Quadtone RIP

Hey there.
I'm usually more a color photographer but I want to try this RIP program that has been discuss in other threads but what paper do you use? I happen to like Ilford Gold Silk.
So the question is what combinations are a good starting points to play with? I have used Epsons programs and it does a fair job I want to see if this RIP program will give me better results.
I see that the Quadtone has suggestions but I would like to see if any of you are using the program and what are your preferences? I like cool to warm prints.
Thanks

I'm mostly using QTR for digital negatives, but I've played around with it for prints as well. QTR is a pretty flexible program (albeit with a bit of a steep learning curve). It will work with any paper you want to print on, with the same considerations you'd give for color printing vis-a-vis surface type and D-Max and neutrality of the base, etc.

For my 3880, there was a set of curves for Museo Silver Rag packaged with the software (warm, neutral, cool and selenium, I think). I'm away from that computer, so I can't double check. Those curves could be easily adapted to any of the non-OBA baryta-type papers (like IGS), with tweaks to cyan and magenta due to base color, and re-linearization (got a reflection densitometer?). You could probably adapt a matte fine-art paper curve to any similar papers, as well. For a first-time user, I wouldn't recommend trying to create a curve from scratch.

I have neutral curves I put together for Red River UltraPro Satin and Canson Platine that I'd gladly share with you as a starting point.

There are a couple of tutorials on the QTR webpage, those will help you to get started, and make sure you also download this patch:

http://www.quadtonerip.com/QTR2.7.0patch.zip

when you download the software. There's a bug (at least on Windows with QTRGui) that causes the ink separation test page to print all grey instead of in each individual color. This patch fixes that.

Good luck--

--Greg

I've never used QTR and have found that the Epson default profiles seem to work quite well for me. If you are looking for simplicity and practically no learning curve you might check the PS plugin Photo Kit from Pixel Genius. There are many features including cool, warm and a variety of toning as well as many other helpful actions. In use they automatically form an adjustment layer that can be modified with the fill slider. I have found that works with all the papers I print on.

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What printer do you have, and what are you trying to achieve? I don't see a lot of benefit in using QTR to make monochrome prints using the native color inks unless you have an older printer that doesn't have decent profiles or support black-only printing. QTR shines if you want to use a third-party monochrome ink set. Download QTR and give it a try, then ask questions.

Robert Brummitt said:

Hey there.
I'm usually more a color photographer but I want to try this RIP program that has been discuss in other threads but what paper do you use? I happen to like Ilford Gold Silk.
So the question is what combinations are a good starting points to play with? I have used Epsons programs and it does a fair job I want to see if this RIP program will give me better results.
I see that the Quadtone has suggestions but I would like to see if any of you are using the program and what are your preferences? I like cool to warm prints.
Thanks

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I work with a Epson R2400 printer. I have used it for mostly color printing now that all my local labs have gone bye-bye or ink-jet print themselves. I have played with the ideal of buying a Epson R2200 printer for B&W printing alone but that seems silly to me.
Any thoughts of the RIP would help?

The Epson 2400 supports Advanced B&W so you can make really nice B&W prints using the native inks and without a RIP. This uses yellow and cyan as toners, but if you don't have a problem with this you are good to go. You can still use QTR, of course. Install it and try it.
I dedicate a printer to B&W printing because I want a monochrome ink set.

Robert Brummitt said:

I work with a Epson R2400 printer. I have used it for mostly color printing now that all my local labs have gone bye-bye or ink-jet print themselves. I have played with the ideal of buying a Epson R2200 printer for B&W printing alone but that seems silly to me.
Any thoughts of the RIP would help?

Click to expand...