Digital BW, The Print

Hello Peter,

>Did you actually print the image 

Yes.

>or did you just see the hatch marks on the preview screen? 

Yes.  

They didn't show up on the prints, but they were small prints.  On
large prints it might show up.  The image was of sand dunes, and the
hatch marks were bigger than the small details.  I just now ran it
again to be sure.  In the PS pic the pebbles and sand textures are
clearly visible.  In the Q pic those details are obliterated.  It sort
of resembles noise reduction artifacts.  It's also noticeably less
sharp than the PS/bicubic version, and there are some obvious
sharpening halos around some branches of bushes which aren't on the
PS/bic version - it just doesn't look as good.  I played and fussed
and fiddled for most of an evening with a variety of different
settings (interpolation types, sharpening levels) and could not
produce a better result.  That, along with the fact that it converts
my 16-bit grayscale to 8-bit/RGB...it's just not worth the hassle.

 
>I have been using Qimage for several years and have never 
>experienced hatch marks 

I'm not sure what sort of mental image the term "hatch marks" evokes.
 It's the best I could think of at the time.  It resembles the
reticulation I got once on a neg that went into too cold fixer.  Sort
of like tiny patterned flower petals.

I have had Qimage on my PC for about three years, have always kept it
updated, and have continually tried using it, off and on, for a
variety of things.  But I have to say it has produced more frustration
than anything else.  Lots of my images it can't read (and I can't
detect any pattern to it).  The few that I've been able to get it to
print ok have been exceptionally good.  But it's so erratic as to what
it can and can't deal with that it's more often a waste of precious
time than anything else.  I'd say that about 90% of the time I try
something with it I come away dissatisfied.  The bottom line for me is
that it has been a waste of time and money.  But I keep fiddling with
it now and then in hopes it will do something to earn its keep.  Maybe
it will someday.

Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm