Re: digital question (flaunt expertise, please...)

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Ender100@aol.com
Date: 09/20/02-11:23:31 PM Z


Hi Judy,

I was referring to the actual physical size of the steps when using the
posterize command, rather than the change in density between steps.

I agree, you should make the steptablet using the same ink/film combination
that you are going to use when making your negatives.

I think the only readings you really need to take are reflective readings on
the final print of your steptablet using whatever process (gum, platinum,
etc) that you are using. Thus, as you said, you end up with just one
adjustment curve. While curves are less destructive to data than the LEVELS
command, I would hesitate to do them more than once for the final ALT-Curve.
By doing it this way, you are at once linearizing the ink output of your
printer, and adjusting for the alt process you are using, and the mix you are
using and the paper you are using and the undershorts you are wearing. Just
as long as you keep everything constant, including wearing your undershorts
backwards and your printer driver settings and film etc etc, when your print
your negative. I like to include my little step wedge with my print negative
as a test to make sure I don't have some weird anomaly with a given negative
and printing session. Otherwise you are likely to become victim of the evil
Step Wedgie.

I also think that doing a test strip with a Stouffer's first helps you figure
out your approximate exposure value and the number of "Stouffer steps" that
you hope your combination will render.

Given that, you can then print your digital step-tablet and read the printed
steps and calculate what your adjustments should be on your curve. Excel
spreadsheets are great for this. I believe Dan suggested the trick of using
the Transfer function in the printer dialogue box to enter actual %'s and
then save the curve. It's a timesaver.

Good luck with it!

Mark Nelson

In a message dated 9/21/02 12:22:31 AM, jseigel@panix.com writes:

<<
On Fri, 20 Sep 2002 Ender100@aol.com wrote:
> If you made a step tablet on an imagesetter, you would get more density, and
> thus the capability of steps more similar to a Stouffer's. Digital film
from
> an imagesetter will render density between 3.0 and 4.0 I believe.
>

Hi Mark,

My theory so far is that I should have the step tablet on the material I'm
going to be printing the negs in, otherwise I might as well use the
Stouffer. I realize my reasoning has been amply flawed so far, and may be
flawed in this -- If so, can you clarify?

> As far as doing a steptablet by using the posterize command goes, it's
> probably fine for gum. (hehehehe just kidding)

That's OK -- there really is a tremendous amount of latitude in gum, or
there is the way I print it, so maybe it is OK. On the other hand, if you
need one kind of curve to get the steps even, and apply that to the step
tablet, you probably need a DIFFERENT curve to make the image itself right
for gum. But wouldn't I have to apply that curve to the step tablet on top
of the other one, otherwise it would be irrelevant for that negative...??
Begins to seem like 3-dimensional chess.

> ....It will get you pretty
> close, thought the steps may not be equal in size (if that bothers you).

It makes me nervous to see giant steps in the highlights, just where
you need slooooow... I don't care so much if they're even, as if they're
small.

Anyway back to the drawing board. thanks,
>>


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