PWP 7.0 and MIS UT-3D inkset

[MWilly]

I am wanting to use a variable tone black and white inkset developed by Paul Roark and sold by inksupply.com (referred to as MIS) called UT-3D. One is able to create printer profiles using Quadtone RIP but on the website describing the inkset, the following statement is made; 'Requires use of Photoshop CS or Photoshop Elements 4.0 and an ICC Profile.' I can hardly believe that PWP is not able to use profiles created by Quadtone RIP and besides the printing is still done through the Epson driver. I'm decidedly allergic to Adobe software. I am wondering if there are any PWP users out there who have used these inksets and what, if any, issues have been experienced. Maybe I'm asking about using Quadtone RIP in conjunction with PWP as well. I'm asking as I really didn't want to plunk down me money only to find that it's not going to work. Any input would be appreciated. By the way, this is my first post to this group and I found it to be less painful than I expected.

Michael Willy

[Charles2]

I am wanting to use a variable tone black and white inkset developed by Paul Roark and sold by inksupply.com (referred to as MIS) called UT-3D. One is able to create printer profiles using Quadtone RIP but on the website describing the inkset, the following statement is made; 'Requires use of Photoshop CS or Photoshop Elements 4.0 and an ICC Profile.' I can hardly believe that PWP is not able to use profiles created by Quadtone RIP and besides the printing is still done through the Epson driver. ... Maybe I'm asking about using Quadtone RIP in conjunction with PWP as well. I'm asking as I really didn't want to plunk down me money only to find that it's not going to work. Any input would be appreciated. By the way, this is my first post to this group and I found it to be less painful than I expected.

Don't know MIS, but the context of the statement ("Requires use of P...") is important for a correct answer. The ICC profile probably refers to a profile for the paper.

Because the Epson printer does not know about MIS inks, the Quadtone RIP presumably must take the image file and run it through the printer. Most likely, PWP can feed the image file to Quadtone, but you might need to study Q documentation in order to be sure. At the worst, you may prepare the image file in PWP, save it, and use Quadtone itself or Windows commands to feed the image to Q.

Soft proofing in PWP is a nice extra touch, but it is not necessary for a good print.

[jsachs]

If you want to print a black and white image using color profiles in PWP, you need to convert it to color first (using Transformation/Convert). Otherwise everything should be more or less the same as Photoshop.

While I have never used quadtone inks myself, I might add that PWP's printer curves feature is very well adapted for use with quadtone inks as it lets you set the on-screen preview to match the final printed result. As I recall, Roark uses other features of Photoshop to do this.

[MWilly]

Thanks for your replies and though I'm still a bit confused about the stated necessity of using photoshop you have given me some ideas. But back me up with my thinking if I'm on the right path. PWP, photoshop, GIMP, etc is there to edit/alter the original file. Any color management you do there would be directed at getting good soft proofs. Then you go the other way with the management with the edited file and by using color management you are trying to get your particular printer, ink, paper combination to look like the soft proof you made. In other words, the profile you build for printing is really independent of the editor and really only is used by the printer driver whether it be the epson driver, quadtone rip or whatever. Doesn't PWP hand off the printing responsibilities to the printer driver?

Jonathan, I'm actually manipulating my images that end up as black and white from color files as color files. At least if they are digital originals. I get the added control that way. But in many ways this variable tone B&W is just like printing a color image. It's just not very colorful, if you want to look at it that way.

Anyway, I'm having fun with this. I'm tempted to contact Paul Roark and ask him silly questions. I know he participates in a number of forums.

Thanks again--Michael

[jsachs]

PWP's printer curves are a much better way to soft proof than using the soft proofing from color management, especially for black and white images, so I recommend that approach rather than using a proofing profile. This should let you get a very close match between the screen and the printer output.

Otherwise you are correct, the profiles for Photoshop should work just as well with PWP.