QTR-Quadtone RIP

Wanted to throw a question at more experienced QTR users.  I currently run Cone NK-7 / 
R1800 / OSX.  I had better results running a Quad setup rather than the 7 inks because the 
quads, believe it or not, gave smoother transitions from highlight to shadow.  NK-7 should 
be better in theory but I feel like the light to mid positions lack density.  I see this especially 
when printing images that move quickly from highlight to shadow, such as strong lighting in 
portraiture.  The NK-7 prints have so little ink in the highlights that they look blown out.  The 
shadows on the other hand look like they run a strong line when next to blown out 
highlights.  I get better prints even using the Epson ABW on a 7800 possibly because the 
highs and mids have more density.  

So my question to the group, is how do you change the density of the NK-7 curves provided 
by Cone?  I thought I read somewhere that they were proprietary.  Has anyone else made 
their own NK-7 curves on a R1800?  I already tried the QTR icc route but it didn't solve the 
problem.  Has anyone else seen this problem also?

I posted at the Piezo group but didn't get any responses.  Pretty anemic on that site.  Thanks 
in advance to anyone who responds.

Joe, I just started using the NK7 inks in a 2200. I had some feedback
from a customer that seems similar. I made a sample print for an
artist from a scan of his pencil drawing. I provided QTR samples made
using K2 inks (K and LK) and K7 inks. I have been working with him for
quite some time, trying to match my print tonality to his original. He
of course preferred the K7 smoothness but also noted that the
transition in the lightest highlights seemed abrupt. He did not see
this in the K2 print. Much of the tonality in his drawing falls into
the midrange and highlight areas btw. I have not noticed this in my
photos yet, but that may be because I have not printed an image that
hits this the right way.

You could play with the gamma slider but I doubt that would help. I
think your only option is to create your own curve. Might be a bit
tricky, given the number of inks and the need to have the cross overs
carefully defined.

Let us know what you end up doing.

Terry.

"joemulligan_68" <joemulligan_68@...> wrote:
>
> Wanted to throw a question at more experienced QTR users.  I
currently run Cone NK-7 / 
> R1800 / OSX.  I had better results running a Quad setup rather than
the 7 inks because the 
> quads, believe it or not, gave smoother transitions from highlight
to shadow.  NK-7 should 
> be better in theory but I feel like the light to mid positions lack
density.  I see this especially 
> when printing images that move quickly from highlight to shadow,
such as strong lighting in 
> portraiture.  The NK-7 prints have so little ink in the highlights
that they look blown out.  The 
> shadows on the other hand look like they run a strong line when next
to blown out 
> highlights.  I get better prints even using the Epson ABW on a 7800
possibly because the 
> highs and mids have more density.  
> 
> So my question to the group, is how do you change the density of the
NK-7 curves provided 
> by Cone?  I thought I read somewhere that they were proprietary. 
Has anyone else made 
> their own NK-7 curves on a R1800?  I already tried the QTR icc route
but it didn't solve the 
> problem.  Has anyone else seen this problem also?

Thanks Terry for the response.  I thought I may be the only one getting this result.  I've 
tried practically all curves that come with the R1800 and all have the same problem.  If the 
transition between highlight and shadow is abrupt, NK-7 doesn't seem to handle this well. 
Hope some others can provide some advice before I attempt making my own curves for 
this.
--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "Terry Ritz" <t.ritz@...> wrote:

>
> Joe, I just started using the NK7 inks in a 2200. I had some feedback
> from a customer that seems similar. I made a sample print for an
> artist from a scan of his pencil drawing. I provided QTR samples made
> using K2 inks (K and LK) and K7 inks. I have been working with him for
> quite some time, trying to match my print tonality to his original. He
> of course preferred the K7 smoothness but also noted that the
> transition in the lightest highlights seemed abrupt. He did not see
> this in the K2 print. Much of the tonality in his drawing falls into
> the midrange and highlight areas btw. I have not noticed this in my
> photos yet, but that may be because I have not printed an image that
> hits this the right way.
> 
> You could play with the gamma slider but I doubt that would help. I
> think your only option is to create your own curve. Might be a bit
> tricky, given the number of inks and the need to have the cross overs
> carefully defined.
> 
> Let us know what you end up doing.
> 
> Terry.
> 
> "joemulligan_68" <joemulligan_68@> wrote:
> >
> > Wanted to throw a question at more experienced QTR users.  I
> currently run Cone NK-7 / 
> > R1800 / OSX.  I had better results running a Quad setup rather than
> the 7 inks because the 
> > quads, believe it or not, gave smoother transitions from highlight
> to shadow.  NK-7 should 
> > be better in theory but I feel like the light to mid positions lack
> density.  I see this especially 
> > when printing images that move quickly from highlight to shadow,
> such as strong lighting in 
> > portraiture.  The NK-7 prints have so little ink in the highlights
> that they look blown out.  The 
> > shadows on the other hand look like they run a strong line when next
> to blown out 
> > highlights.  I get better prints even using the Epson ABW on a 7800
> possibly because the 
> > highs and mids have more density.  
> > 
> > So my question to the group, is how do you change the density of the
> NK-7 curves provided 
> > by Cone?  I thought I read somewhere that they were proprietary. 
> Has anyone else made 
> > their own NK-7 curves on a R1800?  I already tried the QTR icc route
> but it didn't solve the 
> > problem.  Has anyone else seen this problem also?
>