Leaves of Grass – Simulating Infrared

Looking for an infrared effect? Two options; capture in infrared or post-process to simulate infrared. Either way, the results can be compelling. Here’s an excerpt from a statement I wrote on infrared techniques sometime ago. “It looks like another world, yet it’s not. By opening...

Dangerous Passage – Distilled in Black & White

– Some images are better in black and white. This is one. “Dangerous Passage was a compelling image. But something wasn’t working. The thorns were red. The stalks were green. The water was blue. They were not subtle. The color was garish. In many ways,...

Achieving the Blackest Black

The blackest black in print is achieved with today’s inkjet materials. Epson Exhibition Fiber printed on Ultrachrome K3 or UltraChrome HDR produces a 2.65 dmax; silver gelatin selenium toned produces a 2.35 dmax. You get this extraordinary black when printing through the printer driver’s Advanced...

Many Ways to Convert Color to Black & White

There are over 14 ways to convert color to black and white. 1    Raw Conversion 2    Convert to Grayscale 3    Convert to Lab then convert to Grayscale keeping the L channel 4    Desaturate 5    Channel Mixer 6    Black & White Adjustment Layer 7    Dual Adjustment...

What Do We Mean By Black and White Images?

There are many types of black and white images. Here are six. 1    Neutral 2    Monochrome (uniformly warm or cool toned) 3    Duochrome (split-toned – i.e. warm highlights cool shadows) 4    Polychrome (tinted – i.e. handcolored) 5    Full Color – neutral subject 6    Full Color...

Ink Info – Have an Extra Maintenance Tank on Hand

Maintenance tanks are used to collect waste ink during the printing process. You can’t keep printing once your maintenance tank is full. Keep one extra tank on hand. Many old maintenance tanks work with the new printers, particularly the latest printers. Learn more at the...

Ink Info – Agitate Cartridges to Prevent Sedimentation

Sediment in ink can settle so agitating ink that’s been stationary (for more than a month or three) makes sense. Agitate gently, or you may damage the needle valve in the cartridge. You don’t need to do this for ink in a printer, unless you...

Ink Myth – Ink Expires Quickly

It takes years for ink to age enough to impact print quality. Store it reasonably. Don’t cook it. Don’t freeze it. Agitate it gently before installation. Learn more at the Epson Print Academy. Learn more in my workshops.

Ink Myth – 2880 Uses More Ink Than 1440

Printing at 2880 and 1440 resolutions uses about the same amount of ink. The difference is 2880 only uses the finest dot (3.5 picoliter) rather than a variable dot structure. (2880 may look a little darker, particularly on matte papers, because the dots tend to...

Ink Myth – Printers Waste Ink You Paid for During Priming

Ink cartridges first have to prime the printer tubes on initial installation. They have to purge shipping fluid designed to prevent clogging during storage. This doesn’t waste ink you paid for. Neither does the ink left in the cartridge when it runs out. There’s actually...