QTR-Quadtone RIP

Hello all,

I am just now testing out the Quadtone RIP and am really a bit lost. 
Perhaps someone can put me in the right direction? The manual refers 
to using a densitometer to do the readings. I have printed out the 
targets (both look identical to me, not sure why they printed two on 
my roll paper, wasting a huge amount of paper... but that is my 
fault, I think). Now that I have these targets printed, what would be 
my next step to linearise/create new profile specifically for my 
printer/paper combo? I have the Eye One with Profilemaker Pro 
(including the measure tool).

Also, I read on the Qimage list how people use these two programs 
together, printing to a file from Qimage and printing with QTR, but 
also read recently that a poster did not notice any difference in 
upresing in and printing from Qimage to a file and through QTR than 
just printing direct through QTR. What would be the benefits?

Many thanks for any help,

Ellie
--
Innovative Imaging Studio
Website: http://www.iiStudio.com
9545 Hwy 221, Canning, Nova Scotia, B0P 1H0;
Phone: 902-582-3795; Toll Free: 866-582-3795;
SKYPE ID: innovativeimagingstudio

Ellie Kennard wrote:


> Also, I read on the Qimage list how people use these two programs 
> together, printing to a file from Qimage and printing with QTR, but 
> also read recently that a poster did not notice any difference in 
> upresing in and printing from Qimage to a file and through QTR than 
> just printing direct through QTR. What would be the benefits?

Like with using Qimage in color printing there's more than 
just the quality of the print result. However the 
extrapolation + sharpening of Qimage is the best around. It 
needs a challenge though so if you have data enough in the 
original file for the sizes you want to print  it becomes 
difficult to detect quality differences between Qimage and 
other software. But even then there are so many other features 
available in Qimage that you will not find  in QTR or 
Photoshop: nesting of images on larger sheets or rolls, 
profiling per image on one print page, log file of jobs done, 
etc etc.

Ernst
-- 

                    --
           Ernst Dinkla


www.pigment-print.com
(         unvollendet         )

Dear Ernst,

Thank you so much for this reply.

I am not doubting the wonderful qualities of Qimage for one second! I 
love it! The profiling of images... do I apply the QTR profiles in 
Qimage before printing to file? I confess to having only a very hazy 
idea of the workflow here.

I guess what I will do is prepare my whole print job (several images 
spaced on the roll) and export as a single tiff file? I was wondering 
how I was going to space images in QTR but thought that perhaps I had 
not read all the information yet. (I have no experience with printing 
to file myself... not yet!)

All the best,

Ellie

On 8 Aug 2006 at 17:27, Ernst Dinkla wrote (snipped):

> Like with using Qimage in color printing there's more than 
> just the quality of the print result. However the 
> extrapolation + sharpening of Qimage is the best around. It 
> needs a challenge though so if you have data enough in the 
> original file for the sizes you want to print  it becomes 
> difficult to detect quality differences between Qimage and 
> other software. But even then there are so many other features 
> available in Qimage that you will not find  in QTR or 
> Photoshop: nesting of images on larger sheets or rolls, 
> profiling per image on one print page, log file of jobs done, 
> etc etc.

Steve and Ellie Kennard
website:
http://www.StevenKennard.com
http://www.iiStudio.com
SKYPE ID: elliekennard
SKYPE ID: stevenkennard

Ellie Kennard wrote:

> I am not doubting the wonderful qualities of Qimage for one second! I 
> love it! 


>The profiling of images... do I apply the QTR profiles in 
> Qimage before printing to file? I confess to having only a very hazy 
> idea of the workflow here.

QTR can't, so you have to apply the profiles with Qimage or 
Photoshop. There was a time that Qimage didn't like the QTR 
profiles but they should work now, at least the RGB ones. BTW, 
Qimage  will still make an RGB file of a grayscale image so 
you know that the size will be considerably increased. Not 
just 3x but the interpolation to 360 PPI included (and better 
interpolation often resulting in bigger files) and even print 
sharpening may increase the size.

> 
> I guess what I will do is prepare my whole print job (several images 
> spaced on the roll) and export as a single tiff file? 

It will be the more economic way when nesting reduces paper 
waste. QTR is limited in that and Photoshop too slow. There 
are some disadvantages: the netto size of QTR's print page is 
hard to predict and you would like to fit the print to file 
size of Qimage exactly in that QTR netto size, another one is 
related to the overall size of the resulting file.

> I was wondering 
> how I was going to space images in QTR but thought that perhaps I had 
> not read all the information yet. (I have no experience with printing 
> to file myself... not yet!)

Ernst


-- 

                    --
           Ernst Dinkla


www.pigment-print.com
(         unvollendet         )

Thanks Ernst.

In Qimage I would have the option checked to embed the profile on 
printing to file, I guess. Seems simple, at least.

Now once I can find out how the linearisation/calibration process 
works...

What is the Calibration Mode target actually for? I printed it out, 
but it is in colour, not greyscale step wedges, which seems to be 
what the profilemaking needs. So presumably I do the calibration 
first (according to the manual), but using what? Do you know?

Thanks again,

Ellie

On 8 Aug 2006 at 22:02, Ernst Dinkla wrote (snipped):

> QTR can't, so you have to apply the profiles with Qimage or 
> Photoshop. There was a time that Qimage didn't like the QTR 
> profiles but they should work now, at least the RGB ones. BTW, 
> Qimage  will still make an RGB file of a grayscale image so 
> you know that the size will be considerably increased. Not 
> just 3x but the interpolation to 360 PPI included (and better 
> interpolation often resulting in bigger files) and even print 
> sharpening may increase the size.

Steve and Ellie Kennard
website:
http://www.StevenKennard.com
http://www.iiStudio.com
SKYPE ID: elliekennard
SKYPE ID: stevenkennard

Ellie Kennard wrote:

> 
> Now once I can find out how the linearisation/calibration process 
> works...
> 
> What is the Calibration Mode target actually for? I printed it out, 
> but it is in colour, not greyscale step wedges, which seems to be 
> what the profilemaking needs. So presumably I do the calibration 
> first (according to the manual), but using what? Do you know?
> 
> Thanks again,
> 
> Ellie

I couldn't figure out at what stage you were or what printer + 
inkset you are using. I guess now that you printed the curve 
creation target and you now have to configure the curves. But 
that may not be needed at all if you are using a known printer 
+ inkset + paper combination then it is more likely that there 
are already curves available and you can just build your 
custom linearisation on that + make a profile that suits that 
combination better than the generic ones. The linearisation 
and profiling targets are greyscales (but will be cooler or 
warmer depending on the toners used). Check the Quadtone 
program directory > Eye-One map and you will find more 
information there.

Ernst


-- 

                    --
           Ernst Dinkla


www.pigment-print.com
(         unvollendet         )