From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 01/31/01-09:15:02 PM Z
On Wed, 31 Jan 2001, Andre Fuhrmann wrote:
> >> >why
> >> >> don't y'all use the semi transparent 'paper' that was used
> >> for technical
> >> >drawings
> > > >> (in the pre CAD aera)? ...
> > >
> > > ...since vellum
> > > doesn't absorb ink as readily as paper does, you may get some smear.
> >> This can be avoided by tinkering with the transfer curve (in
> > > Photoshop).
Hi Andre,
I'm wondering if you would describe your vellum a bit more. If you look
through a light at it does it show a texture? Mine does, kind of like
little floating strings or fat little threads, though I don't know if they
would matter in printing or not. (I'll test asap.)
I've been trying to make negatives with it, & so far failing. Got a
pack of these nice big sheets (17 by 22 inches, that's 42 by 56 cm) for
the Epson 1160. Unfortunately, this particular vellum, though supposedly
for laser & inkjet, doesn't take the inkjet ink well. If I adjust the
curve enough to cut down the ink so it doesn't blotch & blob, it doesn't
give enough density to print (no more than log 0.45 on the densitometer,
at the MOST).
I'm wondering if you have a better vellum, or if maybe there are some
better ones here and I should try another. What's the name of yours? Any
special description? Or I wonder if I could put a cornstarch size on mine
(or is that ridiculous?). Then I ALSO wonder if maybe you're using a
different inkjet ink... mine so far is the black came with the printer.
Next resort is the orange negative a la Dan Burkholder, which I assume
will work -- that is, make a print with little enough ink so it doesn't
crawl. But that takes brainpower, would have been soooo much easier to
just cut down the ink :- (
For what it's worth -- I also tested this vellum on the laser printer. It
actually gave enough density to print with (0.8 or so), but banded
something fierce, both horizontal (bands) and vertical (thin white lines).
There's also printing on plain paper and taping to plastic sheet a la
Fredrick. In fact the black inkjet ramp I printed on plain white paper was
perfect -- no banding, no blobs. But then I have to WAX ! Waxing is much
easier on inkjet ink than on laser toner, but still not my favorite thing.
The shadow density on the vellum, by the way, is 0.15, no waxing
necessary.
Have you measured density on your curve, Andre? What process are you
printing?
Advice/info welcome.
Judy
> There are two ways of doing this. The first (through the Epson print
> dialogue) ... I forgot ;-) The second, better way is by adjusting
> the gradation curve in the "Image" menu. Basically, you want the
> curve somewhat flat at the top (i.e. in the shadows). In printing
> terms this will result in depositing less ink for the blackest areas.
> Just drag the top of the curve down until the blacks print crisply
> without blocking and smear -- its a matter of experimenting. To find
> the right curve I used a grayscale image. Please contact me offline
> for a copy of the grayscale.
>
> André
>
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