Digital BW, The Print

I'm starting to learn about the curve creation process and am in the 
ink density calibration stage. I've tried several ink limits to 
determine it, but what I would like to have some insight on is whether 
the percentages of the black output on the calibration mode at my 
chosen ink limit percentage should have visible separation from 0% to 
100%; as it would be in a conventional 21 step stepwedge? I've narrowed 
it down to printing calibration mode at 45% and I do have separation of 
the black from 0% to 100%. Help at this stage will help me go on to the 
next step of calculating the othere ink densities compared to the black 
ink. I think I'll have access to a densitometer sometime this week and 
can go on if these steps now have been determined correctly.

Your friend in Photography,

Johnny

The ink limit step is probably the least important step of the whole 
process. You can create a good curve with a pretty wide range of values 
here, so just use an ink limit that avoids obviously blocked up shadows 
in the stepwedges and go on to the next step. On my 2100 I've made good 
curves with anything from 60 to 100 as the ink limit.

QTR also supports linearization with a scanner if you don't have a 
densitometer, but it won't be as accurate of course.

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



Johnny Eades wrote:

> 
> I'm starting to learn about the curve creation process and am in the 
> ink density calibration stage. I've tried several ink limits to 
> determine it, but what I would like to have some insight on is whether 
> the percentages of the black output on the calibration mode at my 
> chosen ink limit percentage should have visible separation from 0% to 
> 100%; as it would be in a conventional 21 step stepwedge? I've narrowed 
> it down to printing calibration mode at 45% and I do have separation of 
> the black from 0% to 100%. Help at this stage will help me go on to the 
> next step of calculating the othere ink densities compared to the black 
> ink. I think I'll have access to a densitometer sometime this week and 
> can go on if these steps now have been determined correctly.
> 
> Your friend in Photography,
> 
> Johnny

Daniel, 
Thanks a lot for that info. Now I can proceed to see what else I 
might need help with :)

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Daniel Staver 
<daniel@p...> wrote:
> The ink limit step is probably the least important step of the 
whole 
> process. You can create a good curve with a pretty wide range of 
values 
> here, so just use an ink limit that avoids obviously blocked up 
shadows 
> in the stepwedges and go on to the next step. On my 2100 I've made 
good 
> curves with anything from 60 to 100 as the ink limit.
> 
> QTR also supports linearization with a scanner if you don't have a 
> densitometer, but it won't be as accurate of course.
> 
> --
> Daniel Staver
> http://daniel.staver.no
> 
> 
> 
> Johnny Eades wrote:
> > 
> > I'm starting to learn about the curve creation process and am in 
the 
> > ink density calibration stage. I've tried several ink limits to 
> > determine it, but what I would like to have some insight on is 
whether 
> > the percentages of the black output on the calibration mode at my 
> > chosen ink limit percentage should have visible separation from 
0% to 
> > 100%; as it would be in a conventional 21 step stepwedge?

I just measure the steps and cap the inks where the density more or less
levels off.  As Daniel said it is not too critical.  But in the pursuit of
maximum density you will likely want to use as much ink as possible without
overloading it (hence I use he densitometer rather than a visual).  Don't
forget to then reprint the calibration page with the ink limits in place to
determine the partition values.  But again they don't have to be absolutely
perfect as you get to linearize as the last step.

> From: Johnny Eades <jeades1@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 20:23:52 -0000
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [Digital BW] QTR question on curve creation
> 
> 
> 
> I'm starting to learn about the curve creation process and am in the
> ink density calibration stage. I've tried several ink limits to
> determine it, but what I would like to have some insight on is whether
> the percentages of the black output on the calibration mode at my
> chosen ink limit percentage should have visible separation from 0% to
> 100%; as it would be in a conventional 21 step stepwedge? I've narrowed
> it down to printing calibration mode at 45% and I do have separation of
> the black from 0% to 100%. Help at this stage will help me go on to the
> next step of calculating the othere ink densities compared to the black
> ink. I think I'll have access to a densitometer sometime this week and
> can go on if these steps now have been determined correctly.
> 
> Your friend in Photography,
> 
> Johnny
> 
> 
> 
>