Digital BW, The Print

Now I'm sure this post has been exhausted - many times over- but I'm interested to 
expanding my printing techniques.  I am a staff photographer for a large newspaper and 
have gotten away from my fine art background- shooting mainly photojournalist images 
for the past few years.  I want to create fine black and white digital prints, but I'm not sure 
where to start.  There is a load of information out there but I'm having trouble digesting it 
all- I would appreciate help in condensing all that info.  If anyone has the time - I have a 
few broad questions- What types of new printers are best used to create b&w images?  
What inks do you prefer?  And  finally a little about the software needed (mac user).  I 
know these are broad questions and very subjective- but any information would be greatly 
apprenticed. Russ Powell

Hello Russ,

>There is a load of information out there but I'm having trouble
>digesting it...I would appreciate help in condensing all that info.  
>I have a few broad questions- What types of new printers are best 
>used to create b&w images?  What inks do you prefer?  
>...any information would be greatly apprenticed.

For an overview that will answer many of these kinds of questions,
please see articles #1 and #2 at the web link below.

Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm

Russ,

> ... What types of new printers are best used to create b&w images? ...

The printers I've worked with are listed at
http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/index.htm .

From darkroom B&W I first tried digital internegatives, then PiezoBW, and
now use mostly MIS inks.  MIS's business model just happens to fit my style
-- which is to do everything myself (and their ink is cheap and very
lightfast).  The papers I use are listed with the various printers.  With
respect to software, I'm a minimalist, but the QTR Create ICC looks like a
real advance.  I think color managed, easy to linearize B&W is the future.

Enjoy the journey.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

To condense it to the extreme:
Printers:
    Epson pigment printers --
        small format 1280 (discontinued), 2200 (discontinued), 2400, R1800
        large format 4800, 7800, 9800
    Epson dye printers--
        R200 series
Inks:
    Color
        Epson pigmented inks for 2200 -- Ultrachrome good, but expensive.
        Epson pigmented inks for new printers -- Ultrachrome K3
    Third party solutions -- MIS Eboni black replacement carts

Software (Mac)
    Photoshop CS2
    PhotoKit Sharpener http://www.pixelgenius.com/sharpener/index.html

Hardware
    Some kind of color management system (hardware and software) to
calibrate the monitor:
        Monaco Optix or EZColor http://www.xritephoto.com/product/optixxr/
        ColorVision Spyder http://www.colorvision.com/index_us.html
        Gretag Macbeth EyeOne http://usa.gretagmacbethstore.com/

You may also need a scanner to bring older film images into your system. The
Epson flatbeds (4990 Photo for example) do a good job with both
transparencies and reflective art.

If you have a lot of slides, the Nikon 5000ED is worth the investment.

That's it in a nutshell. If I was just starting out, I'd buy Photoshop, an
Epson 2400 and some Epson inks and paper to try it out. I'd use the Matte
Black rather than the PhotoBlack cart, and print on inexpensive paper, like
Enhanced Matte, which gives you decent results out of the box.

Jim
-- 
parkerparker :: design | photography
http://www.parkerparker.net



On 1/2/06 7:18 AM, "DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com"
<DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

> Subject: new to all of this
> 
> Now I'm sure this post has been exhausted - many times over- but I'm
> interested to 
> expanding my printing techniques.  I am a staff photographer for a large
> newspaper and 
> have gotten away from my fine art background- shooting mainly photojournalist
> images 
> for the past few years.  I want to create fine black and white digital prints,
> but I'm not sure 
> where to start.  There is a load of information out there but I'm having
> trouble digesting it
> all- I would appreciate help in condensing all that info.  If anyone has the
> time - I have a 
> few broad questions- What types of new printers are best used to create b&w
> images?  
> What inks do you prefer?  And  finally a little about the software needed (mac
> user).  I 
> know these are broad questions and very subjective- but any information would
> be greatly 
> apprenticed. Russ Powell

Good advice in general, but it's not necessary to invest in any
devices at all to control color if you're visually acute colorwise,
the way traditional color printers were.

Also, consider the Nikon V rather than $400 more for the 5000, both
4000ppi...the latter seems over kill, isn't better in any respect than
the V except speed (V is already very fast @ 2.5min) and irrelevant
statistics (5000's nominally greater bit depth and Dmax are relevant
only to publishers, who do their own scanning anyway). 

When considering paper, consider what you intend to do with prints. If
you intend to hang them under glass any advantage in gloss or
semigloss is lost. 

