Re: B&W color -- Curves for Generations inkset

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<x-charset iso-8859-1>That's quite interesting Paul.  I wonder how a Profiler Pro run Gen 4 set
would compare to your custom curve result.  Several folks have commented this
software builds extremely neutral profiles, very usable for B&W printing.

Dave King

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Roark <proark@silcom.com>
To: Epson-inkjet <epson-inkjet@leben.com>
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 1:23 PM
Subject: B&W color -- Curves for Generations inkset


> I use my 1160 for both Piezo ink and Generations ink.  I recently wrote a
> set of RGB curves to balance the Generations inkset for B&W output.  The
> curves separate the blacks (95%- 100%) as well as the Piezo system software,
> eliminate all significant crossovers, and compromise the metamerism so that
> the prints are OK in any light.  The overall color is a tad on the cool side
> (less than some true cold tone outputs).
>
> Bottom line results:  In side-by-side viewing contests of the same landscape
> shot (Clearing Storm, Yosemite, on my website), the Generations inkset B&W
> output beat the Piezo quad inkset output consistently in all light sources.
> The viewers were people who are accustomed to cool or neutral-tone silver
> prints.  They thought the Piezo outputs looked yellow, with weak blacks.
> They also thought the Generations print was sharper. (They are wrong here,
> but its the eyes that count, not the technical resolution numbers.  It's
> probably the perceptually deeper blacks that do it.)
>
> Now, I'm not at all claiming that a color inkset is better than a quad
> inkset for ultimate technical quality, but viewers show such a preference
> for cool or neutral-toned landscapes that the technical differences that
> those of us on this list might see are simply irrelevant to the normal (but
> sophisticated) viewers.
>
> Of course, I will continue to use Piezo inks for my digital photo
> restorations or where warm tones are preferable.  And where longevity is
> critical, I assume the Generations inkset will fade unevenly, such that
> those outputs will eventually take on too much color to be acceptable.  (Of
> course, I will next try to balance out a 2000P, which might well outlast the
> best quad tone inkset.)
>
> The curves I've written for B&W output are for the 1160 only, Archival Matte
> paper, and Generations v.3 inkset.  (I still have a lot of that in my CIS
> system.)  If anyone wants a copy of the curves -- Gen1-G3 -- let me know and
> I'll e-mail the file.  We've already determined that they do not work in a
> 1200, and I assume that the G4 inkset is too different.  (I'll write curves
> for that when I run out of G3.)
>
> I would like some feedback from an 1160/Generations3/Archival matte user on
> these curves.  It's possible that the individual machines differ enough that
> crossovers will appear on other machines that do not appear on my 1160.  If
> this is the case, then these curves won't be useable by others.
>
> I'd say the quad inkset folks ought to get it in high gear if they want to
> be relevant in the "modernist" B&W market as opposed to just the
> "pictorialist" market.  There is no reason a 6-ink printer can't do it all,
> and a six-ink B&W printer that just does warm tones is a total waste.  Only
> three inks are needed for dotless, smooth B&W prints.
>
> Paul Roark
> Solvang, CA
> http://www.silcom.com/~proark/photos.html

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