Printing Black and White Images using Quad Tone RIP
First Choose which printer you would like to print to from the Printer list. QTR is the only way to
print to the 4000 using the all black inkset. However QTR is also is available for the 4900 and 9900
using the standard inksets. With all of these printers it is possible to print either Matt Black or Photo
Black prints. To choose which printer you would like select any of the printers with black and white
in the label as are highlighted in the following image
Once you have selected a printer you need to configure all of the settings for QTR this is done in the
same way that you select the settings for the printers normally by going to Print Settings by clicking
on the
button.
The Print Dialogue will appear as
normal. You need to do the following
before diving into the QTR Dialogue.
1) Be Sure proper printer is selected
2) Be sure your Presets is set to
standard
3) Make sure that your paper size is
correct
At this point you are ready to move on
to formatting your QTR dialogue
properly for you print.
To Access the QTR Dialogue click on layout as you
would normally but instead of going to printer settings go
to QuadToneRIP this will display all of the remaining
settings needed to make your print.
You Will see a dialogue that looks like the
dialogue to the right each of the fields in this
dialogue need to be set up and I will go through
each of these step by step in the following pages
however the essence of what you are doing here
is as follows:
Setting up a paper type and Tone Combination in
Curves.
Mixing the Tones ie neutral and sepiatone in the
split tone field
Making decisions about paper feed, resolution,
speed and type of ink (MK/PK) in the bottom
area.
The First thing you need to do is decide on 8-bit or 16-bit this will be determined by your file if you
are printing an 8 bit file use 8-bit 16-bit file use 16. Note that some programs do not support 16-bit
output and so you may get odd results if your printing from something other than Photoshop and
attempt to use 16-bit.
Next you need to choose the curves from which
QTR will print the image. These Curves are
essentially a paper and Color Tone combination
ie. Epson Enhanced matt with a warmtone cast or
a cooltone cast.
These Curves can be mixed later in the process
in order to create an image that for instance has
cooler highlights and warmer shadows so you
can select up to three. This being said in most
cases you will only need two and in many cases
one is more than enough. You do need to select
at least one in order to print.
Note papers are named as follows:
InkType-manufacturer/paper-toning
If you don’t see the exact paper you are using
select the closest match if nothing is close
enough let Dan know and he will create a profile
within two weeks.
If you have decided to split tone your prints the next set of radio buttons and sliders allows you to do
this. If you click the radio button next to split tone it will allow you to manipulate the sliders next to
each of the curve numbers. Each area highlights, midtones, and shadows must add up to 100 percent
between the three sliders. As you can see in the example below I have decided to apply 70 percent of
curve 1 and 30 percent of curve 2 in the highlights adding up to 100 percent. This is something that
you will need to experiment with to get the color of the print just how you would like it I recommend
running test strips to determine how you would like to split tone an image if you decide to go this
route.
Finally you need to format all of your standard printer settings such as ink type print quality etc
First set up your paper feed this is determined entirely by you
however it needs to match where you have physically loaded
your paper on the printer for each of our printers I recommend
sheet feed which is the manual feed slot or Roll Feed (Cutter
On)
Choose your resolution Generally you will want 2880
however this can vary depending on factors like your original
image or your paper type. If you need help with this see your
instructor or Dan
Choose Bi-Directional or Uni-Directional this is equivalent to
highspeed checked or unchecked I recommend UniDirectional for Final Prints or prints on the 4000 but bidirectional is fine for the 4900 or 9900
Choose your installed ink which should be the ink that is
correct for your paper and the ink that is chosen on the printer
all three printers can use either mk or pk ink however on the
4900 and 9900 it is imparitive that you match the ink chosen
on the printer to the ink chosen in the dialogue or you will get
an error. With the 4000 this is the only way to choose the ink
At this point all of your settings for QTR are ready it is just a matter of selecting the proper printer
profile and rendering intent in the main Print Dialogue as follows on the next page.
After Selecting Photoshop Manages Colors you need to
choose the proper printer profile. All of the QTR
profiles are listed at the bottom of the list. Choose the
one that is closest to your paper and what you chose in
the QTR settings. If you can’t find anything close
enough let Dan know and he will install a new profile
for you in a week or two.
Next be sure that your rendering intent is set to
perceptual as all of these profiles are based on that
rendering intent.
Finally be sure that Black Point Compensation is
Checked.
You’re now ready to print your document.
Remember to double check all of the print settings each time you send a print whether it is a
test strip or an image you have already printed you Quadtone RIP will not save the settings
from print to print.