with 0 bronzing and great longevity. I can match silver prints tonality and dmax and I never thought I'd be doing that effortlessly.

You think I'm exaggerating?, try it. It is the real deal.

john





--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Richard Smallfield <rich_s@...> wrote:

>
> Hi,
> I've been experimenting with the Spyder 3 Print extended greys workflow and it's the fastest, easiest way I've found to get a dead neutral BW print from a printer with black plus two grey shades. Because the hue as well as luminance are colour managed, it is simple to get a neutral print.
> 
> Epson Advanced BW does use a bit less coloured ink and Quadtone Rip uses less still; I'm currently doing fade tests to see if using the colour driver via the extended greys profile makes a significant difference as the print ages.
> 
> good luck,
> Richard
> 
> At 06:01 a.m. Saturday 12/11/2011, you wrote:
> > Dear Friends,
> >Permit me to start this message by letting you know how much I appreciate the many thoughtful posts on this listserv. I am in awe of how much so many participants know about the subject of the listserv and how graciously you are willing to share your knowledge.
> 
> ________________
> Richard Smallfield
> Photography:  http://richardsmallfield.com 
> EV+1 Blog: http://evplus1.blogspot.com/
> Developing Tank Blog: http://developingtank.blogspot.com/
> YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RichardSmallfield  
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

"Robert" <bobbylipman@...> wrote:
>
> ... I need to focus on idiot-proof  "out of the box" solutions for making digital black and white prints. I have tried the Epson C88+ plus approach using MIS inks with mixed results.  

...
> - up to size "8x10" normally, but would like to print up to "14x20"

> ... cost is somewhat a consideration.

Once you got beyond what the 13" printers like the 1400 and 1100 can handle, the costs escalate significantly.  A 3880 and OEM inks can do a fine job, but cost (and maybe ease) may not be what you're looking for.


Paul
www.PaulRoark.com