Digital BW, The Print

Hi

I am asking the group's advice on this, as I am so new to Epson BW 
printing.

I have been sent a file from a friend who also runs an Epson 7600. 
He currently has Photo Black, and wants to see a print using Matte 
Black.

As he wants a direct comparison, I will not, I suppose, use 
Imageprint for this (unless I want to show him the difference using 
the RIP). If I did, would I send the file in Greyscale, or convert 
it to RGB before sending to the RIP? He scanned in greyscale and 
embedded the profile, by the way.

To send a direct comparison, do I just send this greyscale file out 
from Photoshop in the Epson driver/profile, or would I use my custom 
colour profile? 

Should I print in BO, and if so, how would I do this, as I don't 
know how to do by this method? (I only got the printer a couple of 
days ago and have not yet printed anything with it.)

Any help will be appreciated.

Many thanks,

Ellie

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 "colorspanmam" <Ellie@...> wrote:
> As he wants a direct comparison, I will not, I suppose, use
> Imageprint for this (unless I want to show him the difference using
> the RIP). If I did, would I send the file in Greyscale, or convert
> it to RGB before sending to the RIP? He scanned in greyscale and
> embedded the profile, by the way.

Ellie, ask him what his workflow was.
He most likely sent a greyscale to the Epson driver. Probably using 
color ink mode.
You could easily duplicate his workflow.

> To send a direct comparison, do I just send this greyscale file out
> from Photoshop in the Epson driver/profile, or would I use my custom
> colour profile?

Do you have a custom profile for the Epson driver, or your RIP?
Unless you have a linearized greyscale profile, I'd use the driver and 
its profile.

> Should I print in BO, and if so, how would I do this, as I don't
> know how to do by this method? (I only got the printer a couple of
> days ago and have not yet printed anything with it.)

BO using the ultrachrome inks produces a warm/brown print. Use the 
highest resolution setting.
Color mode prints are cooler, but there are slight hue/tone shifts.
FWIW, I find the color mode, using my own custom profile in PS the best 
route.
Your best prints would likely come from using your RIP.

John Toles
Dragonfly Imaging & Printing
Toronto, Canada
http://www.dragonflyprinting.com/
http://www.dragonflygallery.ca/