Digital BW, The Print

Sometimes I like to burn edges and corners gradually to black. I've always had a problem 
doing that with QTR and my 2200. The problem I'm showing here looks like my 2200 
stops laying down black ink when it gets to the corner at the right side of the printer. (I'm 
using High Speed = "better", not "faster".

I've scanned some test strips and put the result  on my web site demonstrating the 
problem - and "solution" - at http://www.shaynew.com/temp/cornerproblem.jpg.  I've 
used a Photoshop adjustment curve to exaggerate the differences somewhat.

The top strip is a print from QTR, 2.4.1. I used Roy's QTR Gray Lab space and printed with 
Let Photoshop Determine Colors, QTR-Gray Matte Paper, Perceptual, Black Point 
Compensation = ON (although I've seen the problem with other settings). Print Resolution 
= 1440 super and High Speed = "better". The left corner of the strip, which came out of 
the right side of the printer, shows the problem; the corner should be at least as black as 
the area next to it. The right, which also goes towards black, is fine (but if you look very 
closely, you'll some banding).

The next strip down is the same strip flipped horizontally (Flip Canvas Horizontally). What 
was the left corner, now on the right, is fine (except for some banding). What was the right 
corner, now on the left, shows the same problem!

Is there something wrong with my 2200, that it has a problem printing black at its right 
side? No. The bottom strip was made with one of the Roark curves and the Epson driver. 
Everything is fine! And no banding.

I printed on EEM, using the curves that came from Roy's installation, at 25/75 cool/warm.

Anybody see anything like this? I'm happy to email a file to someone to print on her 2200 
printer.

Michael

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "michaelrosensf" <Fred@...> wrote:
>
> Sometimes I like to burn edges and corners gradually to black. I've always had a problem 
> doing that with QTR and my 2200. The problem I'm showing here looks like my 2200 
> stops laying down black ink when it gets to the corner at the right side of the printer. (I'm 
> using High Speed = "better", not "faster".

I've seen this on my client's 4000 and 4800 with QTR/Epson's inks.

Seems if there is an odd file resolution - like 688.59  - banding with reverse density will 
occur at the darker print values. That and it seems burning or dodging only increases the 
problem for some really strange reason.

Solutions that helped was to resample to 360 or 720 (whatever is closer to native file 
resolution) but also he switched to PhotoKit to burn and dodge corners and sides. 

It's really odd! Might want to also try a different dithering pattern to see if that will help. Go 
to "Printer Features" in the QTR driver.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "michaelrosensf" <Fred@...> 
wrote:
>
> Sometimes I like to burn edges and corners gradually to black. I've always had a 
problem 
> doing that with QTR and my 2200. The problem I'm showing here looks like my 
2200 
> stops laying down black ink when it gets to the corner at the right side of the 
printer. (I'm 
> using High Speed = "better", not "faster".
> 
> I've scanned some test strips and put the result  on my web site demonstrating the 
> problem - and "solution" - at http://www.shaynew.com/temp/cornerproblem.jpg.  
I've 
> used a Photoshop adjustment curve to exaggerate the differences somewhat.
> 
> The top strip is a print from QTR, 2.4.1. I used Roy's QTR Gray Lab space and 
printed with 
> Let Photoshop Determine Colors, QTR-Gray Matte Paper, Perceptual, Black Point 
> Compensation = ON (although I've seen the problem with other settings). Print 
Resolution 
> = 1440 super and High Speed = "better". The left corner of the strip, which came 
out of 
> the right side of the printer, shows the problem; the corner should be at least as 
black as 
> the area next to it. The right, which also goes towards black, is fine (but if you look 
very 
> closely, you'll some banding).
> 
> The next strip down is the same strip flipped horizontally (Flip Canvas 
Horizontally). What 
> was the left corner, now on the right, is fine (except for some banding). What was 
the right 
> corner, now on the left, shows the same problem!
> 
> Is there something wrong with my 2200, that it has a problem printing black at its 
right 
> side? No. The bottom strip was made with one of the Roark curves and the Epson 
driver. 
> Everything is fine! And no banding.
> 
> I printed on EEM, using the curves that came from Roy's installation, at 25/75 cool/
warm.
> 
> Anybody see anything like this? I'm happy to email a file to someone to print on her 
2200 
> printer.
> 
> Michael
>

Hi Michael,

That is very strange indeed.  There are two selections that my affect this and it
would be nice to know if they help.  For Resolution try 1440dpi and 1440super.
For dither try Ordered and Adaptive Hybrid.   That's 4 combinations but maybe
one or two will be better.   John's suggestion of various input ppi is another
possibility to try.  If the weirdness does show up on a 4000 that would be a big
hint of what to look for.

