Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/12/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ben: I use the Ultratone II (also known as EZ) on my Epson 1280. It gives the best B&W I have gotten out of the printer. Previously, I've used black-ink only, manually balanced B&W with color inks (ugh), and the MIS FS and Ultratone I quad and hextone B&W inksets. The older B&W inksets had "bumps" in the tonal rendition where a smooth transition in the file would abruptly change on the print. The EZ ink has none of these problems. The EZ inkset can be used two ways. You can use the "no Photoshop workflow" method where you adjust the color sliders in the Epson printer driver to tone the print. I was already used to the tone curves, so that's what I do. The curves are free, you just download them from MIS or Paul Roarke's site. You don't actually need Photoshop to use them. Any software that can read Photoshop-format color curve files will do. I use Picture Window Pro. The old Photoshop LE also worked. I don't know about PS Elements, which doesn't do direct user manipulation of curves, but might support pre-existing curve files. Ask around about other editors. It's really very easy. You get the B&W file looking the way you want it. Then you: 1. Convert the file from grayscale to color (preferably 16-bit) 2. Apply the curve. This creates a "false color" image where the colors are really the various shades of gray and toned inks. 3. Print using the Epson driver. You use a driver setting which you have previously set up and saved according to the instructions. Once saved, the setting is there forever, all you have to do is pick it off a drop-down list. All this can be made into a macro or "action." There are curves for a number of popular papers. There are four tones available with the supplied curves: Neutral (Platinum), Carbon (warmish), and one or two degrees of Sepia, depending on the paper. The inks even work on certain glossy or semi-gloss papers. I haven't tried glossy yet, but others report good results. The standard paper is the inexpensive and readily available Epson Enhanced Matte, and the same curve works for my stash of Epson Matte Heavyweight, available at every CompUSA in the universe. The EZ ink sets do indeed work on some of the inexpensive "giveaway" letter-size Epson photo printers. Be aware that these printers are bottom-end consumer modesl, so they may have a wide range of sample variation. Some are great, some are not. For further information, go to: http://www.inksupply.com/index.cfm?source=html/bwpage.html http://www.inksupply.com/index.cfm?source=html/qn.html http://www.inksupply.com/index.cfm?source=html/ut2-1280.html and especially http://www.inksupply.com/index.cfm?source=html/ut2comments.html Also do a search of this Yahoo group, which will have lots of information: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/ --Peter At 07:50 AM 12/19/04 -0800, Ben Marks wrote: >Do any LUGgers have experience with the new MIS UltraTone EZ inkset? This >is the B&W inkset for inexpensive Epson printers that Mike Johnston claims >needs no PS workflow. It all sounds too good to be true . . . So. I'm >looking for a little empirical evidence. Anyone out there? > >BTW: the link to Mike Johnston's column in which he discusses his >excitement (but not his results) is here (midway through the page): > >http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column63/