Quadtone RIP manual for digital negatives

Friends--

I have written a new manual describing how to use the Quadtone RIP to make digital negatives. The manual is available as a free PDF download from my personal website www.ronreeder.com

QTR is a useful tool for making negatives, but up to now documentation for using it for that purpose has been a bit scattered. I have tried to compile everything I know on the subject into this one manual, along with what I think is current best practice. Since the subject matter is almost certain to continue to change, this manual is Version 1 and will be subject to future updates.

An apology to all the PC users out there. I only own a Mac and therefore all the screen grabs and descriptions in the manual are from the Mac platform.

Happy printing. Ron-san

Hi Ron,

Thanks for the news. I just finished reading the chapter on QTR in your book and definitley feel that some additional documentation will be useful. Look forward to downloading and reading this material.

Sandy

Ron-san said:

Friends--

I have written a new manual describing how to use the Quadtone RIP to make digital negatives. The manual is available as a free PDF download from my personal website www.ronreeder.com

QTR is a useful tool for making negatives, but up to now documentation for using it for that purpose has been a bit scattered. I have tried to compile everything I know on the subject into this one manual, along with what I think is current best practice. Since the subject matter is almost certain to continue to change, this manual is Version 1 and will be subject to future updates.

An apology to all the PC users out there. I only own a Mac and therefore all the screen grabs and descriptions in the manual are from the Mac platform.

Happy printing. Ron-san

Click to expand...

Ron,

Thanks for doing this. MUCH appreciated...

Ron-san said:

Friends--

I have written a new manual describing how to use the Quadtone RIP to make digital negatives. The manual is available as a free PDF download from my personal website www.ronreeder.com

QTR is a useful tool for making negatives, but up to now documentation for using it for that purpose has been a bit scattered. I have tried to compile everything I know on the subject into this one manual, along with what I think is current best practice. Since the subject matter is almost certain to continue to change, this manual is Version 1 and will be subject to future updates.

An apology to all the PC users out there. I only own a Mac and therefore all the screen grabs and descriptions in the manual are from the Mac platform.

Happy printing. Ron-san

Click to expand...

Thanks Ron. I look forward to reading the new documentation. I've read your book several times and have done research on the net and I've always felt there was more to be known that what has been documented about using QTR. Please note I'm not complaining about your book but rather about the lack of complete information (at least from a single source) about using QTR for inkjet prints and producing digital negatives.

There was some amount of disscussion about incomplete documentation on the Yahoo QTR forum a while back but it seems little has come of it. I'm a PC user but I think I've adapted to reading MAC docs about QTR so more info will be a plus.

There are some advantages to using QTgui, the PC shell program for QTR users which I don't think MAC users have. Thanks to Michael Rosenberg for pointing out some of those features and actually doing some hand holding over the phone.


Thanks again for making the extra effort,

Don Bryant

Don Bryant said:

There are some advantages to using QTgui, the PC shell program for QTR users which I don't think MAC users have. Thanks to Michael Rosenberg for pointing out some of those features and actually doing some hand holding over the phone.

Don Bryant

Click to expand...

Don--

Because of the different QTR interfaces on the Mac versus the PC, I always write my QTR profiles as a textfile document. The textfile can then be laundered into a form acceptable to the Mac or, alternatively can be laundered to work on the PC. But, thankfully, at the textfile stage, everything is the same for either platform.

As always, I hope to get feedback on whether my approaches and/or suggestions are understandable and if they lead to good outcomes.

Happy printing. Ron-san

Read manual (thank you!) and tried print...but...

Ron-san said:

Don--
...

As always, I hope to get feedback on whether my approaches and/or suggestions are understandable and if they lead to good outcomes.

Happy printing. Ron-san

Click to expand...

Ron,

Really do appreciate the manual and the work that went into it. Very clear and easy to work with. I read through it, downloaded the curve for the 2200. I am on mac, followed the manual instructions for printing, used the profile - and my OHP came out awash in ink - running down the sheet.

Any thoughts - are the ink loads that different between printers that I should expect this? I will be working on my own curve but was hoping for some usable results as a starting point on the curve that was available.
Thank you again.
Sean

seans said:

Ron,

Really do appreciate the manual and the work that went into it. Very clear and easy to work with. I read through it, downloaded the curve for the 2200. I am on mac, followed the manual instructions for printing, used the profile - and my OHP came out awash in ink - running down the sheet.

Any thoughts - are the ink loads that different between printers that I should expect this? I will be working on my own curve but was hoping for some usable results as a starting point on the curve that was available.
Thank you again.
Sean

Click to expand...

Are you sure you loaded the OHP with the correct orientation? One side has a size that accepts the inks, the other does not. I have worked a lot with the 2200 and the only time I have seen ink puddling on the OHP was when the paper was loaded wrong. I did that twice, and after the second time I swore off printing and drinking red wine at the same time.

BTW, you need to do some serious cleaning of the printer to get rid of all that ink.

Sandy King

seans said:

Ron,

I read through it, downloaded the curve for the 2200. I am on mac, followed the manual instructions for printing, used the profile - and my OHP came out awash in ink - running down the sheet.

Sean

Click to expand...

Sean--

Serious bummer! My first thought is the same as Sandy's, maybe you got the OHP upside down??

Where did you get the QTR profile for the 2200 that you tested? The QTR profile in the manual is written for the 4000 (but even so, I would not expect it to overload the OHP so badly).

In any case, here is a profile that works reasonably well on my own 2200. As described in the accompanying Read Me file, there is a bit of problem with linearity in the lighter tones and I just gave up and made a Photoshop curve to apply to the image file to complete the linearization process. So, this QTR profile is not perfect, but it should get you started. I hope.

Cheers, Ron-san

Ron-san said:

Sean--

As described in the accompanying Read Me file, there is a bit of problem with linearity in the lighter tones and I just gave up and made a Photoshop curve to apply to the image file to complete the linearization process.

Cheers, Ron-san

Click to expand...

Sean--

My Read Me file was too big to be uploaded. But the only important info in the ReadMe is that this profile was written for use with matte black as the dark black ink. And the profile does not completely linearize the light tones. I tried to upload the appropriate Photoshop .acv correction curve to fix that problem but that file type is not allowed.

Anyway, this QTR profile for the 2200 is just a starter that hopefull will get you in the ball park.

Cheers, Ron-san

Ron-san said:

Sean--

My Read Me file was too big to be uploaded. But the only important info in the ReadMe is that this profile was written for use with matte black as the dark black ink. And the profile does not completely linearize the light tones. I tried to upload the appropriate Photoshop .acv correction curve to fix that problem but that file type is not allowed.

Anyway, this QTR profile for the 2200 is just a starter that hopefull will get you in the ball park.

Cheers, Ron-san

Click to expand...

Ron - greatly appreciate all the responses - here is what happened -

I did load the film right - I still have it - notch to upper right hand corner. Ink is actually still wet - 2 days later

I did download the 2200 profile from the dig neg website.

I did load matte black instead photo black.

So I think I got it all right - I will simply try again and see if a fluke. I did install the matte cartridge after installing QTR - I dont think it matters does it - would QTR think that photo black is still in there?
thanks - I will let you know what happens
Sean