Digital BW, The Print

Cross posted to Digital BW list.

Good assessment, Quentin.  I just saw BW imageprint beta prints yesterday
with their 7600 driver. which includes a built in advanced grey balancer
(much better than Epson's).  We compared them to my piezotone prints made
with a 7000 and Imageprint both made on EAM.  The primary comparison was a
smooth gray ramp and step wedge. The Piezotone output definitely has the
edge in both dmax (the 7600 prints were made with the matte black...the
difference would be even more striking with the photo black).  Highlight
detail is also much better in the piezo...because the light grey ink is not
light enough...not nearly as light as the yellow position Piezotone
ink...thus there are darker dots in the highlights in the 7600 print. The
shadow detail of the 7600 print was good for imageprint's neutral
position...but when they moved off center to toned inks the shadows did tend
to block up...but this is a beta version of the software.  Unlike the epson
driver, Imageprint uses just the two blacks and photocyan and photomagenta
to tone.  The net effect is reduced metamerism over the straight epson
solution because of the absence of yellow and the full strength cyan and
magenta inks...I didn't see any metamerism in the test prints that I looked
at.

Overall, I'd say with imageprint, the occasional BW printer can get decent
prints with a 7600.  I would not say this for the epson driver output that
I've seen from the 7600 and 2200...there is too much compromise in shadow
and highlight detail. Probably the biggest advantage is for a commerical
photographer who wants to do glossy or pearl RC style prints...the 7600
would be great for this...and of course lightfastness is not an issue for
that application.

There is no doubt in my mind after seeing this output that the piezotones
with either imageprint or piezopro are still the premium BW output...that
said a 7600 (or 9600 or 2200) might provide an interesting alternative to
toning.

Also of interest, to at least Martin, will be that with either the gray
balancer or Imageprint's greybalancer you do not have separate control of
the toning of highlights and shadows...they tend to move together.  Of
course you could try to do this manually in photoshop with an RGB file...but
you will be printing with all of the color inks then and risk crossovers and
increased metamerism.

The comparisons that I was doing yesterday reminded me of how beautiful the
new Selenium tones are with their slightly warm hilights and cooler
shadows...this was not the case with the 7600 output that I've seen.

Robert

On 8/16/02 3:28 AM, "qdfb" <qdb@...> wrote:

> I have a 7600 Ultrachrome and a 7000 Piezo.  The 7000 piezo remains
> top dog for B&W, but the gap has closed a bit with the 7600.
> 
> I have my own custom profile for the 7600 and this gives reasonably
> neutral B&W output.  There are three real differences I note between
> B&W output with the two printers:
> 
> - The shadow detail is better with the 7000 Piezo;
> - Tonal transitions are a bit smoother with piezo;
> - there is some residual metamerism with the 7600.
> 
> I'd be pretty happy with B&W from the 7600 if I did not have the 7000
> Piezo for direct comparison.
> 
> I have the grey balancer software, but I have not tried it yet.  I
> plan on doing so.  Maybe that will close the gap a bit more.
> As I have piezo on the 7000, I don't really have the incentive to try
> and squeeze the max in B&W from the 7600.
> 
> BTW, these comparisons are with the old piezo inkset...
> -
> Quentin
> 
> --- In piezography3000@y..., "lawrencetrek" <ltitle@h...> wrote:
>> Those are interesting observations.  Can you really expand on the
> differences  
>> objectively and subjectively between the Piezo and 2200.
>> 
>> Is there anyone else out there with significant experience with the
> PiezoTone 
>> inks and who also has tried printing B/W output from the Epson 2200
> who can 
>> critically compare these two.
>> 
>> There are conflicting reports:  some are ready to pack up
> Piezography, while
>> others are saying the 2200 still can't compete for B/W output (e.g.
> continued 
>> problems with color casts and metamerism).  I am especially
> interested in 
>> anyone who has custom printer profiles for their 2200  or who has
> access to 
>> the Gray Balancer software.
> 
>