Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Digital Black & White => Topic started by: graeme on March 05, 2017, 07:21:38 pm
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I've just installed some Farbenwerk Carbonprint inks in an Epson 1500W ( Epson 1430 in the US ).
I'm doing some initial prints on Canon & Marrut papers to help me get my head around the printing process but am going to order some better papers for serious prints. Canson Infinity Rag Photographique sounds very promising as a matt paper choice but I'm wondering if there's any difference between the 210 & 310 gsm versions apart from how the paper feels when it's handled.
Any advice appreciated.
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The 310 is a nicer weight for fine prints, but the 210 will load easier with that model printer. How is the profiling process going for you with those inks?
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The 310 is a nicer weight for fine prints, but the 210 will load easier with that model printer. How is the profiling process going for you with those inks?
Thanks for the reply Richard.
I've had the printer for a few days & have been printing with the supplied Epson colour inks to make sure the thing is working OK. I only installed the BW inkset yesterday. I've done quite a few A3+ prints with 265gsm gloss paper & the printer seems happy enough with that. I've also tried a couple of A5 310gsm matt papers which worked well so the printer seems OK with heavier papers. ( In fact the only jamming problems I've had have been with bog standard lightweight inkjet copier paper - it's very picky about that stuff ).
Basically I'm still shaking down the printer / ink set up by using canon 170gsm matt paper & other bits & pieces of heavier matt papers from various sample sets I've accumulated over the years. I've been using a canned Epson Archival matt profile after printing some ink density test charts. I've actually been very pleased with the quality of the prints given the sub optimal profiling.
I'm ready to try some of the Canson papers now. Farbenwerk supply profiles for the various Canson paper / Carbonprint ink combinations which I've downloaded. I'll see how I get on with them.
Graeme
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The ink set they sell is basically a copy of Paul Roark's system that uses the Epson driver and an ICC profile to linearize the output. It might a step up from what you'd otherwise get from the printer, but with that workflow you will not be getting the full benefit of using 6 inks to divide up the grayscale. You might also find the ICC profile will crunch up your shadows a little too aggressively. Unsurprisingly, the ICC profiles they supply are made with the QTR-Create-ICC-RGB droplet... If you have a densitometer or spectrophotometer/colorimeter you can make custom ICC profiles yourself that are specific to your printer.
The next better option will be to make your own QTR curves. You will see a greater benefit from the inkset because the lighter dilutions will be used exclusively in the highlights and lighter midtones. You will not see the dots from inks in the M and C positions, and the K will be used as the skeletal black only.
As for the paper feed: I've sent lots and lots of heavier paper through the 1430/1500 printer with only the occasional mis-feed where it will badly scuff and dent the paper. The paper can still be used for making proof prints, or trimming off the damaged area, but wrecks the paper if you intend on selling the print. It is just something to keep on eye out for, and might cause some cursing if you're running low in the box...
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Thanks for that info Richard.
I'd emailed Roy Harrington about using QTR & he explained that I'd have to create my own curves. I have no idea how to do this but will be reading some tutorials / manuals this morning. I don't own a densitometer so curves it'll have to be.
Thanks for the heads up on the heavier paper. I'm not selling the prints so I'll take my chances.