QTR Printer Settings?

[Eric Brody]

I am a longtime happy user (paid) of QTR RIP. I have read a lot about QTR and have a question about the printer settings.

I print in Photoshop CC with an Epson 3880. My paper of choice is Moab Entrada Natural.

In the basic tutorial on the website, written by Roy Harrington, in 2011, it says to set the color handling as "Let Photoshop Determine Colors" and to use the "QTR_RGB_Matte paper setting."

I have also read, can’t recall exactly where right now, to set the color handling as “Printer Manages Colors,” and leave the profile setting blank.

With both I use perceptual rendering and black point compensation.

I have tried it both ways and the only difference seems to be a slight change in contrast. Using  the QTR_RGB_Matte setting is slightly more contrasty.

Which approach is correct? I have neither the equipment nor the desire to make my own curves.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Eric

[unesco]

How do you use the QTR? As a print driver or to make BW profiles for ABW printing? Mac or Win?

[Eric Brody]

Sorry, should have made it clear that I use QTR as a print driver to make monochrome prints on  on my Epson 3880 from my Fuji X T-2 files converted to monochrome with Silver Efex Pro 2.

[unesco]

I do not fully understand your question, it looks like you use Mac? If yes, the PrintTool might be the proper path...
I am Win QTR user so have nothing to do with PS when printing.
Genera rule is that QTR is doing all "color" management, it has linear gamma, and the all (or most) paper stuff are designed and done via QTR (ink limits, linearisation, curve shape design for each channel, number of other other parameters). Or maybe you mean QTR presents for some papers done by Roy?

[Dave Rosser]

I am a longtime happy user (paid) of QTR RIP. I have read a lot about QTR and have a question about the printer settings.

I print in Photoshop CC with an Epson 3880. My paper of choice is Moab Entrada Natural.

In the basic tutorial on the website, written by Roy Harrington, in 2011, it says to set the color handling as "Let Photoshop Determine Colors" and to use the "QTR_RGB_Matte paper setting."

I have also read, can’t recall exactly where right now, to set the color handling as “Printer Manages Colors,” and leave the profile setting blank.

With both I use perceptual rendering and black point compensation.

I have tried it both ways and the only difference seems to be a slight change in contrast. Using  the QTR_RGB_Matte setting is slightly more contrasty.

Which approach is correct? I have neither the equipment nor the desire to make my own curves.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Eric

If you can beg, borrow or buy a copy of Jeff Schewe's book "The Digital Print" he gives an explanation on using the Quad Tone RIP on pages 237 to 242. In that book he shows the Photoshop print settings dialog box with Quad Tone RIP selected and he set the color handling as “Printer Manages Colors,” and left the profile setting blank.  There is of course a whole lot more and the book is highly recomended.

[Eric Brody]

Thanks so much Dave, I do own Jeff's terrific book and that may be where I read to do things that way, "printer manages color," profile blank. But that is the issue, trivial as it may seem. The online tutorial, written in 2011, by Roy Harrington himself, seems to show the other alternative, "Photoshop manages colors" and QTR_RGB_Matte paper setting. I asked this question of Roy almost a week ago and did not hear back, hope he's ok and just busy or traveling. I'm just looking for the experience of other QTR printers. I suspect there's not a "right" answer.

[graeme]

Thanks so much Dave, I do own Jeff's terrific book and that may be where I read to do things that way, "printer manages color," profile blank. But that is the issue, trivial as it may seem. The online tutorial, written in 2011, by Roy Harrington himself, seems to show the other alternative, "Photoshop manages colors" and QTR_RGB_Matte paper setting. I asked this question of Roy almost a week ago and did not hear back, hope he's ok and just busy or traveling. I'm just looking for the experience of other QTR printers. I suspect there's not a "right" answer.

I've sent a couple of queries to Roy and he's given helpful replies to both after a few days.