QTR-Quadtone RIP

Hello,

I need to print digital negatives for cyanotype prints.

I downloaded the latest version of QTR and followed some interesting instructions (included in his eBook) from Ian Leake to use a personal curve with my Epson P600 printer (supported by QTR).
His method is very fine and avoid many steps including those of scanning (I don't have a scanner) the step wedge final prints on paper, and building the curves inside the software, so I would like to use some manually personalized curve files if possible.
Ian Leake provides a curve profile file, as a real and working example he used, that is a simple text file with a syntax very similar to those with .qidf extension found inside the QTR "Profiles" directory of all printers.

First "problem" or peculiarity: when I put the example text file inside the QTR "Profiles" directory of my printer (renaming it with .qidf extension, it was .txt), QTR software doesn't see it, while when I copy it inside the "QuadTone" directory (renaming it with .quad extension) the file is seen although the syntax is very different from the other files found inside here.

Second "problem"; or pecularity: the curve of Ian personalized file is not shown graphically like all the others, giving an error message: "'GRAPH_CURVE=YES' is not a valid integer value" when I right click on it inside QTR, selecting to show the curve graph.

By the way, I loaded a valid Tif file and selected my example curve from the menu, I then tried a test printing, but an error message comes out: "QTR wrong number of inks=0 in profile".
(inside the file there is written: N_OF_INKS=8).

I contacted Ian Leaks saying I was trying to personalize it and to him "seems clear that the profile file is corrupted in editing". So for him the instruction should be correct.
So today I tried his own original file (untouched) but the problem is exactly the same. My changes weren't done bad corrupting the file.

I hope some of you can help me to solve the syntax or whatever error so to print my files with my own manually personalized curves (although with some variations from his example).
Thank you very much
Paolo

p.s...
I paste here below the example curve file content (when I open it in windows notepad text editor, it is all in one long single line):

# © Copyright Ian Leake 2016. All rights reserved.
# The Digital Negative Workshop by Ian Leake
#
# Curve Name: DNW-PKCY-001
# Printer: Epson 3880
# Media: Pictorico
# Process:
# Sensitiser:
# Paper:
# Drying:
# Exposure:
# Developer:

# IMPORTANT NOTE: USE PHOTO BLACK INK NOT MATTE BLACK INK

# Profile basics
GRAPH_CURVE=YES
N_OF_INKS=8

# This sets the default ink limits that apply to inks not specifically mentioned below
DEFAULT_INK_LIMIT=0

# Use K, C and Y only because they are reasonable UV filters
# Do not use any of the poor UV filters (M, LC, LM, LK, LLK)
LIMIT_K=40
LIMIT_C=40
LIMIT_Y=40

# Define the K ink mix
# Use only K (Photo Black) used because LK and LLK have almost no effect on UV
N_OF_GRAY_PARTS=1
GRAY_INK_1=K
GRAY_VAL_1=100

# Define gray profile parameters
GRAY_HIGHLIGHT=0
GRAY_SHADOW=0
GRAY_GAMMA=1

# Curve
GRAY_CURVE="0;0 100;100"
COPY_CURVE_C=K
COPY_CURVE_Y=K

Hi Paolo

I think the problem is that you haven't run the curve creator.

The text you have (what you showed in the post) is the descriptor for the curve you want.

This is processed to make the .quad file which is the actual curve data.

So: as you did put the .qidf file (from changing the .txt to .qidf) into the Profiles folder.

I think you have to add the PRINTER=QuadP600 line as Sandy mentions.

Run QTRgui > Curve Creation

Open the file and then Show Curve does the processing.

Now you should see it when you go back to the main page.

Roy

On Wed, Jan 24, 2018 at 9:41 AM, Paolo Saccheri psaccheri@... [QuadtoneRIP] <QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Hello,

I need to print digital negatives for cyanotype prints.

I downloaded the latest version of QTR and followed some interesting instructions (included in his eBook) from Ian Leake to use a personal curve with my Epson P600 printer (supported by QTR).
His method is very fine and avoid many steps including those of scanning (I don't have a scanner) the step wedge final prints on paper, and building the curves inside the software, so I would like to use some manually personalized curve files if possible.
Ian Leake provides a curve profile file, as a real and working example he used, that is a simple text file with a syntax very similar to those with .qidf extension found inside the QTR "Profiles" directory of all printers.

First "problem" or peculiarity: when I put the example text file inside the QTR "Profiles" directory of my printer (renaming it with .qidf extension, it was .txt), QTR software doesn't see it, while when I copy it inside the "QuadTone" directory (renaming it with .quad extension) the file is seen although the syntax is very different from the other files found inside here.

Second "problem" or pecularity: the curve of Ian personalized file is not shown graphically like all the others, giving an error message: "'GRAPH_CURVE=YES' is not a valid integer value" when I right click on it inside QTR, selecting to show the curve graph.

By the way, I loaded a valid Tif file and selected my example curve from the menu, I then tried a test printing, but an error message comes out: "QTR wrong number of inks=0 in profile"..
(inside the file there is written: N_OF_INKS=8).

I contacted Ian Leaks saying I was trying to personalize it and to him "seems clear that the profile file is corrupted in editing". So for him the instruction should be correct.
So today I tried his own original file (untouched) but the problem is exactly the same. My changes weren't done bad corrupting the file.

I hope some of you can help me to solve the syntax or whatever error so to print my files with my own manually personalized curves (although with some variations from his example).
Thank you very much
Paolo

p.s...

I paste here below the example curve file content (when I open it in windows notepad text editor, it is all in one long single line):

# © Copyright Ian Leake 2016. All rights reserved.
# The Digital Negative Workshop by Ian Leake
#
# Curve Name: DNW-PKCY-001
# Printer: Epson 3880
# Media: Pictorico
# Process:
# Sensitiser:
# Paper:
# Drying:
# Exposure:
# Developer:

# IMPORTANT NOTE: USE PHOTO BLACK INK NOT MATTE BLACK INK

# Profile basics
GRAPH_CURVE=YES
N_OF_INKS=8

# This sets the default ink limits that apply to inks not specifically mentioned below
DEFAULT_INK_LIMIT=0

# Use K, C and Y only because they are reasonable UV filters
# Do not use any of the poor UV filters (M, LC, LM, LK, LLK)
LIMIT_K=40
LIMIT_C=40
LIMIT_Y=40

# Define the K ink mix
# Use only K (Photo Black) used because LK and LLK have almost no effect on UV
N_OF_GRAY_PARTS=1
GRAY_INK_1=K
GRAY_VAL_1=100

# Define gray profile parameters
GRAY_HIGHLIGHT=0
GRAY_SHADOW=0
GRAY_GAMMA=1

# Curve
GRAY_CURVE="0;0 100;100"
COPY_CURVE_C=K
COPY_CURVE_Y=K

--

Roy Harrington
roy@...
www..harrington.com