Heiland LED Printing Question - how to vary contrast

Hi everyone,

A few days back I asked a question here about the Heiland Splitgrade and Comfort Controllers. Thank you to everyone who helped with that question, it was very helpful. I’ve concluded that if I want the Comfort Controller, I would also need the Splitgrade controller.

I think I’ve also realised however that if I actually don’t want either the Splitgrade, or Comfort Controllers. I just want to do simple / non splitgrade printing, similar to a CMY head, which is what I am used to. I thought this is what the Comfort Controller was for, but I realise now this is what I need… the HEILAND ELECTRONIC LED controller-adapter for time switches or analysers

My question now is how I do CMY printing with this device, when as I understand it, the system works by varying RGB colours?

If I want to reduce contrast, and I would have previously done this by adding 10Y on a CMY colour head, would I achieve this by reducing blue on the Heiland LED unit? Similarly if I wanted to increase contrast, say by adding 10M on a CMY colour head, would I reduce green using this control unit?

Is there some way to know how any changes to blue and green, would be equivalent to units of yellow and magenta, on an old style CMY head?

Thanks so much for your help

Andrew

andrewherrick said:

My question now is how I do CMY printing with this device, when as I understand it, the system works by varying RGB colours?

Click to expand...

I don't think the product you linked to is intended to be used that way. I think you set the paper grade, the controller then decides how it translates this into the required green to blue ratio. Red is not used/needed for VC printing.

I think the best course of action is to let go of how things used to work in your current setup and instead embrace the functionality as offered by the product of your choice. Forget about CMY if you're going to use an RGB light source and instead get used to how that works.

If you absolutely must adhere to the CMY way of thinking (which IMO is entirely counterproductive to what you're doing, printing-wise), then use the "Control unit for color processes". This is specifically designed to control light source color in RGB or CMY mode. Note that 'CMY' mode is kind of a fantasy/simulation here since it's not an actual subtractive light source, but you can forget about that as well since it doesn't really matter for your application and you can just assume that CMY works roughly like you're used to. However, there's no guarantee whatsoever that the CMY values you're used to on your current enlarger map 1:1 to the new setup.

If you buy a new car with a nifty fully automatic/smart transmission, you also don't ask the dealer to graft an old-school stick shift onto it. The machine isn't supposed to work that way and ultimately you'll realize (after having tried it) that it actually works better if you use it the way it's designed to be used.

Having said that, I can't blame you for getting confused w.r.t. which Heiland controller to purchase with your light source. It's beyond me why he decided it would be a good idea to have 3 different controllers for the same light source while all functionality could be easily integrated into a single control box. A very unfortunate decision in terms of product strategy.

ok thanks and point taken about leaving CMY behind. If that is the case, how does this unit work? Is it basically setting the dial to a paper grade, then it figures out the colour to achieve that?

The Heiland led-controllers small devices to make the led unit work in your situation.
There is one to use with the split grade controller.
Then there is one to use with other analysers (or no analyser at all)
And there is one to use for color printing.

andrewherrick said:

Is it basically setting the dial to a paper grade, then it figures out the colour to achieve that?

Click to expand...

Yes. You set the dial, Heiland does the rest.

andrewherrick said:

Hi everyone,

A few days back I asked a question here about the Heiland Splitgrade and Comfort Controllers. Thank you to everyone who helped with that question, it was very helpful. I’ve concluded that if I want the Comfort Controller, I would also need the Splitgrade controller.

I think I’ve also realised however that if I actually don’t want either the Splitgrade, or Comfort Controllers. I just want to do simple / non splitgrade printing, similar to a CMY head, which is what I am used to. I thought this is what the Comfort Controller was for, but I realise now this is what I need… the HEILAND ELECTRONIC LED controller-adapter for time switches or analysers

My question now is how I do CMY printing with this device, when as I understand it, the system works by varying RGB colours?

If I want to reduce contrast, and I would have previously done this by adding 10Y on a CMY colour head, would I achieve this by reducing blue on the Heiland LED unit? Similarly if I wanted to increase contrast, say by adding 10M on a CMY colour head, would I reduce green using this control unit?

Is there some way to know how any changes to blue and green, would be equivalent to units of yellow and magenta, on an old style CMY head?

Thanks so much for your help

Andrew

Click to expand...

I use this controller and only this controller. You selected paper grade between 0.0 and 5.0, and brightness, and off you go. The controller decides what LEDs and in what amount are needed to achieve the desired grade and output. There is no independent control of CMY. This makes it way simpler to use.


I happen to use it primarily for split grade printing, so I almost always use only 0.0 and 5.0 settings, though I do vary the brightness according to the negative.

The first system I got was defective, and was promptly replaced. It has been perfect ever since. It is leagues better than the old condenser/filter and VC cold light systems I used for years. There is no brightness drift and the various grades appear to be pretty well speed matched. The light is also entirely even across even the largest negatives. Very happy with it.