Digital BW, The Print

Frank,

>is there a method to reduce or preferably eliminate the little black
>dots I see through a loupe ?

>...I use: ... sepia>neutral inkset, 1160, Paul's Curves.

There really should not be any black dots anywhere except where the black
ink starts, which is in the fairly deep shadows.

However, assuming you are converting to RGB and using the standard
workflows, there will always be dots that are visible under the loupe.  I
never really worried about what I could see under a loupe, so I don't
consider them a problem.

Some people notice the toner dots in the highlights with the standard vm
inkset and the 1160, but I haven't heard too many people mention dots with
the vm-s.

For less dots under a loupe, use a hextone machine.  FS/Piezo inksets, which
have a slightly lighter gray and no color contrast between the various inks,
might give you slightly fewer dots under the loupe.  Also, the Piezo/R9
software starts the black lower down in the scale, so if dots in the dark
shadows are a problem, that might reduce them somewhat.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

> Some people notice the toner dots in the highlights with the 
standard vm
> inkset and the 1160, but I haven't heard too many people mention 
dots with
> the vm-s.
> 
> For less dots under a loupe, use a hextone machine.  FS/Piezo 
inksets, which
> have a slightly lighter gray and no color contrast between the 
various inks,
> might give you slightly fewer dots under the loupe.  Also, the 
Piezo/R9
> software starts the black lower down in the scale, so if dots in 
the dark
> shadows are a problem, that might reduce them somewhat.
> 

In general I  am pretty happy with the printer/inks/curves. I noticed 
the dots tonight on an image I was working on & hoped I could reduce 
them. I cant consider another printer or even piezo software - $ are 
a big issue now. I want to maximize what I have. So only if changing 
the inkset will help will I be able to consider that. Perhaps weaning 
my CFS off the Sepia>Neutral inkset - but which inks would I replace 
them with ? With this set I Mostly use the Neutral curve anyway, & 
occasionally the Med Warm.
Frank

Frank,

>In general I  am pretty happy with the printer/inks/curves. I noticed
>the dots tonight on an image I was working on & hoped I could reduce
>them. I cant consider another printer or even piezo software - $ are
>a big issue now. I want to maximize what I have. So only if changing
>the inkset will help will I be able to consider that.

Try printing with the standard vm-warm curve.  It cuts the toner out of the
highlights.  See if the dots are a problem for you then.  Also, where are
you noticing these dots?

What I'm getting at is that you should determine whether changing inksets
will help.  It may not.

> Perhaps weaning my CFS off the Sepia>Neutral inkset

Most do not recommend changing inksets with a CFS unless you also change the
cartridge to get the old ink out.

> - but which inks would I replace
>them with ? With this set I Mostly use the Neutral curve anyway, &
>occasionally the Med Warm.

There is no other variable-mix/tone inkset that will be any better.  The
gray inks in the vm-s are the fs-n inks.  It you use the vm-w standard MIS
VM warm curve, then you'll see what the midtones and highlights with that
inkset will look like.  It's slightly cooler than the vm-s.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

Hello Frank,

> In general I  am pretty happy with the printer/inks/curves. 
>I noticed the dots tonight on an image I was working on & 
>hoped I could reduce them. 

I'm not sure it's possible to get true dotless prints with today's
technology.  I have the sample print from Jon Cone (who hypes dotless
highlights) and even his print has them.  Seems like just a matter of
how inconspicuous they can be.

Regards, - cj

> Try printing with the standard vm-warm curve.  It cuts the toner 
out of the
> highlights.  See if the dots are a problem for you then.  

What is the exact name for this curve ? Looking at the MIS site is 
confusing enough unless you know precisely what you're looking for.
Frank