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2006-01-28 by imagemaker2600
I have just bought a set of UT7 inks and spongeless cartridges from MIS for my 1280 in order to start printing some of my older stuff and came upon a Photoshop plug-in called "Convert To BW Pro" in a UK photography magazine. The software publisher appears to be in the US. Has anyone used it? Recommend it? Thanks
2006-01-28 by Kip Babington
I've been using it for at least 3 years and couldn't function without it. If you have B&W film and wet darkroom experience it will be about as familiar as new software can be, but much more powerful and convenient than you are used to. For example, imagine that the color filters you use on your camera lens to adjust contrast are actually a single, continuously variable filter on which sliders control both the color and the density of the filter, while you watch the result on a B&W image. Same with the exposure and print contrast sliders (calibrated to match Ilford Multigrade filters, but in 0.1 increments) - just slide 'em and watch what happens to the output. I know it's just using Photoshop tools to do these things, and that I could in theory learn to do things directly without the cost of the plug-in, but I had enough other things to learn in moving from chemical to digital that having familiar controls for this aspect of the process was more than worth the cost. When I first looked at it they had a 30 day free trial, and I bought after 3 days of use. If they still have a free trial, why not just take a look. Cheers, Kip imagemaker2600 wrote:
>I have just bought a set of UT7 inks and spongeless cartridges from >MIS for my 1280 in order to start printing some of my older stuff and >came upon a Photoshop plug-in called "Convert To BW Pro" in a >UK photography magazine. The software publisher appears to be in >the US. Has anyone used it? Recommend it? > >
2006-01-28 by Craig Sanders
I have used it and can say it's very good. Gives you excellent control over color to B/W conversion, including simulating photo filters, different photo print papers (not inkjet, photographic), and even has some print toning tools thrown in. However, that being said, it doesn't do anything you can't do with the PhotoShop channel mixer, solid fill layers and a healthy dose of patience. Craig Sanders _____
From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of imagemaker2600 Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 9:51 AM To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Digital BW] Anyone Tried ConvertToBW Pro? I have just bought a set of UT7 inks and spongeless cartridges from MIS for my 1280 in order to start printing some of my older stuff and came upon a Photoshop plug-in called "Convert To BW Pro" in a UK photography magazine. The software publisher appears to be in the US. Has anyone used it? Recommend it? Thanks Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, and other resources as they are often being updated. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint If you wish to receive no emails or just a daily digest, or you wish to unsubscribe, please edit your Membership preferences by visiting this same page. Please follow these basic guidelines: - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier messages to keep them short. - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or flames. Hostile, aggressive or argumentative users may be removed from the membership without notice. - Keep your posts and threads related to the group topic of digital B&W printing. Users who persistently make off-topic posts may be removed from the membership. - By posting on this forum you agree to abide by the group rules and guidelines, and to abide by the actions and decisions of the group Owner and Moderators. See "Group Topic, Rules and Guidelines" in the Files section: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/ BY PARTICIPATING IN AND/OR POSTING MESSAGES TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO! GROUP YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THE "OWNER" AND "MODERATORS" OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF THE "OWNER" AND "MODERATORS" OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; (ii) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iii) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; OR (iv) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP. _____ YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS * Visit your group "DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint> " on the web. * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Uns ubscribe> * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> . _____ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
2006-01-29 by Ken Carney
I like it a lot, since the interface resonates with the darkroom days. It won't do anything you can't do in PS, but it is a _lot_ faster. Look and see if there is a free trial. Ken
> -----Original Message----- > From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com > [mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On > Behalf Of imagemaker2600 > Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 11:51 AM > To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Digital BW] Anyone Tried ConvertToBW Pro? > > I have just bought a set of UT7 inks and spongeless > cartridges from MIS for my 1280 in order to start printing > some of my older stuff and came upon a Photoshop plug-in > called "Convert To BW Pro" in a UK photography magazine. The > software publisher appears to be in the US. Has anyone used > it? Recommend it? > > Thanks
2006-01-29 by lou4photo
Yes, this is a very nice tool especially if you have come from a traditional BW film/printing background since it mimics some of those tools. I found the second section where you can adjust an image B&W tonal conversion from color with sliders based on the color spectrum to be the most useful and to be the real power of this plug-in. It's interface is intutitive and the image quality is good. I have, however, found some posterization in images if I use the color filter controls, in the first section, and the color spectrum controls in the second section together. So if you use them together don't get too extreme in either section. I find the contrast and brightness controls, that mimic film over/under exposure and paper contrasts values, in the third section, to be reasonably accurate to the traditional materials, nice to get all those "in between" contrast paper settings but linear in nature and much less useful, control-wise, than photoshop curves. The toning functions seem to work well but I don't use them much. Overall there is nothing this plugin does that you can't do in photoshop but the format does make the conversion easier for those coming from film- based imaging backgrounds and/or like an easy-to-use interface (like me!). Lou Meluso
