Digital BW, The Print

Greetings DBWP Group,

I'm a new kid on the block.

Just downloaded QTR from Harrington site. I work strictly in digital
B&W. I use PC, Windows XP. I have an Epson 2200 that I have had 
great luck with, including a number of print sales, but metamerism 
is a big issue for me (prints look very-acceptable neutral in 
incandescent light, but greenish in natural light and magenta-ish in 
flourescent light. I've read numerous times that's the nature of the 
2200 beast, but for me it's a bit too beastly. Of course enhancing 
the tonal range and subtlety, luminescence, etc., of my B&W prints 
would also be a real plus, if possible.

Am generally weak with computers and software and am a bit paralyzed
about this major change. Have not installed the QTR for fear of what
will occur, and the thought of a whole new set of print settings to
sort out (it took a LONG time to get the right settings in the Epson)
print setup screens)is really intimidating.

First BIG question: Will this QTR software bundle truly make an
improvement in my B&W Epson 2200 prints? (I use the matte black
cartridge and print on Epson Enhanced Matte paper -- a good
combination that produces very good prints. I would like to keep
that combination if possible.)

Second BIG question: Will I be able to pull this off and make it
work? Is the readme documentation that's part of the download simple
and explicit enough to take me through the process? If not, is there
a Web resource (maybe you guys) that can get me through this?

Help, guys! More questions later, but right now I need to know if
taking this major step (and trying to fix something that is only
somewhat broken, is what I want to do.

(I have a modest WEb site of my work at lee-permenter.com
Of course, metamerism isn't an issue on the Web site, but in my
prints... Oy vey!)

Lee Permenter
New Market, Maryland

> From: leepermenter <leepermenter@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 15:48:35 -0000
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [Digital BW] Harrington QuadTone RIP, Epson 2200
> 
> Greetings DBWP Group,
> 
> I'm a new kid on the block.
> 
> Just downloaded QTR from Harrington site. I work strictly in digital
> B&W. I use PC, Windows XP. I have an Epson 2200 that I have had
> great luck with, including a number of print sales, but metamerism
> is a big issue for me (prints look very-acceptable neutral in
> incandescent light, but greenish in natural light and magenta-ish in
> flourescent light. I've read numerous times that's the nature of the
> 2200 beast, but for me it's a bit too beastly. Of course enhancing
> the tonal range and subtlety, luminescence, etc., of my B&W prints
> would also be a real plus, if possible.
> 
> Am generally weak with computers and software and am a bit paralyzed
> about this major change. Have not installed the QTR for fear of what
> will occur, and the thought of a whole new set of print settings to
> sort out (it took a LONG time to get the right settings in the Epson)
> print setup screens)is really intimidating.
> 
> First BIG question: Will this QTR software bundle truly make an
> improvement in my B&W Epson 2200 prints?

YES

>(I use the matte black
> cartridge and print on Epson Enhanced Matte paper -- a good
> combination that produces very good prints. I would like to keep
> that combination if possible.)
> 
> Second BIG question: Will I be able to pull this off and make it
> work? Is the readme documentation that's part of the download simple
> and explicit enough to take me through the process? If not, is there
> a Web resource (maybe you guys) that can get me through this?

The documentation for curve generation is relatively weak but you don't need
to worry about that initially as you will be using the curves that others
have prepared and that have been included in the download.  Ask here with
any other questions - small or large.

Hello Lee,

>I have an Epson 2200 that I have had great luck with, including 
>a number of print sales

>I use the matte black cartridge and print on Epson Enhanced Matte 
>paper -- a good combination that produces very good prints. I 
>would like to keep that combination if possible.)

If you are selling prints you might want to look into some other
papers, as EEM is not considered archival and yellows considerably in
just a few months.  Most use it as proof paper and then make final
prints on something else.

Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm

Clayton,

Interesting. What papers have you had luck with or recommend that 
are included in the curve profiles that come with QuadTone RIP?

