Digital BW, The Print

Clayton & Paul,

Thank you so much for your thorough replies.  I'm really much closer to understanding 
how this works, thanks to your generous help.

It sounds like starting with an r220 and a variable tone MIS ink set, along with Paul's ICC 
profiles and toning curves, is a good way to get my feet wet and learn the ropes.  And it 
sounds like this method can produce very good prints.

Quick question: I'm assuming I can also use these ICC profiles to do a soft-proof of the 
print in Photoshop.  Is this correct?

I guess I'll continue to use my Canon MP800 for heavily toned/colorized B&W prints until I 
can afford a 2400.  At that point I'll have more flexible option, where I can use RGB/color 
workflow when printing colorized B&Ws and the ABW/greyscale (or QTR RIP) mode when 
I'm printing "classic" and warm/cool toned B&Ws.

Thanks again,
Chris

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Clayton Jones" <cj@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Chris,
> 
> >I've read over most of your webiste Paul, and also all of the 
> >articles on Clayton's website. 
> >I'm not at all sure at what point in the B&W conversion process 
> >(from my color RAW file) I should convert from RGB to greyscale.  
> 
> 
> I just recently revised article #9 (the 2400 workflow) 
> 
>    http://www.cjcom.net/articles/digiprn9.htm
> 
> and added more detail to the section on converting to BW.  Basically
> the first thing is to apply whatever methods you want to remove the
> color while in RGB, and then change to grayscale mode.  At this point
> the image is ready for any levels, curves and other typical work as a
> BW image.
> 
> 
> >Another question that may help me decide on a printer: with the K3 
> >printers (2400 in particular) is it recommended to also use a 
> >greyscale workflow for B&W prints, or is it possible to get good 
> >prints using an RGB workflow and applying any toning in RGB color 
> >space...
> 
> I think it's possible to get good prints that way, but they of course
> will have a different look and feel.  The ABW mode uses primarily the
> three blacks with colors added only as toners, so the tones are
> limited to a warm/cool range.  If you wanted, for example, a gold
> colored tone, or any other hue outside of the grayscale warm/cool
> range, then the RGB/color controls approach would be required.  When
> making BW prints with ABW there is no advantage to keeping the image
> in RGB.  All you have is images that are three times as large.  When
> you switch to grayscale the image becomes 1/3 it's former size.
> 
> 
> >How about the 2200 in this regard (though it uses the UC inks 
> >rather than K3 and is thus not as "archival")?
> 
> Yes, exactly.  The K3 is much better in that regard.   The K3 printers
> are a big step forward in technology over the 2200 (and 1280, 220 and
> the rest) for several reasons: better longevity, less bronzing and
> gloss differential on glossy papers, three blacks for much better BW
> prints, and the driver has essentially what is a built in semi-RIP
> with it's ABW system.  ABW uses primarily the three blacks, adding
> color inks as toners to create the warm/cool tone you specify with the
> controls.  Using a 3rd party RIP with the 2400 (such as QTR) gives
> even greater control over the inks (for example, eliminating the
> Yellow from the toning mix).
> 
> 
> Regards,
> Clayton
> 
> 
> Info on black and white digital printing at    
> http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm
>