QTR-Quadtone RIP

Hi;
My early results with Quad rip show extremely  promising colour but
very unexpected grain.Normal printing on my Epson 2100 shows a
perfectly smooth result from the same file at the same size etc;
  My settings in Quad rip are-Epson 2100-model quad 2100-1440dpi-uni
directional-dither ordered- matte paper-all using the ultrachtome en 
matte warm setting. The file is sized for appropriate size at 300dpi.
The tests are only 6x4 inches so obviously no grain should be visible!
I am using Ilford Harmen FB Matte which is normally excellent except
for the expected 2100 colour shift.(without rip)
I have also tried other Quad paper settings ;dither; and also 2880 dpi
but with no improvement at all.
Any help will be much appreciated but i do have a gut feeling that the
image "coursens" WHEN IMPORTED into the Quad rip control panel.
 Thanks,Cliff

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "CLIFF WHITTEM" <cliff@...> wrote:
>
> Hi;
> My early results with Quad rip show extremely  promising colour but
> very unexpected grain.Normal printing on my Epson 2100 shows a
> perfectly smooth result from the same file at the same size etc;
>   My settings in Quad rip are-Epson 2100-model quad 2100-1440dpi-uni
> directional-dither ordered- matte paper-all using the ultrachtome en 
> matte warm setting. The file is sized for appropriate size at 300dpi.
> The tests are only 6x4 inches so obviously no grain should be visible!
> I am using Ilford Harmen FB Matte which is normally excellent except
> for the expected 2100 colour shift.(without rip)
> I have also tried other Quad paper settings ;dither; and also 2880 dpi
> but with no improvement at all.
> Any help will be much appreciated but i do have a gut feeling that the
> image "coursens" WHEN IMPORTED into the Quad rip control panel.
>  Thanks,Cliff

Hello Cliff, I would profile the Harmon FB matte to 2880.  I was playing with a sample pack 
of Harmon fb matte to see how it profiled.  I was doing a 4MK approach which is 
somewhat grainy to begin with but the Harmon matte showed considerably more grain 
than than all of my other matte papers.  I think it has to do with the extra sharp coating 
and lack of dot gain relative to other papers.  The dot edges don't blend and stand out 
extra sharp.

Sorry missed the part where you tried 2880.  You might also want to look around the web for 
Ron Reeder's tutorial on using QTR for digital negatives.  Won't help your situation with the 
grain but may explain it.  Mostly having to do with the epson driver using all colors for 
smoothness where QTR is only using the blacks and toning with the colors.  The ultra 
sharpness of Harmon matte my show similar characteristics to Digital negatives.  I have 
another pack of fb matte coming that I want to try with just the warm inks out of a UT-3d set 
.  I'll have enough paper to run a sheet through the epson driver with a mispro set printing 
b&w with the full color inks for grain comparison.  Something tells me that the harmon fb 
with its' ulrta sharp dots will need something like the Piezography inks to get a smooth print 
with a b&w inkset

CLIFF WHITTEM wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi;
> My early results with Quad rip show extremely promising colour but
> very unexpected grain.Normal printing on my Epson 2100 shows a
> perfectly smooth result from the same file at the same size etc;
> My settings in Quad rip are-Epson 2100-model quad 2100-1440dpi-uni
> directional-dither ordered- matte paper-all using the ultrachtome en
> matte warm setting. The file is sized for appropriate size at 300dpi.
> The tests are only 6x4 inches so obviously no grain should be visible!
> I am using Ilford Harmen FB Matte which is normally excellent except
> for the expected 2100 colour shift.(without rip)
> I have also tried other Quad paper settings ;dither; and also 2880 dpi
> but with no improvement at all.
> Any help will be much appreciated but i do have a gut feeling that the
> image "coursens" WHEN IMPORTED into the Quad rip control panel.
> Thanks,Cliff
> 
Have you tried sending a file at 360 dpi (or even 720 dpi), which 
require less reinterpretation for a 1440 dpi printer?

-- 
mike finley
fine art photography and website construction
http://www.efikim.co.uk
http://www.roguegenecollective.com/Mike_Finley.html
http://www.mikefinley.co.uk