Quadtones sans RIP (was RE none)

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>Can anyone provide first hand accounts of unqualified quadtone success on a 4
>color printer _without_ a RIP?  If so, then I'd go for the 1160. Otherwise, it
>would apear that the 1520 or 3000 w/PressReady are the better choices.
>
>Doug Kellly
>kdouglas1@uswest.net

Yes.  On glossy paper (or with any paper/ink combination which gives a
satisfying dark black with *only* black ink, quadtone prints can be made
with manual CMYK separations and printed with nice results through the RGB
driver.  The way I do this is explained at
http://www.geocities.com/~campfiredan/infoshare/RGB-K_quad_printing.html.
The option which copies the black channel back into the RGB file as a layer
gives the most flexibility for tweaking at print time.

Note that on uncoated papers like Somerset Velvet it will still be
impossible to get the deepest possible black since the RGB driver limits
max black (no matter how you get there) to black ink only with no under
addition of the other inks.  But on glossy paper and on some of the coated
papers, this works fine.  You have to make sure to do your printing inks
setups (or make your previewing profiles) with the same RGB(K) process to
get a moderately accurate on-screen preview.

However, this whole RGB(K) process is really just a workaround and a true
CMYK driver (like Adobe PressReady or the Sundance R9) is more satifying
and much better way to go (and can give deeper blacks).  Unfortunately I
have not been able to totally eliminate banding with the CMYK  drivers
while I get absolutley *no* banding with this RGB(K) method and the
standard driver.   If I ever get a printer that works with a CMYK driver
and no banding, I'll be a very happy man indeed.  Even my new Stylus 900
gives me banding with PressReady (but it is smaller banding to go along
with the smaller dot size!).

The RGB(K) method also works very nicely with my new and improved quadtone
profiles making method, at
http://www.geocities.com/~campfiredan/infoshare/Quadtone_Multitone_Profile.html
but again, when you set the ink colors and dot in Photoshop CMYK setup be
sure you set them from target patches made through the same RGB(K) method.

Dan Culbertson





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