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

Oops!  Somehow I managed to leave out the Light Cyan nozzle set.

Red = 247 selects the Light Cyan nozzles.

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "davidkeasey" <davidkeasey@...> wrote:

>
> 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.
>     h.  Red = 247 selects the Light Cyan nozzles [corrected entry] 
> 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
>

OK, I got a used Epson 2200 and connected it to my Win2000 computer. QTR  
didn't recognize it at first. After I installed the Epson driver, then QTR  
recognized it. I can print to it with the Epson driver but when I print  
through QTRgui, the program goes through all the motions of printing but  
nothing happens at the printer end. The printer is connected through a USB  
port. I checked the log file and it got the image file OK, I don't know  
what to look for in all the resultant settings, but at the end there are  
multiple lines of printing showing increasing percentage of completion  
until is quits and says it finished the print. Anybody have any  
suggestions as to what is wrong or what I should try next?
Thanks,
Steve Taylor
-- 
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

Never mind, I was just testing the printer as I had just purchased it. Two  
of the ink cartridges were empty and I thought QTR didn't care about that  
and would print anyway. that is true but the windows print spooler cares  
and the prints were in the queue waiting but wouldn't print due to the  
empties. I grabbed a couple out of my other 2200 and then it printed.

Now the next questions are, and I also asked these on the B&W forum,   
should
I use the MIS cleaning cartridges or get the empty MIS cartridges and fill
them with Windex to clean the heads? What is the feeling about B&W ink  
sets? I am considering
either the MIS UT7 or Jon Cone's Neutral K7? Any suggestions? I don't
print high volume and sometimes I don't print anything for several weeks.
Thanks,
Steve


  On Thu, 06 Apr 2006 14:49:41 -0700, Steve and Ann Taylor  
<taylorfamily3688@...> wrote:

> OK, I got a used Epson 2200 and connected it to my Win2000 computer. QTR
> didn't recognize it at first. After I installed the Epson driver, then  
> QTR
> recognized it. I can print to it with the Epson driver but when I print
> through QTRgui, the program goes through all the motions of printing but
> nothing happens at the printer end. The printer is connected through a  
> USB
> port. I checked the log file and it got the image file OK, I don't know
> what to look for in all the resultant settings, but at the end there are
> multiple lines of printing showing increasing percentage of completion
> until is quits and says it finished the print. Anybody have any
> suggestions as to what is wrong or what I should try next?
> Thanks,
> Steve Taylor



-- 
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

Are you sure you need a cleaning cart? I've had a 2200 for 3 years and an 1160 for more than 5 years, I also don't print for weeks or months at at time and normal cleaning cycles and purges have almost always restored full nozzle checks, except when I've had to remove foam from a cart which is not done with a cleaning cart, but by sucking ink through the cart with a syringe and MIS bottom adapter.

I do recommend the "SSC Service Utility" for cleaning in lieu of Epsons's process as it lets you do a full-power cleaning immediately without going through cycles in sets of 3. The SSC Service Utility is not too awful intuitive to use as the GUI only shows part of the processes available - you have to open the list of processes from the task bar to see the most important ones.

Frank

PS: glad to hear that you got it going.
___________________________________________________________

From: "Steve and Ann Taylor" <taylorfamily3688@...>
Subject: Re: Problems printing to a 2200

Now the next questions are, and I also asked these on the B&W forum,   
should
I use the MIS cleaning cartridges or get the empty MIS cartridges and fill
them with Windex to clean the heads? What is the feeling about B&W ink  
sets? I am considering
either the MIS UT7 or Jon Cone's Neutral K7? Any suggestions? I don't
print high volume and sometimes I don't print anything for several weeks.
Thanks,
Steve

I ran the nozzle check and the Cyan and Magenta are totally clogged and  
the light Black and Yellow are partially clogged. I ran one cleaning cycle  
and it helped a little on the ones that were partially clogged but I still  
got nothing on the other two. I just don't want to waste a lot of ink  
trying to clean them out. I figured cleaning cartridges are cheaper and  
probably more effective in cleaning them. I just found the SSC site and  
downloaded the program. I'll give that a try.
Thanks,
Steve


On Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:05:40 -0700, Frank Kolwicz  
<kolwicz@...> wrote:

> Are you sure you need a cleaning cart? I've had a 2200 for 3 years and  
> an 1160
> for more than 5 years, I also don't print for weeks or months at at time  
> and
> normal cleaning cycles and purges have almost always restored full  
> nozzle checks,
> except when I've had to remove foam from a cart which is not done with a
> cleaning cart, but by sucking ink through the cart with a syringe and  
> MIS bottom
> adapter.
>
> I do recommend the "SSC Service Utility" for cleaning in lieu of Epsons's
> process as it lets you do a full-power cleaning immediately without going
> through cycles in sets of 3. The SSC Service Utility is not too awful  
> intuitive
> to use as the GUI only shows part of the processes available - you have  
> to open
> the list of processes from the task bar to see the most important ones.
>
> Frank
>
> PS: glad to hear that you got it going.

-- 
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

Steve,

CAVEAT: it may be possible to damage a printhead doing this, even though I've done it a dozen times on 3 different Epson printers over the years, so you're on your own, if you decide to do this.

I presume that you are not using a "CFS" system and you are sure the carts are full and are not air-bound (foamed): if you have access to a small plastic syringe, like a 1 ml insulin syringe, the tip of the syringe (no needle) fits the printhead nipples perfectly, so you can use that to inject a cleaning solution (I like isopropyl alcohol, but window cleaner should do the same) directly into the nipples inside the print head (cart removed, obviously). DO IT GENTLY! You only need to hold light pressure for a while until you see some of the cleaner has gone through (put an absorbent paper towel or such under the head to catch the cleaner and let the printhead sit over the paper for a while, cleaning the underside of the head a bit while you are at it).

As a rule, always store the carts in a fully upright position when out of the printer and I also take the precaution of putting a short rivet in the port to prevent drips and drying (MIS supplies the exact size with their CFS kits).

If you can't get any cleaning solution through the head after trying for a few minutes, try sucking back with the syringe, too, also gently. 

Good luck,

Frank

From: "Steve and Ann Taylor" <taylorfamily3688@...>
Subject: Re: Re: Problems printing to a 2200

I ran the nozzle check and the Cyan and Magenta are totally clogged and  
the light Black and Yellow are partially clogged. I ran one cleaning cycle  
and it helped a little on the ones that were partially clogged but I still  
got nothing on the other two. I just don't want to waste a lot of ink  
trying to clean them out. I figured cleaning cartridges are cheaper and  
probably more effective in cleaning them. I just found the SSC site and  
downloaded the program. I'll give that a try.
Thanks,
Steve