Digital BW, The Print

This is a preview of my latest effort at an inkset for B&W printing.  It is
an evolution of the UT7 inkset, with a new cool toner and the sepia replaced
by a toner that lies on the Lab a* axis (with Photo Rag and Ultra Smooth at
L 50).  So, we have a true, if minimalist, "color" space - perhaps better
called a minimalist gray space.  I've posted "picture" of the space at L 50
on Photo Rag at http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/UT6_Space_PR.jpg

 

The inkset is mostly carbon and uses only MIS Cyan and R800 Blue for the
colors - no magenta or yellow.  The toners are blended color and carbon and,
on Photo Rag, have a chroma that is actually less than the carbon.  So,
we're talking about an extremely low gamut.

 

The inkset prints neutral on EEM and Kirkland with no curves and the Driver
Color Controls set to 0.

 

ICCs or curves can control the inkset tones on any paper.  I plan on using
ICCs for the obvious advantages those offer.

 

For large format printers, Eboni matte black can be loaded and the black for
glossy papers can be generated by the 2 dark gray inks.  So, this will print
on glossy or matte papers without the need to change inks.

 

With RGB curves embedded into ICCs with Roy's Create ICC software, I've been
able to have the program linearize curves that have only one or 2 points on
each curve.

 

The procedure for making curves is very simplified.  With a
spectrophotometer, one can usually simply set the Lab b* axis and
approximate 50% density with the C and M inks, which are the same density
and can thus control the b* axis with offsetting moves.  Then just pull the
tone out as far as wanted on the a* axis with the Y ink.   Print a 21-step
and let Create ICC do the rest.   Of course, how long this actually takes
depends on how much or a perfectionist one is.

 

Where exactly the C, M, & Y ink points are in the space depends on paper and
density.  So, the Y ink is not always exactly on the a* axis.  However, on
most papers the setting of the a* value has only minimal impact on the
already set b* value.  Having the inks laid out in a basic Lab format
greatly simplifies the control of this inkset.

 

The inkset is now running on my R220, but I'll port it to the K2 printers
ASAP.  They are one of the main targets.

 

This is a work in progress, but it's up and running and looks like a
significant step forward to me.  It'll give us almost total control of the
near-neutral space in B&W prints - with any paper.

 

Let me know if you have any suggestions for needed features.

 

Paul

www.PaulRoark.com <http://www.paulroark.com/>  

 

 

 



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

This is a neutral curve I've made for Photo Rag:

http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Curves_220_HPR_N_MHW_CC.jpg

I centered the 50% point, but it warmed up a bit.  I rolled the highlights
and shadows off to the paper white and dark shadow, respectively.  (How much
one would want to adjust these points is a bit subjective, but it's
adjustable.)

The Lab values (L, a, b) of the print, after a few hours of drying, from
paper white to dmax, are as follows:

97, 1.1, .18;

75, .24, .13;

50, .02, .08;

75, .69, 1.4;

16, .25, .89.

The curve by itself prints with the driver set to Color Controls.  As such,
some fine tuning with those controls is also possible.

The curve has been embedded into an ICC with Roy's Create ICC program.

As the system develops, I'll post both the ICCs and the curves so that
others can modify or re-use the curves and linearize their own systems
without the need to make a new curve.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 

> -----Original Message-----
> ..On Behalf Of Paul Roark
> Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 8:47 PM
> 
> 
> This is a preview of my latest effort at an inkset for B&W printing.  
> It is an evolution of the UT7 inkset, with a new cool toner and 
> the sepia replaced by a toner that lies on the Lab a* axis 
> (with Photo Rag and Ultra Smooth at L 50).  So, we have a true,
> if minimalist, "color" space - ...
> I've posted "picture" of the space at L 50
> on Photo Rag at http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/UT6_Space_PR.jpg
>...

Hi Paul,
This is very promising!  How long do you think it will take until this 
inkset is commercially available for the R220?  Are there any hurdles 
you have yet to clear?  Do you think the stability of these inks is 
comparable to straight B&Ws?

