Specifically on ink jet printers. I need to actually get good at B&W photography first, but the world of fine art ink jet printing (using ultratone2 or peizo inks, along with Epson printers) looks very intriguing.
Anyone here play with that stuff? What is the source of your images? Scanned negatives? DSLR? What is your approximate workflow? Do you use RIPs, or curves in Photoshop (or both, I don't really understand what's what!)?
Start with learning the terminology & then the information will make sense when you get it :o) I don't do B&W really, but can help with those terms.
Curves is an a type of adjustment in programs such as Photoshop. A rip is programing that is used in printing to color coordinate your soure file & your output device...similar job to an ICC profile for a printer but usually lots more spensive, especially in the higher end, lg format printers ;)
Getting great B&W images is an art in itself. The work flow to get them into a tangable print is another. If everything is not calibrated to work together (scanner, monitor, editing program, printer) you wind up with a great pic on screen & crap in your hand.
It's a big endevor if you are just starting off. Take it one step at a time & good luck!
Interesting. Specifically, what services of theirs do you use? The Piezography printing? It seems that, after about 6 prints, you've spent enough to buy your own printer/ink!
Interesting. Specifically, what services of theirs do you use? The Piezography printing? It seems that, after about 6 prints, you've spent enough to buy your own printer/ink!
it depends how you get them printed (e.g., if you preflight it yourself or not and so on), and what sort of printer you plan on buying I guess ;)
I don't print very many images large in good quality. Those that I do, I want to be good. If I'm spending over $200 to frame it, I don't mind spending $50 to make it worth framing. At $24 for a 16x20, it isn't too bad though.
Yeah, I was just looking, and the smaller (11x17) prints are only $39 for fine art preflighted. WHen you consider an Epson 1280 with the Conetech inks'll run you at least $600, my initial estimate was a bit off!
Edited: just noticed you HAD done piezography. So, from my limited understanding, there is no profile for softproofing, or conversion to that profile, like in a more standard workflow? (Like I currently employ with Drycreek profiles.)
Yeah, I was just looking, and the smaller (11x17) prints are only $39 for fine art preflighted. WHen you consider an Epson 1280 with the Conetech inks'll run you at least $600, my initial estimate was a bit off!
Edited: just noticed you HAD done piezography. So, from my limited understanding, there is no profile for softproofing, or conversion to that profile, like in a more standard workflow? (Like I currently employ with Drycreek profiles.)
The Fine Art Paper prices are also much higher than the normal papers, even preflighted