Lee 

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Clayton Jones" 
<cj@c...> wrote:
> Hello Lee,
> 
> >I have an Epson 2200 that I have had great luck with, including 
> >a number of print sales
> 
> >I use the matte black cartridge and print on Epson Enhanced Matte 
> >paper -- a good combination that produces very good prints. I 
> >would like to keep that combination if possible.)
> 
> If you are selling prints you might want to look into some other
> papers, as EEM is not considered archival and yellows considerably 
in

> just a few months.  Most use it as proof paper and then make final
> prints on something else.
> 
> Regards,
> Clayton
> 
> 
> Info on black and white digital printing at    
> http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm

Lee,

>Interesting. What papers have you had luck with or recommend that 
>are included in the curve profiles that come with QuadTone RIP?

All of those papers are excellent, they just have different
characteristics (paper color, ink color, dmax, etc).  So it's just
what you like.  There is a review of 24 papers on my web site (link
below) that list all the various characteristics.  It's article #5
"The Great Paper Chase", and it will give a good idea of what these
papers are like.  You just have to pick one and try it.  Some of the
vendors sell small sample quantities.

Back to EEM, this evening I received an email in response to my
earlier reply to you.  I think the sender meant to post it in the
forum but emailed it to me by mistake.  I emailed him about it but
haven't gotten a reply yet, so I'll post it below without his name. 
It is just underscoring my remarks about EEM.

Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm

>>>>>>
I just want to second Clayton's important note about avoiding the 
Epson Enhanced Matte Heavyweight paper for artwork - it yellows VERY 
strongly. Commercial clients love it for the bright flourescent 
whites, but... We printed a limited edition of books for a painter 
friend, using dye based inks, and warned him strongly that the inks 
would not last. But we had no idea that the paper would change so 
radically in dark storage in only a year. He needed some more of the 
edition printed, but when we printed again a year later using the 
same equipment (and we use a completely color calibrated workflow) 
the new prints didn't match the previous books. What a shock to see 
it was due to how radically the paper in the books had yellowed. 
Good luck,
>>>>>>>>

Clayton,

Thanks for the head-up on the EEM paper. I had noticed some 
yellowing, but hadn't given it much thought. There are so many 
things involved in getting a good print. For me the first challenge 
was the archival issue. I had a Canon S800 that made nice prints on 
glossy paper, but they would discolor almost in front of your eyes. 
Then it was the metamerism with the 2200, which the RIP seems to be 
really helping with. Now the paper. Oh, well ...

Best,

Lee

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Clayton Jones" 
<cj@c...> wrote:
> Lee,
> 
> >Interesting. What papers have you had luck with or recommend that 
> >are included in the curve profiles that come with QuadTone RIP?
> 
> All of those papers are excellent, they just have different
> characteristics (paper color, ink color, dmax, etc).  So it's just
> what you like.  There is a review of 24 papers on my web site (link
> below) that list all the various characteristics.  It's article #5
> "The Great Paper Chase", and it will give a good idea of what these
> papers are like.  You just have to pick one and try it.  Some of 
the
> vendors sell small sample quantities.
> 
> Back to EEM, this evening I received an email in response to my
> earlier reply to you.  I think the sender meant to post it in the
> forum but emailed it to me by mistake.  I emailed him about it but
> haven't gotten a reply yet, so I'll post it below without his 
name. 
> It is just underscoring my remarks about EEM.
> 
> Regards,
> Clayton
> 
> 
> Info on black and white digital printing at    
> http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm
> 
> >>>>>>
> I just want to second Clayton's important note about avoiding the 
> Epson Enhanced Matte Heavyweight paper for artwork - it yellows 
VERY 
> strongly. Commercial clients love it for the bright flourescent 
> whites, but... We printed a limited edition of books for a painter 
> friend, using dye based inks, and warned him strongly that the 
inks 
> would not last. But we had no idea that the paper would change so 
> radically in dark storage in only a year. He needed some more of 
the 
> edition printed, but when we printed again a year later using the 
> same equipment (and we use a completely color calibrated workflow) 
> the new prints didn't match the previous books. What a shock to 
see 

> it was due to how radically the paper in the books had yellowed. 
> Good luck,
> >>>>>>>>