QTR-Quadtone RIP

Hello Walker,

 

I have had recent success using custom made profiles for my ink/paper
through QTR's RGB create profile utility and printing with Lightroom 3 under
OS 10.6.4.  I have also used the same profiles to create soft proof views in
Photoshop CS3 and CS4; I have not yet upgraded to CS5.

 

I use QTR 2.7 with Jon Cone's MPS Selenium inkset on an Epson 4880 printer.
I find that the setup produces beautiful prints but the Lightroom workflow
took me a little bit of trial and error work out.

 

I had to issues to solve for: 1) arriving at a workflow that would deliver a
B&W file to QTR from Lightroom with the needed 2.2 gamma, and 2) Having the
range of tones in the file be faithfully translated into the range of tones
my particular ink/paper combination was profiled for by Inkjetmall.

 

I ended up using Lightroom's print function to convert my images into an RGB
profile I made for my ink/paper combination using QTR's create-profile
tools.  I then used my standard QTR print workflow with the Cone QTR profile
made for my ink/paper combination.  This combined workflow successfully
converts a deasturated "B&W" RGB image from Lightroom's wide-gamut Prophoto
RGB color space into the right "B&W color"space for my ink/paper combination
with a 2.2 gamma and then feeds it to QTR for printing with the cone
profile.  With this method, I get the best mapping of tonality from my image
file into QTR's output capability.  I have made prints from this method and
compared them to my much more controlled Photoshop workflow and they have
the same quality and tonal distribution.

 

An important point here:  Lightroom does not have a "soft proof" capability.
I profiled my monitor for a darker white point and lower contrast range (85
lumens, 250:1 contrast) to better simulate the reflectance of a print.  It
gets me close enough to a soft proof to be very workable.  I also find that
the narrower contrast range works very well with Photoshop soft-proof
capability.  These suggestions came from Jon Cone's detailed workflow
documents for profiling and working with MPS..

 

Bottom line, I now get great B&W prints directly from Lightroom using the
Cone K7/MPS selenium inkset.  I no longer have to use Photoshop to get the
equivalent print quality  - though I still use Photoshop for many images
where it gives me more thorough (and comfortable for me) control.

 

George

 

George C. Pappas

 <mailto:george@...> george@...

(703) 268-3196

  _____  

From: QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com [mailto:QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Walker Blackwell
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 5:06 PM
To: QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [QuadtoneRIP] Re: QTR 2.7.0 and Lightroom 3 and CS5....

 

  

Ok. So I feel stupid here. All I've been needing to do to get CS5/QTR to
work is use an RGB CreateICC profile? The v2.7 BW Create-ICC profiles are
not working at all with CS5/Snow-Leopard 10.6.4

I'll try and confirm this or else someone hear can beat me to the punch.

All the best,
Walker

On Aug 26, 2010, at 1:02 PM, Cathy Cakebread wrote:

> Thanks Tyler!
> Has anyone tried this with a PC (vs. A MAC)?
> It would be great to be able to print QTR without having to use the
special dialog box (required when you use a PC). I use custom profiles and
curves.
> Thanks!
> Cathy
> 
> --- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com <mailto:QuadtoneRIP%40yahoogroups.com>
, "tboleyyh" <tyler@...> wrote:
>> 
>> --- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com <mailto:QuadtoneRIP%40yahoogroups.com>
, "michael.trupiano" <mptrupiano@> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 1. does QTR 2.7.0 work with the Lightroom 3 Print Module 
>>> 
>>> 2. CS5 printing (as it did with CS3 -- my most recent version)
>>> 
>>> on a Mac running Snow Leopard and Epson 38XX and 48XX printers.
>>> 
>> here is a post I made on the large format forum, this is with Snow
Leopard, Lightroom 3, and a 2400, hope it helps-
>> 
>> regarding printing from Lightroom, I just verified printing to QTR will
function usefully given some particulars. Lightroom's data path appears to
be limited to RGB, so even though you have used the various tools to make
your file monochromatic, it is still a 3 channel RGB file, and will only
convert to and from RGB spaces and output profiles.
>> Fortunately QTR will accept RGB input and deal with it handily.
>> 
>> So the B&W workflow to print from Lightroom to QTR is-
>> 
>> For Cone setups using his curves, which are optimized to 2.2 gamma, check
the "include display profiles" box, your RGB working spaces will now be
available, select a 2.2 gamma working space like AdobeRGB or sRGB as your
printer profile. Hitting print will then take you into your normal QTR
dialogue box assuming that has been selected in print settings.
>> 
>> For other QTR setups using included tools or curves, which linearize to
LAB, select QTR_RGB_Matte_Paper or QTR_RGB_Photo_Paper as needed as the
printer profile.
>> 
>> If you make your own QTR profiles, make RGB versions for Lightroom
printing using QTR-Create-ICC-RGB.
>> 
>> Single channel profiles (grayscale) or CMYK 4 channel profiles don't even
show up on Lightroom's list.
>> 
>> This may be redundant info for many, but I'm just now exploring Lightroom
options for fine art, as I don't really use it myself.
>> 
>> I could rant about the dumbing down and options-consolidation of our
supposedly "evolving" tools, but it only reveals the codger in me to no good
end...
>> Tyler
>> 
> 
> 

Walker Blackwell
802.821.4451
www.walkerblackwell.com
aim: greendirtblues
wblackwell@... <mailto:wblackwell%40googlewave.com> 





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