2006-01-29 by Bert Katzung
There is a free trial period of 30 days with full functionality --- no watermarks or grids or anything to mess up the image. Download at http://www.theimagingfactory.com/data/pages/info/cbwp.htm Very nice filter! Bert katzung1@... www.astronomy-images.com www.visionlightgallery.com/katzung/
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Carney" <kcarney1@...> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 5:27 PM Subject: RE: [Digital BW] Anyone Tried ConvertToBW Pro? I like it a lot, since the interface resonates with the darkroom days. It won't do anything you can't do in PS, but it is a _lot_ faster. Look and see if there is a free trial. Ken > -----Original Message----- > From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com > [mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On > Behalf Of imagemaker2600 > Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 11:51 AM > To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Digital BW] Anyone Tried ConvertToBW Pro? > > I have just bought a set of UT7 inks and spongeless > cartridges from MIS for my 1280 in order to start printing > some of my older stuff and came upon a Photoshop plug-in > called "Convert To BW Pro" in a UK photography magazine. The > software publisher appears to be in the US. Has anyone used > it? Recommend it? > > Thanks Please visit the Group Homepage to check the Files, and other resources as they are often being updated. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint If you wish to receive no emails or just a daily digest, or you wish to unsubscribe, please edit your Membership preferences by visiting this same page. Please follow these basic guidelines: - As threads develop, trim off excess portions of earlier messages to keep them short. - Good manners are required at all time. No personal attacks or flames. Hostile, aggressive or argumentative users may be removed from the membership without notice. - Keep your posts and threads related to the group topic of digital B&W printing. Users who persistently make off-topic posts may be removed from the membership. - By posting on this forum you agree to abide by the group rules and guidelines, and to abide by the actions and decisions of the group Owner and Moderators. See "Group Topic, Rules and Guidelines" in the Files section: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/ BY PARTICIPATING IN AND/OR POSTING MESSAGES TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO! GROUP YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THE "OWNER" AND "MODERATORS" OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF THE "OWNER" AND "MODERATORS" OF DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; (ii) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iii) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP; OR (iv) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE DIGITAL BW, THE PRINT YAHOO GROUP. Yahoo! Groups Links
2006-01-29 by Doug Fisher
Just a reminder to people who have bought an R2400 in case they have forgotten or didn't notice when they were opening up their new toy - R2400 users get a free download of the nik b/w conversion tool that is normally part of the nik Color Efex Pro 2.0. I don't know if it works any better or worse than ConvertToBW but if you have an R2400 you might want to give it a try since it is free. Check your installation CD for info. Like others have commented about ConvertToBW, you can accomplish the same thing manually via Photoshop although some will appreciate the simplified workflow the plug-in offers. Doug --- Doug's "MF Film Holder" for batch scanning "strips" of 120/220 medium format film: http://home.earthlink.net/~dougfisher/holder/mainintro.html
2006-01-30 by kingdex1
--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Craig Sanders" <craiglsanders@c...> wrote: > > I have used it and can say it's very good. Gives you excellent control over > color to B/W conversion, including simulating photo filters, different photo > print papers (not inkjet, photographic), and even has some print toning > tools thrown in. I've been converting color to B&W for digital output for more years than I'm willing to admit in this forum. There are more ways to do it than could ever be discussed here in detail. Caponigro's book, Adobe Photoshop Master Class and Harold Johnson's Mastering Digital Printing are excellent references...and there are many more. Up to now my current preferred conversion workflows include the LaB approach, Photoshop's channel mixer, the Adobe Bridge Calibrate tab AND ConvertToBW Pro. Fortunately there are many ways to do it right so it really boils down to personal choice and finding a workflow that is comfortable. All this said, I must point out that one of the best conversion algorithms to come along is the Grayscale Mixer in Adobe's beta version of LightRoom. I have been using it since the beta version became available and I now use it nearly to the exclusion of all my previous choices. I find it intuitive, very easy to use, can preview live as I go and the grayscale files I create with it are robust and no important data seems to be lost in the conversion process. There are many other reasons for professional photographers to take a look at Light Room, but for me,a black & white photographer who works mainly with RAW files, the Grayscale Mixer tops the list. At present the free(!) Light Room Beta is available to Mac users only but there is a sign-up list on the beta site for PC users who might want to download it, for free(!) when it becomes available. Sorry to rag on like this but, as most here know, conversion to B&W is near the beginning of the B&W printing process and the importance of doing it correctly can't be overlooked. If you wanna check it out go here: http://labs.macromedia.com/technologies/lightroom/ KD