QTR-Quadtone RIP

I'm a new member of the QTR community and fairly new to digital 
b & w photography. I wanted to know what advantages are offered by 
this system versus others including Photoshop. I use an Epson 2200 
printer and mostly print on Enhanced Matte and Premium Luster papers. 
I've also started using Ilford Smooth Pearl paper. 

Are there distinct advantages of using the QTR? I'd like to hear your 
opinions. Thanks!

Steve

Thanks, Diane, I'm really struggling with the understanding of this 
QTR stuff and you've been very helpful by answering many of my 
questions on this forum. 
I'm familar of the metamerism problem caused by the different 
lighting, but what about 'bronzing' when printing b&w on gloss paper?
Is this effect eliminated using the QTR?

I'm still not clear on the 'step wedges', 'blends' and 'curves', etc.
Do you know where I can find a simplified tutorial that explains how 
to use this software? I know Roy Harrington talks about it on his 
QTR site but I'm finding it a little too technical.

Looking forward to hearng back from you.

Steve




--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "Diane Fields" <picnic@c...> 
wrote:
> Steve, the BIG advantage of using QTR over PS is the lack of 
metamerism in monotones.  I've printed b/w or monotones for years 
with first a 1280 and then my 2200.  I print from either PS or 
Qimage.  I have been unhappy with metamerism from day one, however 
the 'alternatives' were pretty expensive (RIPs) or I just hadn't 
made the decision to go with a dedicated printer yet.  When I bought 
my 2200 several years ago I had strongly considered that path, but 
had procrastinated 'dealing with' monotones by using duotones which 
helped a bit (not really--they just visually diverted you a bit with 
toning).  I've subscriebed to the Digital b/w print maillist off and 
on for a good while, and when I resubbed in late Winter I discovered 
that there was a reasonably priced RIP available for Windows.  I 
demoed it for several weeks and was sold on it.


> 
> So--that's my story LOL.  QTR prints aren't subject to metamerism--
my reason for printing with it.  I do all my postprocessing in PS 
first, then bring a finished file to QTR, select my blend for the 
paper I'm using and get excellent prints.  In the past I was using 
Epson Velvet primarily for my matte prints, some Hahnemuhle 
Photorag.  I've just done a series of step wedges on 11 different 
papers and have a good reference point for other papers also.  I use 
Epson Premium Semigloss for my non-matte prints.
> 
> Diane
> -----------
> Diane B. Fields
> picnic@c...
> photo site  http://www.pbase.com/picnic
> 
>   Are there distinct advantages of using the QTR? I'd like to hear 
your 

>   opinions. Thanks!
> 
>   Steve

Thanks, Diane, I'm going to have to do some experimenting based on 
what you've described here. I'm sure I'll be back with more 
questions for you. Could you send me that post on Soft Proofing by 
Lou Dina? I'd like to read up on it. 

Thanks!
Steve



--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "Diane Fields" <picnic@c...> 
wrote:
> Steve, I'm a newbie too at QTR but maybe because I've read the 
other list for several years (and have been printing b/w for a good 
while, first with the 1280 and with the 2200) and am pretty familiar 
with PS, the QTR workflow works for me.
> 
> No, QTR won't cure bronzing because that's a function of the 
ink/paper combo.  If you notice on the Digital/bw list they spray 
their prints to counter that problem.  The newer R800 and R1800, we 
assume, will deal with the bronzing by using the Gloss Optimizer 
(and this is the 'glop' they talk about on the other list--they are 
adding it into a cart to use with the black inks--3rd party--like 
with the MIS inks and Paul Roark's curves).
> 
> I don't know of a tutorial.  Did I send you the post I found of 
Lou Dina's that explained how to softproof in QTR?
> 
> What the step wedges help you with is envisioning what those 
particular curves will look like on that particular paper.  I laid 
out my 11 sheets with the step wedges on them and was able to pick 
out the papers I liked, then I could see what a 75 warm and 25 cool 
blend looked like, for instance, on that paper.  I like not quite 
neutral--just a bit of warmth to it.  On different papers the curve 
blend I might choose could be different--because the tone of the 
papers affects the image a great deal.
> 
> When you open the QTR GUI in Windows and you select the image file 
you want to print, then you have to choose a 'curve' for it down 
below.  For instance, I want to print on Epson Velvet.  So--I choose 
a matte paper in the paper dropdown.  I make the selections as to 
dpi, etc. in all the other places.  Probably I would 
check 'centered' (but if you are doing step wedge printing, you will 
keep dragging the step wedge file around in the window to place it 
differently for different printing--if you don't understand this, I 
can do a print screen and send it to you offlist).  Now--you need to 
select your blend percentage (middle box) and your curves.  Since I 
use Epson Enhanced matte as a proofing paper for Velvet, I feel that 
those curves will be close enough for me for Epson Velvet.  In the 
left curve drop down box, I choose EEnhMatte-Cool and in the right 
box I choose EEnhmatte-Warm.  From my series of step wedges I did on 
my Epson Velvet paper (I did 6 rather than do a long series of 
percentages.  Once I establish for sure what papers I'm going to use 
all the time, I will do a series of step wedges from 100% cool to 
100% warm in 10% increments) I find that a 60 cool/40 warm is about 
the blend I like on that paper.  So--I move the blend slider over to 
60 (the blend number represents the amount of the curve on the left--
the one for the cool).  I did not adjust my ink limit for this paper 
(though I may in the future) so I will not make any other slider 
adjustments for now.  Then---I'm ready to click on print and that's 
it.
> 
> I addressed softproofing in the post to Anne (Montauk lady).  It 
will help you correct any tonality/contrast issues with your print--
before you print (for the most part--its pretty difficult to get a 
perfect reading on a monitor to match a paper print because of the 
difference in the mediums).
> 
> I hope this is helpful.  I really think printing the step wedges 
on the papers you use all the time will be a big help--and I'll be 
glad to help you figure out how to do that.
> 
> Diane.  
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Steve 
>   To: QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 2:43 PM
>   Subject: [QuadtoneRIP] Re: The Advantages of QTR Are?
> 
> 
> 
>   Thanks, Diane, I'm really struggling with the understanding of 
this 
>   QTR stuff and you've been very helpful by answering many of my 
>   questions on this forum. 
>   I'm familar of the metamerism problem caused by the different 
>   lighting, but what about 'bronzing' when printing b&w on gloss 
paper?
>   Is this effect eliminated using the QTR?
> 
>   I'm still not clear on the 'step wedges', 'blends' and 'curves', 
etc.
>   Do you know where I can find a simplified tutorial that explains 
how 
>   to use this software? I know Roy Harrington talks about it on 
his 

