Digital BW, The Print

Charley wrote:

>... why are there different curves for Mac and PC?
>Isn't the data the same on either system? Is it a difference in the
>driver software?

An excellent question.  I wish a computer guru out there would help us
answer the question why the PC and Mac seem to need different curves when
the tiff, etc. files will print on either.

>I'm noticing more PC curve-sets than Mac,

That is because I have a PC.  Frankly, it's a whole lot easier for me to
make curves on my own system than doing it via the mails - e or snail.
Especially now that I'm getting spoiled with the quality of curves that the
X-Rite spectrophotometer can help make.  My interest in making curves with
the huge variations we see in scanners is getting diminished.

> and wondering if it's
>possible to convert them over to use on my mac?

Again, we really need some more computer expertise on this issue.  It just
seems odd that we need to duplicate the effort by making different curves
for the different platforms.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

> Again, we really need some more computer expertise on this issue. 
It just
> seems odd that we need to duplicate the effort by making different
curves
> for the different platforms.
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com

Thanks for the answer Paul :)

I wonder if it might have something to do with the PC's native 2.2
gamma versus the mac's native 1.8? I still don't see how this could
really affect printing unless something like Colorsync (or the PC
equivalent (is there an equivalent?)) was in the mix adapting the data.

I wonder if all us mac users should take up a collection to get you an
imac or something? ;) (Kidding!)

(Alternatively I _guess_ I could hook my printer up to my pc, but I
really hate the idea of doing important stuff through windows - right
now it's just for videogames.)

What's a Mac? ;-D

-Mike

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: byronbulb 
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 8:57 PM
  Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Why do mac and pc use different curves?



  I wonder if all us mac users should take up a collection to get you an
  imac or something? ;) (Kidding!)




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

On 3/14/02 5:57 PM, "byronbulb" <byronbulb@...> wrote:

> I wonder if it might have something to do with the PC's native 2.2
> gamma versus the mac's native 1.8? I still don't see how this could
> really affect printing unless something like Colorsync (or the PC
> equivalent (is there an equivalent?)) was in the mix adapting the data.

I'll hazard two guesses --

    1. The Epson drivers "know" the native gamma of the platform they are
running on (Windows @ 2.2, Mac @ 1.8), and are compensating for that as they
send the data to the printer.

    2. The users of these curves (and I have no direct experience myself)
have not calibrated their monitors, and so the curves are compensating for
*both* the characteristics of the ink *and* the characteristics of the
monitor.  However, I can't see how this would produce decent results, since
uncalibrated monitors will be different even on the same platform.

-- 
John Labovitz
johnl@...
www.johnlabovitz.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:

> Especially now that I'm getting spoiled with the quality of curves 
that the
> X-Rite spectrophotometer can help make.  My interest in making 
curves with
> the huge variations we see in scanners is getting diminished.
> 

> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com

This brings up an issue I've been meaning to ask you. Why would a 
Spectrophotometer be better than a densitometer to tweak your curves 
when reading a test step wedge directly off a printer? And what is the 
cost of the X-rite spectrophotometer, I'm familar with their 
densitometers.

Something to do with accuracy or sensitivity to color?

In a nutshell summary, what is your workflow when generatating a new 
curve, assuming you have the printed wedge in front of you, i.e. not 
a scanned in file from somebody?

I have a friend who has a computerised way of generating curve data, 
but uses a densitometer. I was arguing that it might not get all the 
color tones right, esp with VM.?

Speculation as to if Colorbyte will eventually pick up the RIP ball 
(say for VM or any inkset/printer/OS) and run with it, giving yet 
another option?

Kind of a newbie question really, but if I'm ignorant, I'm ignorant...
Jim H.