Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message -----

From: <peter@...>


> I want to get advice on the best method for getting the most neutral
> BW prints from this printer.  I live in the US so I don't have access
> to the Graybalancer  (yes, I know I can download it in French or
> Swedish but that doesn't give me the test chart, and anyway it's got
> a 120 page manual and I don't speak those languages!).

You will find a lot of discussion on this in the archives.

Without spending any additional money, you might try printing using the
photo-realistic mode setting of the Epson driver.  This generally does a
reasonable job of BW printing, but you will notice metamerism.

An English version of the Gray Balancer can be found on Epson-Russia's web
site.  You can find a link to the windows download here:
http://fors.net/2200/  As fas as I know they haven't posted a MAC download.
There is also a good tutorial at
http://www.photo-i.co.uk/talkshop/gb-tutorial.htm that explains how to use a
standard Kodak gray scale with the software.  Again, this solution won't
solve the metamerism problem.

The best solution I've found to date is Colorbyte's ImagePrint software for
an additional $500.  From my tests, it appears to print using only black,
light black, light cyan, and light magenta inks and does an excellent job at
achieving neutral prints with no noticable metamerism.

Other possibilities might be: iProof Power RIP and Epson's own Stylus 2200
RIP software.  I have not tested or seen output from these, but others have
reported good results.

> Are there websites or other places where people discuss good methods
> of calibrating the 2200 for neutral BW printing?  Thanks in advance!
>

Search the archives of this group.  Also check out the photo-i site,
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/Epson2200.shtml, and the
inkjet printing forums at dpreview.com

--Tom

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Thomas Fors" 

> The best solution I've found to date is Colorbyte's ImagePrint 
software for
> an additional $500.  From my tests, it appears to print using only 
black,
> light black, light cyan, and light magenta inks and does an 
excellent job at
> achieving neutral prints with no noticable metamerism.

You've mentioned the metamerism problem several times.  
But metamerism is a physical property of the ink.  When any two inks 
have a different shape to their spectral response curves you have the 
risk of a metamerism.   Pigmented inks tend to have "peakier" 
response curves so they have more risk of metamerism than dye-based 
inks.  Are you saying the dark cyan and dark magenta inks have a 
response curve with a different shape than their light cousins, so 
that eliminating them fixes the problem?

Thanks for all the other info!

---peter
www.studio-nelson.com

plnelson2003 wrote:
> 
> You've mentioned the metamerism problem
> several times.  But metamerism is a physical
> property of the ink. When any two inks have
> a different shape to their spectral response
> curves you have the risk of a metamerism.
> Pigmented inks tend to have "peakier" response
> curves so they have more risk of metamerism
> than dye-based inks. Are you saying the dark
> cyan and dark magenta inks have a response
> curve with a different shape than their light
> cousins, so that eliminating them fixes the
> problem?

I suspect the dark cyan and magenta are not used by IP because they're just not needed to produce a neutral print.  I think the key to reducing metamerism is not using the yellow ink.

My tests consisted of printing Paul Roark's step wedge using both IP and various settings of the Epson driver at 1440 dpi.  I then scanned the 1% patch at 1600 dpi and sharpened in photoshop so I could clearly see the individual ink droplets.  I'm working on an article describing the tests and the results I've seen, but it may be some time before I have a chance to finish it.  I have several other commitments at the moment that are taking a good portion of my free time.  I'd be glad to post the scans to the file area of this forum if there is interest.

It appears that the light cyan and magenta are all that's needed to neutralize the black and gray inks with plenty of headroom to produce tinted BW prints using IP's tint picker.  I've not tested any tinted prints to see if yellow is used.

My "standard test" for metamerism consists of evaluating Paul Roark's step wedge under daylight, tungsten, and flourescent.  I have a nice big window in my office and by simply tilting a print back and forth from the window light to the office flourescent lights I can see the color shift from magenta to green.  I don't see this with the IP prints.  I don't know of a more scientific test for metamerism that I can perform cheaply.

--Tom