QTR-Quadtone RIP

Most rips have a gamma adjusment. QTR has a gamma slider. For instance
you can set a + or - number and use it for all the work. Gamma
adjustments let you do a global lightening or darkening of the entire
file without altering your initial contrast situation. If indeed all
you need to do is lighten or darken that shouldn't be a problem. But
like you say, when you start making curves then you are altering the
look of the file. 

Actually I don't see why you can't leave the prints you have with this
new place doing K6 and ask them to MATCH this density (what ever their
technique). That should  be only a matter of making very small tests
of them all. You could even approve them before they were output. Or
just have a couple of them done first. That is what I would suggest to
a client. Fact is QTR on a 9600 and QTR on a 7000 with K6 are
different ways of rendering a file. If they can't do this for you then
send your files to Cirus.

John



--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "jimk_clgy_ab" <jim.kitchen@...>
wrote:
>
> Dear Group,
> 
> Please forgive me with the length of this post...
> 
> I would like to ask the group for some advice, since I have not used
an Epson 7000 and K6 
> inks in the past, and I would like to briefly discuss what my
workflow is presently...
> 
> I am new to digital black and white photography, but I exhibited
work in a few galleries 
> over twenty years ago, presenting selenium toned prints at that
time.  Now I have my 4X5 
> black and white negatives drum scanned, and I am exploring the
production of a fine art 
> black and white print again.
> 
> That said, I currently have several images, where the images were
originally printed on an 
> Epson 9600 with UC inks, and using the latest ImagePrint RIP.  The
gallery, representing 
> me at the moment, told me to not submit any images with metamersim
and, or possibly a 
> coloured ink in the blacks, for esthetic and archival reasons.  They
have their rules, so I 
> must reprint a number of images... :)
> 
> All of my negatives were corrected to accomodate the Epson 9600, UC
inks and ImagePrint 
> RIP, where the Imageprint RIP has default setting of Gamma 2.2 at a
specific print house in 
> town.  This forced me to do the following with all of my images:
> 
> 1.    open my image in Photoshop;
> 2.    assign a Gamma of 2.2, to darken the image;
> 3.    make all of my adjustments in that space;
> 4.    remove the assigned Gamma of 2.2;
> 5.    save the image;
> 6.    reopen the image;
> 7.    do not assign a Gamma of 2.2;
> 8.    make all of the required sizing, sharpening for the image;
> 9.    save the file, with those adjustments, for the print house;
> 10.   make the print.
> 
> Voila, the image came out exactly as displayed on my calibrated monitor.
> 
> Now I have several images, which are too light to be printed
directly to any other printer 
> that does not have a default setting of Gamma 2.2, unless I assign
and imbed a Gamma 
> 2.2 into the image file.
> 
> Recently I found a print house, to accomodate the gallery's request,
that produced 
> exquisite images of mine, with the embedded Gamma 2.2, and that
print house would be 
> "Cirrus" in Portland.  They use an Epson 7600 and the Quad Tone Ink
set, where the 
> printed image is set for selenium toning and printed on Hahnemuhle
308.  Outstanding 
> work from Phil Bard, and associates, just absolutely outstanding.
> 
> A few days ago, I ran across a lab in my home town that makes prints
with an Epson 7000, 
> K6 inks, and they use the "BW Pro 24, 2001" software to driver the
printer.  Curiosity 
> brought me in. They printed an image of mine, embedded with the
Gamma 2.2 profile, 
> and it printed too light, compared to the prints received from Cirrus.
> 
> So, the owner operator of the Epson 7000, wanted to adjust the curve
of the image in 
> Photoshop, and print it again.  I did not want that to happen, since
I believe that any curve 
> adjustment would affect the overall image in areas I did not
anticipate to change.  We tried 
> this approach anyway, and it did affect areas of the print I did not
want adjusted.
> 
> Because of this preamble, and because I have several results from a
few printers and 
> different papers, I would like to know the following for the Epson
7000 and K6 inks:
> 
> 1.  Is there another solution and, or updated software for this printer 
>     and ink set, that would allow the use of imbedded information?
> 
> 2.  Should I create another set of images, where the image would be 
>     a straight through print?
> 
> 3.  Is there an esoteric method that would be brilliant and simple?
> 
> The second point means reworking all of my images, and it is not an
avenue that I 
> contemplate enjoying.
> 
> But then again, I have "Cirrus and Phil Bard" as my primary source
of printing.
> 
> Again, please forgive me, regarding the length of this post...
> 
> I'm just curious,
> 
> 
> jim k
>