>   QTR site but I'm finding it a little too technical.
> 
>   Looking forward to hearng back from you.
> 
>   Steve

Diane, the other day you offered to to do a print screen offlist to 
show me how 'step wedging' is done. That would be a great help to me 
if you could provide me with that info. 

Thanks in advance! 

Steve



--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "Diane Fields" <picnic@c...> 
wrote:
> Steve, I'm a newbie too at QTR but maybe because I've read the 
other list for several years (and have been printing b/w for a good 
while, first with the 1280 and with the 2200) and am pretty familiar 
with PS, the QTR workflow works for me.
> 
> No, QTR won't cure bronzing because that's a function of the 
ink/paper combo.  If you notice on the Digital/bw list they spray 
their prints to counter that problem.  The newer R800 and R1800, we 
assume, will deal with the bronzing by using the Gloss Optimizer 
(and this is the 'glop' they talk about on the other list--they are 
adding it into a cart to use with the black inks--3rd party--like 
with the MIS inks and Paul Roark's curves).
> 
> I don't know of a tutorial.  Did I send you the post I found of 
Lou Dina's that explained how to softproof in QTR?
> 
> What the step wedges help you with is envisioning what those 
particular curves will look like on that particular paper.  I laid 
out my 11 sheets with the step wedges on them and was able to pick 
out the papers I liked, then I could see what a 75 warm and 25 cool 
blend looked like, for instance, on that paper.  I like not quite 
neutral--just a bit of warmth to it.  On different papers the curve 
blend I might choose could be different--because the tone of the 
papers affects the image a great deal.
> 
> When you open the QTR GUI in Windows and you select the image file 
you want to print, then you have to choose a 'curve' for it down 
below.  For instance, I want to print on Epson Velvet.  So--I choose 
a matte paper in the paper dropdown.  I make the selections as to 
dpi, etc. in all the other places.  Probably I would 
check 'centered' (but if you are doing step wedge printing, you will 
keep dragging the step wedge file around in the window to place it 
differently for different printing--if you don't understand this, I 
can do a print screen and send it to you offlist).  Now--you need to 
select your blend percentage (middle box) and your curves.  Since I 
use Epson Enhanced matte as a proofing paper for Velvet, I feel that 
those curves will be close enough for me for Epson Velvet.  In the 
left curve drop down box, I choose EEnhMatte-Cool and in the right 
box I choose EEnhmatte-Warm.  From my series of step wedges I did on 
my Epson Velvet paper (I did 6 rather than do a long series of 
percentages.  Once I establish for sure what papers I'm going to use 
all the time, I will do a series of step wedges from 100% cool to 
100% warm in 10% increments) I find that a 60 cool/40 warm is about 
the blend I like on that paper.  So--I move the blend slider over to 
60 (the blend number represents the amount of the curve on the left--
the one for the cool).  I did not adjust my ink limit for this paper 
(though I may in the future) so I will not make any other slider 
adjustments for now.  Then---I'm ready to click on print and that's 
it.
> 
> I addressed softproofing in the post to Anne (Montauk lady).  It 
will help you correct any tonality/contrast issues with your print--
before you print (for the most part--its pretty difficult to get a 
perfect reading on a monitor to match a paper print because of the 
difference in the mediums).
> 
> I hope this is helpful.  I really think printing the step wedges 
on the papers you use all the time will be a big help--and I'll be 
glad to help you figure out how to do that.
> 
> Diane.  
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Steve 
>   To: QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 2:43 PM
>   Subject: [QuadtoneRIP] Re: The Advantages of QTR Are?
> 
> 
> 
>   Thanks, Diane, I'm really struggling with the understanding of 
this 
>   QTR stuff and you've been very helpful by answering many of my 
>   questions on this forum. 
>   I'm familar of the metamerism problem caused by the different 
>   lighting, but what about 'bronzing' when printing b&w on gloss 
paper?
>   Is this effect eliminated using the QTR?
> 
>   I'm still not clear on the 'step wedges', 'blends' and 'curves', 
etc.
>   Do you know where I can find a simplified tutorial that explains 
how 
>   to use this software? I know Roy Harrington talks about it on 
his 

>   QTR site but I'm finding it a little too technical.
> 
>   Looking forward to hearng back from you.
> 
>   Steve