Digital BW, The Print

Looks like my previous post got lost so here's my question again: are there any 
improvements in this new version regarding the 1280 Epson and UT's?
Basically the beta 8 works fine for me and if there's no compelling reason to upgrade 
I don't want to do it just because there is a new version. 

Thanks, Andu

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "px3n120x" 
<px3n120x@y...> wrote:
> Looks like my previous post got lost so here's my question again: are there any 
> improvements in this new version regarding the 1280 Epson and UT's?
> Basically the beta 8 works fine for me and if there's no compelling reason to 
upgrade 
> I don't want to do it just because there is a new version. 
> 
> Thanks, Andu

Andu,

There were changes for the 1160/1270/1280 class printers.  The effect
should be slightly smoother highlights, but whether you will easily see it
or what images you'd see it in is hard to say.  Old curves should work pretty
well but for optimum, identical densities you ought to re-linearize the curves.

That said, if you already have good results and haven't enough time to try
and compare the new version, stay with beta8.  But I think anyone working
on new curves and experimenting in general ought to download and use
the newer version.   It's also perfectly alright to go back from beta9 to beta8
if you really need to.

Roy

> There were changes for the 1160/1270/1280 class printers.   
> should be slightly smoother highlights, but whether you will easily see it
>  Old curves should work pretty well but for optimum, identical densities you ought 
>to re-linearize the curves.
> Roy

     I have used QTR and like it very much! (thanks Roy!!!). 

     But, I tried to "re-linearize" once before and it gave very strange results. I printed a 
21 step scale with based on one of the files that came with the software, read it with 
my eye one and put in the data to the curve file and ran it. Then I did it the preceeding 
again, substituting the new info for the "linearize" function at the end of the curve file, 
and the result was just crazy. The curve was unusable (weird tone progressions all 
over the place)

    Since then I've always begun from a "clean" curve file (namely one of the files that 
come with the software) and I linearize *only once*. If a curve gets weird (from 
strange readings near the black end of the scale for instance) I start over(which is kind 
of a pain, but not terrible).

    Is this the right way to do things???  Can I get the new software (I have an 1160) run 
a step scale with a curve I already use and then read and re-linearize that? Or am I 
right to begin with a fresh curve file every time?

TIA
Mark Stracke

ps. Roy, thanks again. Your efforts have been a tremendous contribution to the Mac 
-Quad printing community.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Mark Stracke" 
<markastracke@y...> wrote:
> > There were changes for the 1160/1270/1280 class printers.   
> > should be slightly smoother highlights, but whether you will easily see it
> >  Old curves should work pretty well but for optimum, identical densities you 
ought 
> >to re-linearize the curves.
> > Roy
> 
>      I have used QTR and like it very much! (thanks Roy!!!). 
> 
>      But, I tried to "re-linearize" once before and it gave very strange results. I 
printed a 
> 21 step scale with based on one of the files that came with the software, read it 
with 
> my eye one and put in the data to the curve file and ran it. Then I did it the 
preceeding 
> again, substituting the new info for the "linearize" function at the end of the curve 
file, 
> and the result was just crazy. The curve was unusable (weird tone progressions all 
> over the place)
> 
>     Since then I've always begun from a "clean" curve file (namely one of the files 
that 
> come with the software) and I linearize *only once*. If a curve gets weird (from 
> strange readings near the black end of the scale for instance) I start over(which is 
kind 
> of a pain, but not terrible).
> 
>     Is this the right way to do things???  Can I get the new software (I have an 1160) 
run 
> a step scale with a curve I already use and then read and re-linearize that? Or am I 
> right to begin with a fresh curve file every time?
> 
> TIA
> Mark Stracke
> 
> ps. Roy, thanks again. Your efforts have been a tremendous contribution to the Mac 
> -Quad printing community.

Hi Mark,

You bring up some good points and I should clarify how you "re-linearize".

In a sense you're right that you can "linearize only once" -- in that you can
only have one LINEARIZE line in the file.   So what you need to do to relinearize
is take out the LINEARIZE= line in the ink file, process through quad-profile,
print a new stepwedge, read it, insert the new LINEARIZE= line, re-profile
one more time and you are done.

Your point about occasionally getting bogus readings from the eye-one is
correct.  The new version has some new stepwedges that are random order
patches.  The MeasureTool software (from ProfileMaker Pro) has some
error checking with random patches and I've have better luck reading these.
Also if you get an error you know it sooner.

Roy

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Roy Harrington" <roy@h...> 
wrote:
> Andu,
> 
> There were changes for the 1160/1270/1280 class printers.  The effect
> should be slightly smoother highlights, but whether you will easily see it
> or what images you'd see it in is hard to say.  Old curves should work pretty
> well but for optimum, identical densities you ought to re-linearize the curves.
> 
> That said, if you already have good results and haven't enough time to try
> and compare the new version, stay with beta8.  But I think anyone working
> on new curves and experimenting in general ought to download and use
> the newer version.   It's also perfectly alright to go back from beta9 to beta8
> if you really need to.
> 
> Roy

Thanks Roy, I was perfectly happy with the results from beta8 but considering your 
reply I will upgrade. I have a good curve, but don't mind improving on it or come up 
with variations or something new, this is part of the game.

Andu