Digital BW, The Print

CDTobie wrote:

> ... it is also possible to profile the MIS UT3D inksets with 
> PrintFIX PRO 2 right through the OEM driver ... 
> full control of the UT3D gamut, with live preview of 
> the adjustments in Photoshop, so that you can create any tint 
> or cross-tint within the inkset's gamut visually, on screen, 
> then print this same result with the UT3D inks and paper 
> that the profile was created for...

I downloaded the 2.0b5 beta and gave this a try on the 220.  It does,
indeed, seem to work.  I used the 225 target without the special B&W target.
It produced a good "neutral" print with tones that went from the paper white
to the black tone. The soft proofing seemed to work also.  

I haven't experimented with this very much, but it looks like, for example,
on Premier Art's rather cool Matte BW paper it's easy to get a cool tone
with a Lab b of -5, or a medium warm print with Lab b a bit over 3 in the
midtones just by adjusting the color balance of the RGB file.  Split tones
ought to be very easy.

Limiting factors appear to be the small gamut of the inkset and distortion
of the ramp if the color balance sliders are pushed too far.  The soft proof
give visual feedback as to when the ramp is getting distorted.

If one wants a neutral print, it appears a grayscale file can also be
printed with the profile.

While this approach does not seem to be able to reach the limits of the
inkset the way manual profiling can, it looks like anyone with the program
will be able to profile papers and achieve very useful tones and split tones
with ease.

Congratulations David.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com