Digital BW, The Print

Hello everyone. I've recently begun using QTR (through QTRGui) 
printing on an Epson 4000, alternating between Enhanced Matte and 
Premium Luster. I'm trying to follow the discussions about how to do 
some kind of soft-proofing/preview of what a print will look like in 
various cool/warm/sepia blends, but haven't (yet, anyway) been able 
to gain a sufficiently clear understanding of procedure. I don't 
have access to a spectrophotometer a la the Eye One (I use a self-
calibrating Sony Artisan as my display). I soft-proof color work via 
PS CS and familiar with that process, but can't get things to work 
similarly with QTR (though the actual prints from the 4000 are 
superb). Does this have something to do with the LabGrey space, etc. 
for download on Roy's site?

Anyway, a simple walk-through would be appreciated. Thanks very much 
in advance for your patient tutorials!



best...aa.

Andrew ...

I have been having the same problem and, if I may, will second your
request.  Lou Dina wrote some notes on the proper procedure for PC's
but I have had problems implementing.  I think I was the problem, not
Lou, as I have read and thought I understood his exceptionally well
written IJC/OPM tutorial.

Hopefully your request will stimulate at some knowledgeable responses.

Fred Drury,
Markland Imaging

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Andrew Adler"
<aadler@i...> wrote:

> 
> Hello everyone. I've recently begun using QTR (through QTRGui) 
> printing on an Epson 4000, alternating between Enhanced Matte and 
> Premium Luster. I'm trying to follow the discussions about how to do 
> some kind of soft-proofing/preview of what a print will look like in 
> various cool/warm/sepia blends, but haven't (yet, anyway) been able 
> to gain a sufficiently clear understanding of procedure. I don't 
> have access to a spectrophotometer a la the Eye One (I use a self-
> calibrating Sony Artisan as my display). I soft-proof color work via 
> PS CS and familiar with that process, but can't get things to work 
> similarly with QTR (though the actual prints from the 4000 are 
> superb). Does this have something to do with the LabGrey space, etc. 
> for download on Roy's site?
> 
> Anyway, a simple walk-through would be appreciated. Thanks very much 
> in advance for your patient tutorials!
> 
> 
> 
> best...aa.

Hi,

It is now possible to linearize curves with a scanner in QTR.

1. Print a 21 step wedge using a non-linearized curve.

2. Scan the image. I use an Epson 3200 and switch off all adjustments in 
the twain driver.

3. You want to read the L value from each step on the stepwedge. I 
switch the secondary color in the info palette to LAB and use the color 
picker with the 5x5 average option for this.

4. Start with white and use that as your first value in QTRgui. Then 
read each step down to black. The order starting with the highest value 
is important, as QTR uses this to differentiate from density readings 
which start with the lowest value.

Obviously a scanner isn't as accurate as a densitometer, but my first 
tests here seems promising. I believe this is a really good and 
inexepensive way for many to create their own profiles.

I see clear separation in each step and the stepwedge prints very 
similar to one printed with Paul's UT7 neutral curve on EEM.

--
Daniel Staver
http://daniel.staver.no