I'm ready to print

[Dwayneb9584]

Hey all,

So I got the r2880, I have Quadtone RIP, paper and inks. I have a new edition to the Macbook Pro and wanted to know If I need to calibrate my screen when printing? If so, can someone help me out with this?

 

[venchka]

Yes. Often.
I would visit a digital heavy forum. Nikon Cafe comes to mind. There are many different calibration hardware+software packages on the market. Get a good one. Use it often.
Paper: Red River Paper Aurora Fine Art and Moab entrada 300g rag natural. Whatever paper you use, download the ICC profiles. Learn how to use the profiles with your photo software. Lots of switches to get right. When you get the whole system on the same page, you will LOVE your prints.
I'm not sure why you bought Quadtone RIP first. My friends with Epson printers use Epson's Advanced Black & White. It works.
Good luck.

ps: The Macbook Pro may be a bit light for serious photo editing duty.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Thanks Wayne. I didn't buy the Quadtone Rip but downloaded it off the website. I did install the epson software that came with the R2880. I'm starting off with Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl paper right now. I'd like to research this calibrating thing before I start.

 

[Roger Hicks]

All you need now is an enlarger and some trays...

(Sorry: couldn't resist).

Cheers,

R.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

lol funny. I'd actually love to do that but totally don't have any space anywhere for that. Friend of mine may build one in his garage so maybe i'll be starting that one day.

 

[venchka]

First.......
Film developing for analog to digital conversion: Thin is good. Thinner than you would like for optical enlarging. What scanner are you using? Are you satisfied with your scanning results?
You can print without without spending $200-$300-$400 on calibration hardware for your monitor. You could get lucky and get very good prints right off the bat. The whole notion of the photo on screen and photo on paper matching is largely myth anyway. It's nice to be as close as possible to a match, but a 100% match is hard to impossible to achieve.
I like the Ilford paper too. In fact, I have a bunch of HP paper that I got a deal on from HP online. It is made in Switzerland. Guess where Ilford inkjet paper is located? However, my taste runs to matte paper and the Moab entrada and Red River Aurora suit my eyes. Red River Paper is very inexpensive.
Getting the ICC paper profiles is the key to the whole operation.
Just do it! Go print.
Good luck.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Thanks again Wayne. I'm scanning with a Plustek 7600i SE

 

[Dwayneb9584]

I ran a print after installing the ICC profiles from the Ilford website. I then use quadtone RIP and match up the profiles to the illford paper and all. Hit print and the printer tells me the job is on hold. A dialog box in photo shops print menu that says remember to disable printers color management. I'm trying to figure out how but can't seem to figure it out. Any help greatly appreciated.

 

[_larky]

"ps: The Macbook Pro may be a bit light for serious photo editing duty."

That made me chuckle. I used to edit stuff on G4's running OS9 at higher resolutions that most people would use, a Macbook Pro is never going to struggle. In fact, let's be honest, computers in general today wont struggle unless they are a: running Winblows and b: being operated by somebody who thinks it's ok to open ever odd attachment arriving via e-mail.

 

[tlitody]

can't help. I never had those kind of problems with my Durst L1200 printer. It just switches a light on and off and seems to work fine. The post exposure liquid process has electro chemical reactions but they are automatic and always seem to just work without problems.
The only time I use RIP is when I screwed up and take it out on the resulting print.

 

[Bob Michaels]

I ran a print after installing the ICC profiles from the Ilford website. I then use quadtone RIP and match up the profiles to the illford paper and all. Hit print and the printer tells me the job is on hold. A dialog box in photo shops print menu that says remember to disable printers color management. I'm trying to figure out how but can't seem to figure it out. Any help greatly appreciated.

Although I came from the old school of custom blended 3rd party ink sets and RIP's, it was only because they were once needed. I have always believed that the simplest way to get good results is always the best.

I have not used a RIP since Epson came out with the 2400 and the AWB (actually a built in RIP). Personally, I can see no need to use Roy Harrington's Quadtone RIP these days. Why not try printing normally?

A few questions:
1) can you print the printers built in test page?
2) can you print a simple text file?
3) can you print a file direct from your image editor normally?

BTW, I am a firm believer in calibrated monitors. You have to work to some defined standard. You can learn to mentally adjust but must start that process from the beginning if you get a new monitor, video card, make any changes to your system, or your monitor simply drifts over time.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Thanks for all the help everyone. After I setup the printer I didn't run any test prints. I set up a few files last night that were ready for today so all I had to do was open the tiff in photo shop and hip print. In the setup manual it just says load the paper after I put the ink in. I then installed the drivers, after I installed the quadtone rip and the icc profiles for the paper I'm using. I am using CS5 and I don't see anywhere on here an option to disable color management. I haven't printed anything else yet but will try.

 

[Bob Michaels]

<snip> I am using CS5 and I don't see anywhere on here an option to disable color management. I haven't printed anything else yet but will try.

In the same box that you see the warning to disable the printer's color management, you should see a box that says "print settings", click it.

Then select the advanced tab

On the right side, there are 4 choices under "Color Management" select "ICM"

Just below that, there is a box that says "Off (No color adjustment)". Check that box.

At least this is the way it works with Windows.

Now I have not used a RIP other than the Epson ABW in 6 or so years, but I know you do not want both Photoshop and the printer trying to manage colors.

 

[Keith]

One tip that I picked up from someone here was about sharpening ... particularly when printing from 135mm negs scanned with a budget scanner.

The amounting of sharpening to give a perfect print will look slightly over sharpened on a monitor.

 

[venchka]

...and then there is output sharpening. That varies for matte or glossy paper. Lightroom has presets for that. Photoshop doesn't. Find the scale for print sharpening. Use a little. Creep up the scale until you can see the effects. Then back off.

Personally, I would install and use the Epson driver first. Bob repeated what I said earlier: Use the Epson Advanced Black and White feature. Use the Ilford paper profile. Set your media type to whatever Ilford says to do for an Epson printer.
Lots of switches. You will get the hang of it before you run out of paper. Or ink. One reason why most folks settle on a single paper. Maybe two. Cuts down on the GOTCHAS! associated with switching papers.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Thanks all, I did everything you all mentioned. Changed the color management to none, used epson profiles/ Ilford profiles. When I go to print it still says Hold under print status.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Thanks all, I did everything you all mentioned. Changed the color management to none, used epson profiles/ Ilford profiles. When I go to print it still says Hold under print status.

Have you ever made any sort of printout with this printer?
Can you make the test print using the printer driver?
Can you print simple text from your work processor?
Can you print anything from your web browser?

See if you can walk before you try to run.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Thanks all, I did everything you all mentioned. Changed the color management to none, used epson profiles/ Ilford profiles. When I go to print it still says Hold under print status.

Is it possible that you have "print preview" selected? You may have to click the preview on the task bar (or whatever the Mac equivalent is) and select OK for it to print?

Can you see the file in the print queue for the printer? If there are a number of files backed up there ready for print, that should tell you something.

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Thanks, I tried printing word docs, webpages, etc. Everything comes out Status Hold. Can't right click it to force a print or anything.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Thanks, I tried printing word docs, webpages, etc. Everything comes out Status Hold. Can't right click it to force a print or anything.

Call Epson customer support and have them walk you through all the steps to check everything.