Digital BW, The Print

In a message dated 6/8/06 7:02:37 PM, brianechapman@... writes:


> 
> Using the epson driver (and the R220 in my case), is there a list of
> paper types that is ordered from highest to lowest ink load?
> 

Ink load is not linear. A given media setting may have a heavy load at black, 
but be weak in the shadows, or in the midtones, and perhaps heavy again in 
the highlights. So its not very useful to rate them as heavy, medium, or light 
overall, as they respond differently at different ink densities throughout the 
range, to optimize it for a given paper. Thats why its important to try 
differing media settings with a new paper, to determine the best match, rather than 
choosing one from its name, or its description as a light or heavy ink load.

C. David Tobie
Product Technology Manager
ColorVision Business Unit
Datacolor Inc.
CDTobie@...
www.colorvision.com


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

Thanks David!  That makes sense.  

I was printing test squares (like Paul said, 1" black squares) last 
night and I was surprised at how much of a difference each of the 
paper type settings made - and that was only testing the blacks.  

Brian
http://www.brianchapmanphotography.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, CDTobie@... 
wrote:
>
> 
> In a message dated 6/8/06 7:02:37 PM, brianechapman@... writes:
> 
> 
> > 
> > Using the epson driver (and the R220 in my case), is there a 
list of
> > paper types that is ordered from highest to lowest ink load?
> > 
> 
> Ink load is not linear. A given media setting may have a heavy 
load at black, 
> but be weak in the shadows, or in the midtones, and perhaps heavy 
again in 
> the highlights. So its not very useful to rate them as heavy, 
medium, or light 
> overall, as they respond differently at different ink densities 
throughout the 
> range, to optimize it for a given paper. Thats why its important 
to try 
> differing media settings with a new paper, to determine the best 
match, rather than 
> choosing one from its name, or its description as a light or heavy 
ink load.

> 
> C. David Tobie
> Product Technology Manager
> ColorVision Business Unit
> Datacolor Inc.
> CDTobie@...
> www.colorvision.com
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Chapman" 
<brianechapman@...> wrote:

> I was printing test squares (like Paul said, 1" black squares) last 
> night and I was surprised at how much of a difference each of the 
> paper type settings made - and that was only testing the blacks.  

I've been going for open shadow detail when testing for the "best" media type. Though 
CDTobie is right...the media settings are more than just dmax or saturation or gamma or 
ink load...anyway you could test for best shadow detail and if anything is lost test for best 
Color Density percentage and really drive yourself crazy.

I've posted the below to a few forums...so I don't know if you have read this yet.........


Copy and paste below:

Try exploring media settings to open shadows...that's what I'd recommend over changing 
Color Density as Color Density is more of a gamma correction so every part of the image 
takes a hit instead of just the shadows.

I recently tested to find the "best" media setting for William Turner paper on my Epson 
4800.

Epson's black usually comes in hard and fast, less so with the newest printers, and I 
wanted to find the media setting that has smoothest black ramp from 100% to 90%.

I printed a ten patch gray ramp from 100% to 90% with five media settings.

My Excel results are below for William Turner on the Epson 4800:

http://homepage.mac.com/johnvito/WilliamTurnerMediaSettings.png

From 100% to 90% only two media settings show fairly smooth linear density loss albeit 
stepped at times. While the other three actually have spiked increases in density - called 
reversals - on some patches. For example Epson's Enhanced media setting has the same 
density at the following patches: 100%, 99% and 97%. The 98% patch has a lower density 
than 97% patch and another reversal at 94%.

My media setting choice for William Turner was UltraSmooth as it has the most smoothest 
linear path. The custom paper profile will have less heavy lifting to do once the "best 
media type" is found.