QTR-Quadtone RIP

I used QTR with success several years ago. Now, I'm starting to use QTR 2.6.2, and I've read and followed the "Tutorial" and "User Guide" docs exactly, to no avail. I'm using PS CS3 under OS X 10.5.8 and printing on Epson Enhanced Matte paper on an Epson 4000 with standard UltraChrome inks.

I converted my image to Gray Gamma 2.2 in PS, selected the QTR - Gray Matte Paper profile, Perceptual, Black Point Compensation, blended curves UC-EEnhMatte-warm & UC-EEnhMatte-cool 49/51, and printed at 720dpi, bi-directional with Matte ink. The result is terrible, with only light and middle grays and a bit of black, but no dark grays. What am I missing?

Also, what are the QTR_RGB_Matte_Paper and QTR_RGB_Photo_Paper profiles for? Do I select them when printing a monochrome RGB file?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Jacques

Doh! Thanks to Roy Harrington for pointing out the need to print at 1440dpi or better. I was making test prints at 720dpi. As soon as I switched to 1440Super, the prints looked great.

In case anyone's interested, printing on Ilford Galerie Gold Fiber Silk works great with the ISmoothPearl curves. IGGFS is a semi-matte baryta paper that takes Photo Black ink. Its surface is a lot like that of Ilford Multigrade fiber B&W darkroom paper. It's very nice with color, but especially suited to B&W printing. And, it's pretty affordable.

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "Jacques" <jacques4242@...> wrote:

>
> I used QTR with success several years ago. Now, I'm starting to use QTR 2.6.2, and I've read and followed the "Tutorial" and "User Guide" docs exactly, to no avail. I'm using PS CS3 under OS X 10.5.8 and printing on Epson Enhanced Matte paper on an Epson 4000 with standard UltraChrome inks.
> 
> I converted my image to Gray Gamma 2.2 in PS, selected the QTR - Gray Matte Paper profile, Perceptual, Black Point Compensation, blended curves UC-EEnhMatte-warm & UC-EEnhMatte-cool 49/51, and printed at 720dpi, bi-directional with Matte ink. The result is terrible, with only light and middle grays and a bit of black, but no dark grays. What am I missing?
> 
> Also, what are the QTR_RGB_Matte_Paper and QTR_RGB_Photo_Paper profiles for? Do I select them when printing a monochrome RGB file?
> 
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> 
> Jacques
>