Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
master. Also, RIPs can be very expensive, although there have been a few
exceptions that work as GIMP printers. A little research can help you travel
this path if you so choose. GIMP printers can cause signii cant headaches
and operating system problems if you choose not to use it to make a color
print for example. Additionally, RIPs were developed in the days when
pigmented inks had an issue with color shifting which has been mostly
resolved with today's professional inkjet printers. Most RIPs also typically
add small amounts of cyan and magenta and sometimes yellow to the print
in order to control the tonality. Although invisible to most viewers, the well
trained eye might i nd upon close inspection (like through a 6 loupe) that
the color ink dots can be seen.
Latest Developments
The result of all these choices has made digital printing quite confusing, as
no clear single best path presents itself. In order to print from home using an
inkjet printer and produce variable tonality, the reality is that color inks must
be used. Whether the color inks are mixed on the paper as color dots or mixed
in grayscale inks as toners, to date there is no other way.
Previous technology for the color inkjet required an RIP to optimize neutrality
and was considered less lightfast than toned grayscale inks. The newest
generation of pigment inks on the market today, however, have vastly
improved in all of these previously problematic areas including stability for
the color inks, longevity and neutrality. Although it is still recommended to
research the latest results for any inks you want to use, today most of the
latest developments in ink sets use carbon-based black ink and can achieve
beautiful results right from your desktop.
Papers and Proi les
Matte vs. glossy
Choosing a paper type is an aesthetic choice or preference much like
chocolate is to vanilla, or i berbase was to RC. Each paper type will carry
with it inherent strengths and weaknesses in addition to its unique
aesthetic. The latest glossy and semi-matte papers can produce a maximum
density black (also called dmax) equal to or greater than silver papers.
Matte papers however, typically do not match the dmax of silver papers.
This creates a bit of a quandary for photographers who prefer the look and
feel of the i ne matte papers, and simultaneously want richer blacks. In
addition, the choice of digital papers is complicated by the fact that many
printers require dif erent black ink sets, matte black and photo black, for the
dif erent types of paper surfaces. Although some new printers carry both
cartridges (eliminating the need to swap inks) the resulting headache and
wasted ink in switching back and forth has caused many to choose one type
and stick with it. Although I am not sponsored by any company to date, it
 
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