Nick Makris (nick@mcn.org)
Thu, 29 Jul 1999 09:41:41 -0700
Hello all,
Because ther was such a large response to the offer of notes on Dan's Book, I decided to post the document as text as follows - if you have no interest please delete. The entire text shows to be 7KB.
Many thanks,
Nick
Observations/Notes/References/Procedures/Questions on Dan Burkholder's book
Making Digital Negatives for contact printing
(Emphasis is on output to an Epson Printer)
SECTIONS OF INTEREST:
Pixels, Samples, Dots, Spots, Lines & Speck demystified
Chapter 4, Apendix A
Resolution demystified
Appendix B
Quick Reference
Chapter 2
Scanning
Appendix F
Dodging & Burning masks
Tonal Control
Chapters 7 & 11 (page 90 talks about curve design)
Grayscale Conversion
Chapter 16
Sharpening Tips
Appendix E
Negatives from Printers (as opposed to Imagesetters)
Chapter 2 - page 25
Chapter 12
Page Layout Programs (does not include any reference to MS Publisher)
Appendix I
Printing from Your Digital Negatives
Chapter 14
Troubleshooting
Chapter 15
PREPARATIONS:
Calibrate your monitor
Print the grayscale version of Ole No Moire and verify that the output is satisfactory - don't proceed until you are satisfied.
Then print your own image using the same printer settings (the printer settings depicted in "Printing the Negative" below.
ORDER OF PROCESS - deduced procedures:
Scan - Make sure you use a resolution that is sufficient to meet your output requirements for the largest size piece you will want to create later.
Apply Touch up and serious changes to the images
Save File (if you save at this point, use Photoshop native file type to save disk space) page 56 says don't use jpg
Apply Dodging & Burning masks
Apply Tonal Control
Save File As?
Apply Sharpening Tips
Save File As?
This is the point at which to start with another file for Multitone printing or consider the Photoshop Duotone Mode - (Page 108) Image > Mode > Duotone
Apply Contrast Curves - see Page 141
Convert to Grayscale??? Using a smaller number of colors (100-150) will allow for a higher resolution when output. Is this the correct place???
Change to BMP, TIF, ???
Save File As?
Apply adjustments for ultimate output size that the original scan limitations didn't allow for - Image > Image Size . (changing the bits per inch will increase the output size as will the dimensions and the resolution), make sure you are using Bicubic interpolation.
Print Negative or save as a type for output to an Imagesetter (will require some investigation)
Consider making another negative for Multitone Printing - Chapter 11
Save File As?
MAJOR DO'S & DONT'S for printer negs
Scanning
Appendix F
Scan with RGB and not grayscale.
Use Bicubic interpolation if you must interpolate.
Scan at a minimum resolution that will allow for 240spi or greater in the final neg size.
Dodging & Burning masks
Tonal Control
Chapters Page 54,Chapter 11,
Do not use Brightness/Contrast
Use Curves or levels to make image adjustments
Alternatively, you may want to apply a second negative by making a "bump plate" negative which darkens just the darkest tones - see pages 89 & 92
Sharpening Tips
Appendix E
Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask (page 60). Conflicts with Intellihance - must turn off some features.
Stochastic negs require less sharpening than halftone negs (page 61)
Contrast Control
Include a step tablet with your printed negative.
Page 62 applies somewhat to imagesetter - be sure to set black/white points (Image > Adjust > Levels - page 63 & 66)
Find the B&W points by using Image > Adjust > Levels (page 65) - slide the black slider to the right and then the whiter slider to the left. The parts of the image remaining are the most black and the most white. You want to select a black that is less than totally black and a white that is not quite white.
Apply curve(s) from CD - Page 68
Consider making another negative for Multitone Printing - Chapter 11 (page 89). This process will aid in achieving total tonal separation and may also help the continuous tone look of finished product.
Consider the Image>Adjust>Equalize
Grayscale Conversion
Chapter 16
Printing the Negative
Add a gray ramp/step tablet to each image. In particular, if you are creating a "bump plate". Make sure there is registration between the two negs and one of the tablets - this will help your observations about the resulting (merged) image. (pages 97 & 167)
Chapter 12 - page 139 & 141(use the Colorize method with paper because you get more ink than with the Color Table method)
Tell Epson printer you are using Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper > 1440dpi > Super MicroWeave > Stochastic output - Choose File>Print>Advanced>PL/PD Default
Print with color inks.
Choose File>Print>Properties>Advanced>More. Use Halftoning method>Error diffusion; Use Microweaving>Super Box; Color Section>Automatic (these are selected with the PL/PD Default saved settings above).
Once back at File>Print make sure Printer color management is checked and Space is RGB.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS:
* Why does the quick reference to Epson Negs on page 25 not reference how or when in the order of things, to convert to Grayscale? Answer will hopefully be found in the elaborated part of the text.
* Does the quick reference to Epson Negs on page 25 assume you are scanning and original black & white neg?
* Where are the myriad of step tablets in "all sizes" on the CD? Only found a few.
* What is the appropriate image/file type for the printed file; eps, bmp, tif, etc.? If you have layers and want to save, use EPS; if you have no layers, use TIF (page 56). Then on page 72 it talks about saving as a bitmap for a Diffusion Dither type image and refers to Appendix C - Types of Imagesetter Negatives.
* Relative to setting black/white points (Image > Adjust > Levels - page 63), what is the difference between this and applying a curve (manually or from a file) Page 68 says this is a preliminary step before applying a curve (Image > Adjust >Curves).
* What curve should be used when printing an Epson negative for Platinum? See CD, Curves > Desktop
* On page 141 it says the image resolution should/will be 240 spi - at what point is this invoked? From other parts of the text the 240 number is suggested relative to certain kinds of images and the in other parts of the text is says to scan your image at a particular depending on a minimum and the required/resulting neg size. I become very susceptible to "Glazing Over" when I try to put all this in perspective. The page 141 reference seems to imply that you do something at that very moment.
* If you print with only two colors (yellow/magenta), how does this coincide with the idea that more colors produce better density and also the idea that some people say that you should print only with black?
* How does the 240spi relate to the printer capability of let's say 720/1440? What happens during that kind of printout?
* What is the association between the number of lines on a screened output and the use of stochastic type of output – if any?
POSSIBLE SOFTWARE PURCHASES:
Intellihance (page 54) automates the editing steps of contrast control and sharpening.
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