Digital BW, The Print

Hey Clayton,

As it turns out, when I configured my settings exactly as you 
describe I still felt there was a difference between the BO and full 
ink methods, however, when I finally printed a step wedge, it turns 
out that they look almost identical! 

This is the test image - in hindsight I probably should have used 
something else without a huge dark area...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianechapman/132207963/

So because there really isn't a difference I must be perceiving one 
for some reason.  One possibility is that because the blacks are 
more intense in the BO prints that it contributes to an overall 
darker feeling when a large part of the image is dark.  The other is 
that the transitions are different between the dark and darker areas 
using BO vs full ink - the neutral full ink method looks gray 
compared to the BO method at the same density so it may 
appear "darker" when it really isn't.  

I'd be interested in hearing if people have found that certain types 
of images don't work well with BO printing...?  Anyway, I hope this 
is interesting/helpful to someone...it is to me :)

Thanks, Brian

http://www.brianchapmanphotography.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Chapman" 
<brianechapman@...> wrote:
>in
> Thanks Clayton - I think the neurons might actually be starting to 
> fire. :)  ...finally.
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Clayton 
Jones" 
> <cj@> wrote:
> >
> > Hello Brian,
> > 
> > >Thanks for the info!  My goal is to get some consistency across 
> my 
> > >prints/workflow - and you're right on about 'too many workflow 
> > >variables'!!  Assuming that I follow your instructions/settings 
> > >exactly then there shouldn't be a significant difference 
between 
> BO 
> > >and full ink when using Gamma 2.2, correct?     
> > 
> > Well, possibly not, because that wouldn't be following the
> > instructions exactly.  The article recommends using DG20 for the
> > default gray space setting and image profile, printer profile 
set 
> to
> > Same As Source (or No Color Management in CS2), and printer 
gamma 
> 1.8.
> >  With those settings I can go between BO and full ink printing. 
> > That's the combination I've found that gives me the most 
> versatility
> > and good WYSIWYG.  It isn't carved in stone - you can use 
anything 
> you
> > want and make it work, but there are trade-offs for everything.  
> The
> > above combination is just a sort of sweet spot that I find most
> > convenient and hassle free.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > >As for my initial issue, the one potential (and potentially 
> > >significant as you mentioned below) issue is that I may or may 
> not 
> > >have converted the image to grayscale prior to printing - and 
> > >therefore the image could have been using Adobe 1998 instead of 
> DG20 
> > >which may have made a difference between the two ink settings 
(BO 
> & 
> > >full ink). 
> > 
> > Quite possibly.  I do everything in grayscale.  I did lots of
> > experiments in the early days and found no advantage to staying 
in 
> RGB
> > mode, with files three times as big.  With a color digicam image 
I
> > manipulate the RGB channels during conversion to BW, but once 
> that's
> > done I convert to grayscale.
> > 
> > BTW, an important part of this workflow is having the gray space 
in
> > Color Settings set to DG20.  Having it at GG2.2 and later 
assigning
> > the image profile to DG20 won't do the job.  The gray space 
> setting is
> > what determines the actual image pixel values at the time of 
> grayscale
> > conversion (or importing a scanned neg).  Assigning a different
> > profile later merely changes how it's displayed on screen - it 
> won't
> > change the image or the print.  In order to do that the profile 
> must
> > be Converted.  But if you convert after you have worked on the 
> image
> > it will change everything you've done (it will look the same on 
> screen
> > but will change the image and the print).  So it's best to have 
it 
> go
> > to the profile you want right at the beginning, whether scanning 
a 
> neg
> > or using a color digicam file.  
> > 
> > Regards,
> > Clayton
> > 
> > 
> > Info on black and white digital printing at    
> > http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm
> >
>