Digital BW, The Print

I meant to add that remember linear L* output generally is not visually
pleasing, especially on matte papers where the black end is weak.  Remember
this was the genesis of QTR Create ICC.  Even though Quadtone RIP could be
linearised, the output could look "flat" and "lighter than on screen". (I
don't think I need to go through all that again.)  Nonetheless,
"calibrating" for linearity is good practice before "profiling" because
profiles necessarily involve interpolation.  So ideally you would profile
the printer with settings that place it in its most linear state and then
let the profile/CMM do the necessary Perceptual tonal management (which
involves some compression of shadows and highlights to fit the image into
the narrower tonal range of ink on paper much as what happens on your
display).

Cheers

Steve


> From: Steve Kale <stevekale@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 17:09:11 +0100
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Conversation: [Digital BW] Re: ABW users:  which ABW setting do you use?
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Re: ABW users:  which ABW setting do you use?
> 
> Profiling a linear device will be better so I'd use either the Norm or Light
> setting (both for printing the test chart for profiling and on an on-going
> basis) and create an ICC profile using that data.
> 
> 
>> From: edrudolpho <erudolph@...>
>> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
>> Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2006 15:51:26 -0000
>> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
>> Subject: [Digital BW] Re: ABW users:  which ABW setting do you use?
>> 
>> One other note, maybe of interest.  After printing 21-step wedges for the
>> Dark
>> and for the 
>> Norm and for the Light settings, and examining the Measure Tool text files,
>> the Norm and 
>> Light ABW settings gave very linear L values.  The Dark setting gave L values
>> with marked 
>> drop off in the last three steps.
>> 
>> Ed