Paul,

Well, I'll pipe up and say this sounds REALLY COOL!  You indicated that you have this 
running in an R220 as more or less a testbed and mentioned the ability to have matte and 
photo black capabilities.  Does this apply to the R220 (or just to large format priinters as 
you originally mentioned)?  I run an R220 and would, of course, be very interested in a 
dual K solution for it (or really any affordable printer :).

Will this inkset become an obtainable product at some point?  I'd love to give it a try...  I'm 
having trouble committing to a certain level of warmth for, say, the life of an entire yellow 
cartridge since I'm still experimenting with different papers at this point.  Sounds like this 
would allow more fine-tuning for particular papers.

Anyway, sounds tres cool, thanks for all of your contributions.


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark" <paul.roark@...> 
wrote:

>
> This is a neutral curve I've made for Photo Rag:
> 
> http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Curves_220_HPR_N_MHW_CC.jpg
> 
> I centered the 50% point, but it warmed up a bit.  I rolled the highlights
> and shadows off to the paper white and dark shadow, respectively.  (How much
> one would want to adjust these points is a bit subjective, but it's
> adjustable.)
> 
> The Lab values (L, a, b) of the print, after a few hours of drying, from
> paper white to dmax, are as follows:
> 
> 97, 1.1, .18;
> 
> 75, .24, .13;
> 
> 50, .02, .08;
> 
> 75, .69, 1.4;
> 
> 16, .25, .89.
> 
> The curve by itself prints with the driver set to Color Controls.  As such,
> some fine tuning with those controls is also possible.
> 
> The curve has been embedded into an ICC with Roy's Create ICC program.
> 
> As the system develops, I'll post both the ICCs and the curves so that
> others can modify or re-use the curves and linearize their own systems
> without the need to make a new curve.
> 
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com 
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > ..On Behalf Of Paul Roark
> > Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 8:47 PM
> > 
> > 
> > This is a preview of my latest effort at an inkset for B&W printing.  
> > It is an evolution of the UT7 inkset, with a new cool toner and 
> > the sepia replaced by a toner that lies on the Lab a* axis 
> > (with Photo Rag and Ultra Smooth at L 50).  So, we have a true,
> > if minimalist, "color" space - ...
> > I've posted "picture" of the space at L 50
> > on Photo Rag at http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/UT6_Space_PR.jpg
> >...
>

> ... this running in an R220 as more or less a testbed and mentioned 
>the ability to have matte and photo black capabilities.  
> Does this apply to the R220 (or just to large format priinters as
> you originally mentioned)? 

The 220 can go either way.  The curves are simpler with PK, but I hope the
basic Eboni-glossy curve shape I've made will hold for a number of papers.
As such, it should be possible to make simple modifications in the basic
curve, and then use Create ICC to linearize the system.

 
> Will this inkset become an obtainable product at some point? 

MIS appears interested.  I want to be sure the inkset also works on the K2
printers before the formula is finalized.  Hopefully that will be only a
week away.

> Sounds like this
> would allow more fine-tuning for particular papers.

Yes, as long as carbon is as warm as you want to go.  The really good news
here is that prints being too green or too magenta will be able to be taken
care of with a simple move of the blue curve.  With monotone or the older
variable tone printers we had to simply compromise, with some papers being a
bit too green and others being a bit too magenta.

> ... Do you think the stability of these inks is
> comparable to straight B&Ws?

Yes, it's basically the same as UT7 (without the sepia -- which was weaker).
All the inks are predominantly carbon, and only the MIS Cyan and R800 Blue
are used.  They are both excellent color pigments.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Although this first Photo Rag curve
(http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Curves_220_HPR_N_MHW_CC.jpg) let the shadows
go slightly warm.  A second one with more points in the shadows is
neutralized to L 30 and then rolls off to (25, .16, .66), half way to the
maximum b* of 1.2 at L 20.

Visually, I'm not sure that I like the more neutral shadows, but it can be
done with this inkset.  With a more radical curve and "No Color Adjustment"
in the driver, the ramp could be further neutralized.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com