Digital BW, The Print

Andrew,

The entry level choices are the X-Rite Digital Swatchbook (~$1,400), the
Spectrostar, now Avantes, Spectrocam (~$1,300) or the Color Savvy Systems
ColorMouse Spectrophotometer (~$770).

I have the Spectrocam and like it. X-Rite has an excellent reputation and I
am sure it is quality instrument. The ColorMouse I am not familiar with.

http://www.colorsavvy.com/
http://www.avantes.com/
http://www.spectrostar.com/indexmsie.htm
http://www.xrite.com/homepage.asp

A note on Spectrostar. They were put into bankruptcy by Gretag and the
Spectrocam has been picked up by Avantes who appear to be renaming it the
AvaMouse. The original Spectrocam could be used as a reflective
spectrophotometer, a monitor calibrator and a color temperature instrument.
I was told by Avantes that Gretag had obtained a patent on the concept of a
multiuse spectrometer years ago and sued Spectrostar for incorporating the
three uses in one instrument. This is simply a matter of software as the
physical instrument is the same. Gretag won in the US courts but lost in the
European courts. Rather than pay fines and royalties Spectrostar folded. I
have dealt with Avantes and found them to be most helpful.

Martin Wesley

http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html



----- Original Message -----
From: "andrewmbiggs" <abiggs@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 24, 2002 8:46 AM
Subject: [Digital BW] Densitometers?


> Ok, here is a newbie question. Are there any entry-level
> densitometers out there, new or used, that will be acceptable to be
> used with b&w output from piezo printers? In other words, I am not
> interested in color issues, transparency media, etc.
>
> I would like to use the densitometer to compare papers, inks and to
> setup my own curves.
>
> Are there any other reasons for me to have a densitomer?
>
>
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In a message dated 8/24/02 11:46:32 AM, abiggs@... writes:

>Ok, here is a newbie question. Are there any entry-level 
>densitometers out there, new or used, that will be acceptable to be 
>used with b&w output from piezo printers? In other words, I am not 
>interested in color issues, transparency media, etc.
>
>I would like to use the densitometer to compare papers, inks and to 
>setup my own curves.
>
>Are there any other reasons for me to have a densitomer?

You could get a densitometer for that, but for the same kind of money, you 
could get the patch reader that ColorVision is offering with its bundles now; 
this would offer those color capabilities you don't need at the moment as 
well...

C David Tobie
Design Cooperative
CDTobie@...

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., CDTobie@a... wrote:
> You could get a densitometer for that, but for the same kind of money, you 
> could get the patch reader that ColorVision is offering with its bundles now; 
> this would offer those color capabilities you don't need at the moment as 
> well...

But isn't that new product limited to only being able to read 125 patches? That 
could be a problem depending on what the user hopes to accomplish.

In a message dated 8/25/02 3:11:32 PM, andrew@... writes:

>But isn't that new product limited to only being able to read 125 patches?
>That 
>could be a problem depending on what the user hopes to accomplish. 
 
No, its capable of being used with high patch targets; or other spectros for 
that matter. For practical reasons 125 patch targets have always been 
recommended with manual patch readers; for many devices the additional time 
involved in reading high patch targets is hardly descernable.

C. David Tobie
Design Cooperative
CDTobie@...