Digital BW, The Print

Even with using 16 bit scans and doing the major curve/level adj 
before switching to 8 bit, I still have a problem with posterisation 
in areas of my prints.

I have tried the same neg/scan on several paper samples I had (Royal 
Renaissance (Photo Rag), Eclipse Satine Soft & the Bright, EAM) & 
it's pretty much the same on all.

I am using MIS sepia>neutral inkset in an 1160 with Paul's curves.

In the past some have reported duplicating the background layer 
and/or combining 2 curve adjustment layers and/or adjusing the 
opacities - this is a muddle for me.

can anyone clarify this workflow or suggest another way I can try and 
beat the posterization blues

thanks
Frankg

Frank,

I have a 100 step greyscale I can email to you. I recommend you analyze the overall grey you are printing in a resolution finer than the 21 step chart. I am having a quite challenging time working on a set of curves for a 2000P using the MIS FSe inkset. Flat spots in the curve are much more visible in a real print than in that 21 step analysis. The graduated scales in the PiezoTest print are also valuable to ensure there smooth transitions. I think 8 bit i.e. 256 levels of grey ( 0.4 % steps ) are not your problem.

Alex
Orlando Fl


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "frankg_photo" <frank@f...> wrote:

> Even with using 16 bit scans and doing the major curve/level adj 
> before switching to 8 bit, I still have a problem with posterisation 
> in areas of my prints.
> 
> I have tried the same neg/scan on several paper samples I had (Royal 
> Renaissance (Photo Rag), Eclipse Satine Soft & the Bright, EAM) & 
> it's pretty much the same on all.
> 
> I am using MIS sepia>neutral inkset in an 1160 with Paul's curves.
> 
> In the past some have reported duplicating the background layer 
> and/or combining 2 curve adjustment layers and/or adjusing the 
> opacities - this is a muddle for me.
> 
> can anyone clarify this workflow or suggest another way I can try and 
> beat the posterization blues
> 
> thanks
> Frankg

Here i am replying to my own post :-)

After trying all day, I found tips posted by Bob ? to my first pleas 
in August, which suddenly seemed decipherable and produced an 
immediate improvement.

1.make 2x duplcate layers of the background
2.place one of Paul's curves above the first duplicate & set the Fill 
Opacity to around 70% & keep layer type Normal
3. on the 2nd duplicate layer, change the type to Overlay & the 
opacity to around 80%

Dont ask me why or how - but this has made an immediate improvement 
to my prints.
Can anyone delve deeper and/or finesse this procedure ?
Frank


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "frankg_photo" <frank@f...> 
wrote:
> Even with using 16 bit scans and doing the major curve/level adj 
> before switching to 8 bit, I still have a problem with 
posterisation 
> in areas of my prints.
> 
> I have tried the same neg/scan on several paper samples I had 
(Royal 
> Renaissance (Photo Rag), Eclipse Satine Soft & the Bright, EAM) & 
> it's pretty much the same on all.
> 
> I am using MIS sepia>neutral inkset in an 1160 with Paul's curves.
> 
> In the past some have reported duplicating the background layer 
> and/or combining 2 curve adjustment layers and/or adjusing the 
> opacities - this is a muddle for me.
> 
> can anyone clarify this workflow or suggest another way I can try 
and 

> beat the posterization blues
> 
> thanks
> Frankg

Hi Frank, i will try this I think.  But I am not clear on one point.  
The opacity changes, should they be applied to the background copy 
layers or the curve layers?  I can't see the benefity of applying it 
to the curves (so I guess I've just answered my own question, duh).  
Second point, is not using two copy background layers with two curves 
layers and then applying blending and opacity changes not the same as 
using only the background layer and applying the same transformations 
to the two curve layers?

Hope that makes an ounce of sense....

Steve


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "frankg_photo" <frank@f...> 
wrote:
> Here i am replying to my own post :-)
> 
> After trying all day, I found tips posted by Bob ? to my first 
pleas 
> in August, which suddenly seemed decipherable and produced an 
> immediate improvement.
> 
> 1.make 2x duplcate layers of the background
> 2.place one of Paul's curves above the first duplicate & set the 
Fill 
> Opacity to around 70% & keep layer type Normal
> 3. on the 2nd duplicate layer, change the type to Overlay & the 
> opacity to around 80%
> 
> Dont ask me why or how - but this has made an immediate improvement 
> to my prints.
> Can anyone delve deeper and/or finesse this procedure ?
> Frank
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "frankg_photo" 
<frank@f...> 

> wrote:
> > Even with using 16 bit scans and doing the major curve/level adj 
> > before switching to 8 bit, I still have a problem with 
> posterisation 
> > in areas of my prints.
> > 
> > I have tried the same neg/scan on several paper samples I had 
> (Royal 
> > Renaissance (Photo Rag), Eclipse Satine Soft & the Bright, EAM) & 
> > it's pretty much the same on all.
> > 
> > I am using MIS sepia>neutral inkset in an 1160 with Paul's curves.
> > 
> > In the past some have reported duplicating the background layer 
> > and/or combining 2 curve adjustment layers and/or adjusing the 
> > opacities - this is a muddle for me.
> > 
> > can anyone clarify this workflow or suggest another way I can try 
> and 
> > beat the posterization blues
> > 
> > thanks
> > Frankg