Digital BW, The Print

Michael,

You might try using QTR Gray-Matte.icc as your profile instead of Gray 
Gamma 2.2 with the K7's ( profile>convert: GG 2.2 to Gray-Matte with 
Black Point Compensation checked). I realize that the K7 Quick Start 
Guide recommends GG2.2, but in my experience Gray-Matte works much 
better, so much so that with my printer if I didn't know any better, I'd 
say the K7 curves were designed for use with Gray-Matte.icc. I should 
mention though that this is with Innova Photo Smooth Cotton and using a 
hardware calibrated monitor. With this work flow, the prints look very 
much like my monitor - no soft proofing needed. I've never thought the 
K7's lacked any punch compared to any other inks I've ever used or seen, 
including Piezos, MIS, UC's or K3's.
The other option you might try is to have a proper profile built for 
you, though without a hardware calibrated monitor, all bets are off.

Will

 

>From: Michael Vendrell <mjvendrell2@...>
>Subject: Piezo NK7  vs  R220 UTR2 W  vs  C86 EZW
>
>ALL: I just loaded Piezo NK7's into my 2200 and
>printed an old standby scanned negative with a full
>range of tones including many dark grays.  Using the
>QTR HPR 2880 NK7 curves and QTR the print was very
>much lighter overall than same on 220 UTR2W with Paul
>Roark's gamma 2.2 curve with the Epson driver; or C86
>with EZW and Paul Roark's recommended settings in the
>Epson driver.  All were sent with a gamma 2.2 profile
>embedded - psd's for the 220 and C86 and tiff for the
>QTR.  The R220 and C86 prints are very similar except
>the C86 is noticeably warmer - but the densities are
>quite similar. In order to get the NK7 on the 2200 to
>match the other two in overall density, I had to place
>the ink limit slider in QTR at +35 and the gamma
>slider to +15.
>
>BTW, on HPR the NK7 is less warm yet (near neutral to
>my eye) than the R220 with the UTR2Warm and much
>cooler than the C86 with EZWarm.  For this image I
>prefer the somewhat warm R220 Warm set  - but such
>things are, of course, a matter of taste.
>
>The Piezo NK7 is indeed very smooth, although to my
>eye it lacks a bit of "punch" relative to the other
>two and the d-max is less even with the +35 ink limit
>setting.
>
>Am I missing something, or do I have some setting
>wrong in the QTR for the NK7's in the 2200, such that
>I must almost max out the ink limits and density to
>get a WYSIWYG with this system? The WYSIWYG with the
>other two systems is quite close even though I have
>only calibrated my monitor visually with the Adobe
>gamma loader. Any thoughts and advice would be
>appreciated.
>
>Michael Vendrell, MD.
>  
>