Unfortunately my 2200 isn't working these days so I can't try the exact same thing.
But send the small file and I can try it on some other printers.

Roy

Thank you Roy and John. I had intended to post this in the QTR forum and when I looked 
for it there...

I routinely print at odd dpi, including this picture, choosing to avoid resampling. This one 
was at 311.467, so I upsampled to 360 as John suggested. No change. So I tried the 360 
version with Adaptive Hybrid. No change.

Those were both with EEM. I have some Ilford Smooth Pearl, so I tried it with the curves 
that come with QTR (cool/sepia 50/50). It printed fine at 360. I then went back to 
311.467, adding an adjustment curve to raise the highlights some, and it was fine, too.

This does not solve my problem, since my preferred paper is HPR, which prints like EEM.

So I tried Roy's suggestions of the two dithers with 1440 not super (all previous prints 
were at super) at 360. The Ordered dither printed fine - except for some slight banding in 
the black visible in VERY bright light, an Ott-Lite at six inches and my eyes at reading 
glasses distance. The Adaptive Hybrid also printed fine, with some, but less, banding 
under the same situation. (Note that neither the Roark/Epson/EEM paper nor the QTR/ISP 
paper setups showed any banding at all, although with the latter setup the tones are 
overall darker.)

I've emailed the small file to roy@harrington.com.

I just bought PrintFIX Pro, intending to linearize the standard QTR curves for my 2200 (and 
build icc profiles). Would that make a difference with the banding?

Michael

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Roy Harrington" <roy@...> 
wrote:

>
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "michaelrosensf" <Fred@> 
> wrote:
> >
> > Sometimes I like to burn edges and corners gradually to black. I've always had a 
> problem 
> > doing that with QTR and my 2200. The problem I'm showing here looks like my 
> 2200 
> > stops laying down black ink when it gets to the corner at the right side of the 
> printer. (I'm 
> > using High Speed = "better", not "faster".
> > 
> > I've scanned some test strips and put the result  on my web site demonstrating the 
> > problem - and "solution" - at http://www.shaynew.com/temp/cornerproblem.jpg.  
> I've 
> > used a Photoshop adjustment curve to exaggerate the differences somewhat.
> > 
> > The top strip is a print from QTR, 2.4.1. I used Roy's QTR Gray Lab space and 
> printed with 
> > Let Photoshop Determine Colors, QTR-Gray Matte Paper, Perceptual, Black Point 
> > Compensation = ON (although I've seen the problem with other settings). Print 
> Resolution 
> > = 1440 super and High Speed = "better". The left corner of the strip, which came 
> out of 
> > the right side of the printer, shows the problem; the corner should be at least as 
> black as 
> > the area next to it. The right, which also goes towards black, is fine (but if you look 
> very 
> > closely, you'll some banding).
> > 
> > The next strip down is the same strip flipped horizontally (Flip Canvas 
> Horizontally). What 
> > was the left corner, now on the right, is fine (except for some banding). What was 
> the right 
> > corner, now on the left, shows the same problem!
> > 
> > Is there something wrong with my 2200, that it has a problem printing black at its 
> right 
> > side? No. The bottom strip was made with one of the Roark curves and the Epson 
> driver. 
> > Everything is fine! And no banding.
> > 
> > I printed on EEM, using the curves that came from Roy's installation, at 25/75 cool/
> warm.
> > 
> > Anybody see anything like this? I'm happy to email a file to someone to print on her 
> 2200 
> > printer.
> > 
> > Michael
> >
> 
> Hi Michael,
> 
> That is very strange indeed.  There are two selections that my affect this and it
> would be nice to know if they help.  For Resolution try 1440dpi and 1440super.
> For dither try Ordered and Adaptive Hybrid.   That's 4 combinations but maybe
> one or two will be better.   John's suggestion of various input ppi is another
> possibility to try.  If the weirdness does show up on a 4000 that would be a big
> hint of what to look for.
> 
> Unfortunately my 2200 isn't working these days so I can't try the exact same thing.
> But send the small file and I can try it on some other printers.
> 
> Roy
>