Building PS curves for alternative processes with the Inkjet Companion

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Recently I purchased an Epson 2200 (an a 1280) and this past weekend I had an opportunity to make a digital inkjet negative to try printing as a toned kallitype print. Before I go in to the particulars of my results and questions let me point out that to make the negative I used Dan Burkholder's Inkjet Companion Template, using his curve for palladium prints. Additionally my monitor is calibrated and profiled and I'm using Pictorico OHP for the inkjet negative substrate. I choose the kallitype process since it is relatively inexpensive.

I knew that using Dan's curve would most likely require adjustments to produce a good result, in fact I hoped that the print would need adjustment to provide myself with the opportunity to learn how to make adjustments to curves for various processes. The final print was extremely flat. There was very little differentiation in most of the steps in the included step wedge on the print. This is in contrast to the quad tone print I made as a proof.

The 0% step read about .09 and the 100% step read about 1.35 on my densitometer. Most of the mid-tone steps had a reading of about .25 to .35 (I'm working from memory here). Additionally I have not established the minimum print time for black but I assume I'm pretty close since the 100% step was 1.35. I plan on establishing the minimum black time this weekend with a blank piece of OHP.

My question today is; is there a way to correlate my densitometric readings that will result in the desired changes in the PS curve to produce good separation. Also how much difference in log density values should one expect to see in the step wedge mid-tones? Also if I read the transmissive values on the negative are there aim points for the differences from step to step that one should observe?

Hopefully my questions seem rational and clear, if not, someone, anyone please correct me!

Also as time permits I plan to test Keith Schriber's colorization values and curves along with several other curves different individuals have sent me.

Thanks,

Don Bryant
 
Received on Thu May 27 11:27:13 2004