adjustment layers

[lonelyronin]

Could someone please explain to me how adjustment layers work? - I'm having a problem with green tinged black and white photos.  I use 5.5 edition of photoshop.

Thanks in advance
Laura

[digitaldog]

They appear green on-screen or print that way?

[David Eichler]

Could someone please explain to me how adjustment layers work? - I'm having a problem with green tinged black and white photos.  I use 5.5 edition of photoshop.

Thanks in advance
Laura

Too complex a subject for a discussion forum. Too complex, maybe, for just one tutorial. Suggest a standard Photoshop reference book, such as those by Martin Evening or Scott Kelby, and then some more advanced books, such as those by Katrin Eisemann. Your problem may be caused by any number of things, not necessarily a lack of knowledge about layers. Mr. Rodney, aka Digital Dog, is certainly extremely knowledgable about these matters.

[lonelyronin]

On screen, the pic looks fine, but when I print it on my epson artisan 810, it comes out with a greenish cast, and rather dark - i'm going to watch the above links, and pic up some books at the library. 
Thanks for you replies
Laura

[David Eichler]

On screen, the pic looks fine, but when I print it on my epson artisan 810, it comes out with a greenish cast, and rather dark - i'm going to watch the above links, and pic up some books at the library. 
Thanks for you replies
Laura

Oh, you raised this topic somewhere else. My Epson R280 prints black and whites with a greenish cast. Same image with my Epson 3800 and same paper appears quite neutral. Maybe the printer? Maybe the profile? Maybe the printer is out of adjustment? Have you tried printing the same image with another, top quality, printer, using the same paper and the appropriate profile for that printer/paper combo?

[stamper]

On screen, the pic looks fine, but when I print it on my epson artisan 810, it comes out with a greenish cast, and rather dark - i'm going to watch the above links, and pic up some books at the library. 
Thanks for you replies
Laura

Is your printer more than 5 years old? I think I had the same model. If so then it is the printer. Older printers suffered from this problem because the black ink wasn't "pure" The solution at the time was to bring the image into Photoshop and using the colour balance introduce a magenta cast via an adjustment layer and print. Magenta is the opposite of green in the colour wheel. The adjustment layer was only temporary therefore the original wasn't affected. Alas it wasn't very successful. I learned to do duotones as an alternative and then went on to buy a printer that had neutral blacks.

[Jason DiMichele]

Good morning Laura,

To print a neutral B&W print, the printer can't use all of the colours. For example, the Epson Advanced B&W driver, along with Quad Tone Rip (Roy Harrington) software disable certain inks from being used. I know it sounds obvious to disable the colour inks to print B&W but you do require some of the colours in more controlled amounts unless you have a specialised black ink set. You can download Quad Tone Rip from www.quadtonerip.com. It is free to try and I believe $50 to purchase. Since I've acquired an older Epson 2200 from a friend, I've been able to make some really nice neutral prints.

Cheers,
Jay

[Remo Nonaz]

Laura:

Following up on Jason's comments, you won't get good B+W results on a color printer using the 'print in B+W' option. You need to get a set of B+W ink cartridges. I've been using the MIS UT-14 set in my Epson 1400 with excellent results. They have B+W ink sets for a whole range fo printers at http://www.inksupply.com/qn.cfm. There are other suppliers as well.

I've found B+W printing to be rather difficult, though it is getting easier and with better results, as I get experience using the monocrome ink. If you happen to be using an Epson 1400, I can give you some pointers that will get you off on the right foot.

[cats_five]

Suspect the fundamental problem is that it's a printer with black ink and coloured ink - CMY plus pale CM - and it is trying to mix shades of grey from the coloured inks.  I saw lots of prints with various casts at the camera club with that problem, and it was usually a green or magenta cast.  Some of them had metamerism as well - different casts in different lights.  The ink and paper you are using can influence the results as well.

However IMHO the easiest way to get good results is to get a printer that has grey inks as well - an old and discontinued example is the HP8450 which has several shades of grey in one of the cartridges.  I used one and got lovely neutral prints on several types of paper, but I settled on Ilford Gallarie Smooth Pearl, and I always used HP ink.  It is one of the few consumer-grade printers which Ilford has downloadable ICC paper profiles for.

My feeling is that if you are serious about B&W printing you need a second printer.  You might pick up an HP8450 on Ebay - I found several sold on UK Ebay for £10-£20 - or you might want to look at new offerings with grey inks.  Do ask here first before splashing the cash though!