QTR-Quadtone RIP

After searching through QTR documentation, tutorials, the posts and
posted files, I couldn't find anything on how to go about making your
own ink separation files.  And being too impatient to wait for someone
else to fix the file I needed (the posted DTP-Inkseparation.tiff
file), I managed to figure out what was needed.  In hopes of helping
others with this little mystery, here is what I figured out, and am
using for making my own custom ink separation files.  This guidance
can also be used to prepare tiff images used to purge particular ink
channels (if, for example, you have changed an inkset).

And please, somebody, if this is the wrong info, please let me know so
it can be corrected.

Anyway, here goes:
===============  Ink Separation File Info  ===================
1.  File format:  TIFF

2.  QTR Configuration:  File MUST be printed under Calibration
Mode in Quadtone RIP.  After setting calibration mode, but before
printing, you can open any Tiff file to print in this mode.  If it is
not a special ink-separation image, the output will be wierd.  If you
want to print the file again, you must exit calibration mode, then
re-enter that mode, then select and print the file.

3.  File must be in RGB mode

4.  The entire printable image is color-channel coded.

5.  The Blue Channel is always at maximum intensity, 255

6.  The Red Channel indexes which ink nozzles are used for printing.

    a.  Red = 127 selects the Black ink nozzles.
    b.  Red = 191 selects the Cyan ink nozzles.
    c.  Red = 223 selects the Magenta ink nozzles.
    d.  Red = 239 selects the Yellow ink nozzles.
    e.  Red = 251 selects the Light Magenta nozzles.
    f.  Red = 253 selects the Light Black ink nozzles.
    g.  Red = 254 selects the Light-Light Black (or Gloss) nozzles.

7.  The Green Channel sets the intensity of the ink coming from the
set of nozzles selected.  Green = 0 sets maximun ink density.  Green =
255 sets ink density at Zero.  The typical ink-separation wedge uses
21 evenly spaced values for the Green channel.


==========  End of Ink Separation File Info  ===================

 I hope this info will be helpful to others.  It certainly would have
saved me a several hours of headscratching and frustration if I'd
known it earlier.

And finally...  If this info is wrong, please let me know so it can be
corrected.


Regards,
Dave Keasey