If you intend to distribute prints for press releases (rock bands,
head shots), gloss becomes more relevant. Two glossy papers that seem
better than Epsons are Moab Kokopelli and, perhaps even better,
Costco's Kirkland...which has the advantage of being incredibly cheap
while being very attractive. 

If your prints are not intended for display, just for personal
purposes, semigloss seems satisfying to many. Personally, I've settled
for a while on Moab Kayenta for proofing and play, and Moab Entrada
bright for display at 12X18 etc...both are matte and both are glassed
when on display. 




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, James Parker
<dakota.kid@m...> wrote:
>
> To condense it to the extreme:

At 1:40 AM +0000 1/2/06, konadante wrote:
>
>Now I'm sure this post has been exhausted - many times over- but I'm 
>interested to
>expanding my printing techniques.

The printers and inks and papers are still evolving, Russ, so even 
when there's a temporary consensus, the answers to these questions 
can't be exhaustive for long.


>   I am a staff photographer for a large newspaper and
>have gotten away from my fine art background- shooting mainly 
>photojournalist images
>for the past few years.  I want to create fine black and white 
>digital prints, but I'm not sure
>where to start.  There is a load of information out there but I'm 
>having trouble digesting it
>all- I would appreciate help in condensing all that info.

So this need isn't going away, but this list chews on it relentlessly.


>   If anyone has the time - I have a
>few broad questions- What types of new printers are best used to 
>create b&w images?
>What inks do you prefer?  And  finally a little about the software 
>needed (mac user).

In addition to the link Clayton gave you to the information on his 
site, there's also Paul Roark's
<http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/R220_R2_Readme.htm>
on where to start with an Epson printer (R220), a MIS ink set (UT 
R2), and Roy Harrington's QuadTone RIP (QTR), which Roy provides both 
for Mac's and for Windows.

I think that your first big decision is whether to start down the 
quadtone path or start down the black-only (BO) path or start down 
both paths at once. Not that it's necessarily an either(QT)-or(BO) 
situation except at the individual print level. On the contrary, for 
many it's a both-and situation. But often with different inks and/or 
printers. For example, for economy and simplicity, you might start 
printing black-only on the R200, especially if you already have one, 
and later begin to print also with the UT R2 ink set, eventually with 
Roy's QTR, on an R220.

In any case, because you're on a Mac, you might want to subscribe 
also to the MacEpsonList, which is another Yahoo list.


>I know these are broad questions and very subjective- but any 
>information would be greatly apprenticed. Russ Powell

Good luck, Russ, and please keep posting. I'm about to celebrate the 
new year by starting over along some combination of the same lines.
--
Sam

You make a good point on the calibration -- fifteen years ago, we used to
use SuperMatch calibration pucks, which was just about it for cheap
calibration other than Adobe Gamma. Then those were discontinued, SuperMac
went out of business, and I calibrated entirely by eye. I've been looking at
color for over thirty years, handling printing for much of that, and I can
generally get my screen to match my prints and vice versa without a puck.

But that's not necessarily true for the average newbie who's never worked in
the domain -- a puck is inexpensive insurance that the screen is showing you
what you think it is.

Can't say for sure on the V versus the 5000 -- both are probably "good
enough". I use the 5000, replaced an LS1000 with it, and they are worlds
apart in scan quality.

Jim

On 1/2/06 4:09 PM, "DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com"
<DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

> Message: 15      
>    Date: Mon, 02 Jan 2006 17:14:07 -0000
>    From: "djon43" <djon43@...>
> Subject: Re: new to all of this
> 
> Good advice in general, but it's not necessary to invest in any
> devices at all to control color if you're visually acute colorwise,
> the way traditional color printers were.
> 
> Also, consider the Nikon V rather than $400 more for the 5000, both
> 4000ppi...the latter seems over kill, isn't better in any respect than
> the V except speed (V is already very fast @ 2.5min) and irrelevant
> statistics (5000's nominally greater bit depth and Dmax are relevant
> only to publishers, who do their own scanning anyway).
> 
> When considering paper, consider what you intend to do with prints. If
> you intend to hang them under glass any advantage in gloss or
> semigloss is lost.
> 
> If you intend to distribute prints for press releases (rock bands,
> head shots), gloss becomes more relevant. Two glossy papers that seem
> better than Epsons are Moab Kokopelli and, perhaps even better,
> Costco's Kirkland...which has the advantage of being incredibly cheap
> while being very attractive.
> 
> If your prints are not intended for display, just for personal
> purposes, semigloss seems satisfying to many. Personally, I've settled
> for a while on Moab Kayenta for proofing and play, and Moab Entrada
> bright for display at 12X18 etc...both are matte and both are glassed
> when on display.