Quadtone Update
Quadtone Update
- Subject: Quadtone Update
- From: Nick Wheeler <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 09:38:08 -0400
Steve:
Just a quick update on my Quadtone research/lament.
I have now run through all the major proprietary inkset contenders on the
Epson 3000. To wit: Cone, MIS and Lyson. I really was not terribly impressed
with any of them here. All seem to suffer from the same malady which is a
vicious break to black in the 3/4 tones. This is an attempt to exaggerate
the black to compete with silver based imaging I suspect. I find it really
unpleasant and almost impossible to control. MIS is the least offensive in
this regard.
It also may be a problem peculiar to my 3000. Who knows? In any event I am
done with that approach to quadtone printing.
Actually the finest proprietary solution still seems to be the Lyson/Iris
combination. For instance Win Handy (Winthrop editions) is doing a beautiful
job reproducing Ron Rosenstock's work on the Iris. I just don't like the
screening.
The best results I have achieved to date are on the Epson 5500 using the
standard Epson pigmented inks and Quickdraw driver. It seems a careful
combination of RGB workingspace, printer profile and tiny RGB curve tweaking
can work wonders. The magic is in the profile/workingspace combination. The
5500 is also the first inksplot printer I have seen that can claim to be
continuous tone.
For anyone interested in starting off down the Quadtone road now this is an
approach I would highly recommend. And it will print in color too!
Nick
PS: Anyone want a 3000 and lots of ink? :=)