Digital BW, The Print

I am a little confused about metameriam. Is that
the effect one gets when viewing a print from a
variety of perspectives where it appears that the tone
of the inks seem to change? If so, it appears to me
that the problem lies in the areas of the print where
less to no ink is applied. If my assumption is correct
then I think the solution would be for Epson to make
room for an additional cartridge that would apply a
clear coat to those areas where less to no ink has
been applied. By the same token, I have observed this
effect on many different types of prints, not just
inkjets.

Jon Adams
hi5photos@...

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com

>  From: Jon Adams <hi5photos@...>
 
>  I am a little confused about metameriam. Is that
> the effect one gets when viewing a print from a
> variety of perspectives where it appears that the tone
> of the inks seem to change?

The standard explanation for metamerism is a condition where you have two
samples that measure the same color (if you used a Spectrophotometer) but
appear differently due to the light source and how it interacts with the
sample. Keep in mind that there are three areas you need to consider when
talking about viewing color: The light source, the subject and the viewer
(you and I). 

Metamerism isn't a bad thing, in fact if we didn't have it, there would be
no way we could match two distinctly different samples. Obviously with good
color management, we can make two devices match each other so in this case,
metamerism works to our advantage. In the same token, one could say
metamerism is the condition where two different samples produce the same
color appearance (is the glass half full or half empty?).

Where metamerism is a pain is the situation where you might print something
out and find that under a 5000K lightbox, you love the color only to find
under tungsten, the appearance changes (one of the three factors, our light
source is now different).

One reason having a "standard" viewing condition (your 5000K lightbox) is
useful is to be able to view all kinds of samples under one kind of
lighting. Yes, a client may take the print to a totally different light
source and the pigments or something else may produce metamerism that ends
up with a print that looks vastly different. Par for the course.

I suspect all media undergoes different degrees of metamerism. When you view
your Epson 1280 dye based ink print under two light sources, the degree of
metamerism is far less than when you view pigmented inks from a 2000P.

Andrew Rodney 

Andrew Rodney

> >  I am a little confused about metameriam. Is that
> > the effect one gets when viewing a print from a
> > variety of perspectives where it appears that the tone
> > of the inks seem to change?

What you are describing is a sort of irredescense, related to, but
not true metamerism. The luster papers, when viewed head on take on a
particular look. When you change your 
viewing postion, or the position of the print, it may reflect light
other than your main viewing light. Say you are looking at the print
under a track light in a Gallery. ( Lets also 
say there is a large white ceiling in the room, way above, lit by
another type of light). You stand there looking at the print as it is
lit by the track light and your eyes adjust to it 
and it looks pleasing. You now either tilt the print or move yourself
so the print reflects part of that broadly lit ceiling. The print may
take on a sheen or irredescence of a 
different color. I've read some posts that indicate that some inks,
such as Lysons newer archival dye ink, produces a golden metallic
looking
sheen in the shadow areas (shadow areas 
being the most heavily inked areas on the print) . 

Metamerism is more of an overall change of the look in the print
under different viewing conditions due
to the irregular surface of pigment particles. The print may look
perfectly neutral under a 5K 
hood in your printmaking studio, but in a gallery with tungsten
halogens, (aside from the warmer "feel" of tungsten lighting) there
may be a magenta/green crossover from
shadows to highlights, without having to adjust yourself or the print
to reflect other light sources.

Another way to describe metamerism-

You make a print and it looks good under your 5K viewing hood. 

You hang it in that gallery with the tungsten lights. Sure, the highlights appear warmer, but the shadows should appear with the same degree of warmness. If the print suffers 
from noticable metamerism, the highlights will go one way, magenta perhaps, and the shadows may go another way, green perhaps. All the tones do not move in perfect 
relationship to eachother. Some go one way, others go another way.

I would like to thank Andrew Rodney and John Luke
for their concise descriptions of metamerism. I can
only imagine that if you wish to avoid the downside of
metamerism you would have to adjust your printing
technique for the exact lighting conditions that your
work will be displayed. I wonder what those folks with
traveling exhibitions do? More commonly, If these
prints are in your portfolio which you show around
from one art director to another how would you avoid
metamerism then?

   On the microscopic level, when the ink dries on the
surface of the paper it must lie on top of the paper
instead of becoming incorporated into the paper's
surface. If each microscopic unit of ink dries into
[let's say] a crystal [or perhaps a pyramid
shape]where each side is a different hue, then
metamerism would be the obvious outcome. Flaking too.
So if any of these finishing sprays that I see
advertised such as "Sureguard" or "Lacquer -Mat" are
applied, would that then alter the surface enough to
assuage the effect of metamerism? 

Jon Adams
www.hi5photos.com

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com

Nope.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Jon Adams 
<hi5photos@y...> wrote:

> ...So if any of these finishing sprays that I see
> advertised such as "Sureguard" or "Lacquer -Mat" are
> applied, would that then alter the surface enough to
> assuage the effect of metamerism?

Message: 15
   Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 05:47:56 -0000

   From: "sanfo2003 <SandyCornelius@...>"
<SandyCornelius@...>
Subject: Re:metamerism

Nope.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com,
Jon Adams 
<hi5photos@y...> wrote:

> ...So if any of these finishing sprays that I see
> advertised such as "Sureguard" or "Lacquer -Mat" are
> applied, would that then alter the surface enough to
> assuage the effect of metamerism? 

You don't beat around the bush do you Sandy? :)

...Jon


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com

Nope. :)


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Jon Adams 
<hi5photos@y...> wrote:
> You don't beat around the bush do you Sandy?