February 25, 2019
I am becoming more interested in B & W printing, especially for landscapes. While I feel I have at least partially mastered the color-managed workflow for color images, all the way to printing, I am discovering that the workflow for B & W images is quite different and, in some ways, more demanding and complex. Further, when I go looking on the web for tutorials and technical help, most of the entries are at least 5 years old and refer to versions of Photoshop and LR that have changed dramatically since then. Nevertheless, here are some references that are worth exploring:
Books:
Digital Masters B&W Printing, George DeWolfe 1st edition 2009
Fine Art printing For Photographers, Uwe Steinmueller et al. 3rd edition 2013
The Digital Print: Preparing Images in Lightroom and Photoshop for Printing Jeff Schewe 2013
E-Books:
Fine Art Printing For Photohraphers, Uwe Steinmueller et al. 2nd edition 2011
Web links:
https://cameratico.com/guides/black-and-white-icc-profiles-and-soft-proofing/ (using print profiles and QTR for B&W printing & soft proofing)
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3880/abwprofiles.html (ICC profiles for Epson 3880 for softproofing ABW)
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/printworkflow.html (Print workflow for the 3800, suitable for other printers)
http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2119011&seqNum=4 (Jeff Schewe Printing a B&W image)
Youtube videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxkpJEzn8YM (Printing using Epson Advanced B&W)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DskfWT5ttt0 (Printing with QhadTone RIP through the Print Tool)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiZfRuAHv6M (Using ABW with the Epson 3880)
Once you have browsed this lot you’lll be as confused as me.
Anyway, on with the show . .
Basic options.
There are a variety of ways to print a B&W image, each with its own pros and cons.
1. Convert image to B&W in LR or Photoshop then print as if it were a color image using your preferred print profile
2. Convert image to B&W in LR or Photoshop then print using the printer’s “Advanced B&W” (ABW) settings
3. Convert image to B&W in LR or Photoshop and print using a “Raster Image Processor” (RIP) with specific B&W profiles and curves.
Here is some more detail.
#1. This is the simplest way to print a B&W image since it uses the same workflow as for color which includes soft proofing to ensure the final output is as close as possible to the screen version. I’m guessing that one of the downsides is that, because all the inks are used, there is a possibility of color cast on the final output. I have not seen this myself but will check again during the testing phase below.
#2. Uses the printer (Epson3880) in dedicated B&W mode (ABW) thus offering better quality and eliminating the possibility of color casts. There are a number of additional steps and I’m not yet sure if it’s possible to do soft proofing but we’ll find out.
#3. This requires a separate print application. In my case I chose Quad Tone RIP since it is a dedicated B&W RIP as well as exclusive to Epson printers. Plus it’s affordable ($50). QTR can be used just like a printer driver, with it’s own profiles. Thus it easily integrates into the normal PS / LR workflow.
Without going in to a lot of detail (which I will do later), I printed a B&W image (_DSC_0947) using all three methods and compared them against the screen “Master” image in graphiclite light box. The images were 8” X 10” on Epson Premium Luster paper.
Observations:
I did #1 first and it looked OK. Not quite a match against the screen but close after soft proofing in LR. I have other B&W prints using this method and I’m quite happy with the results. I then did #2. This output was much more neutral and a close match to the screen image (no soft proofing ability). Contrast and detail were much better. I then realized that the #1 image did, in fact, have a slight green/yellow color cast that was only noticeable when compared with #2. I then did #3. There are a lot of variables in using the RIP so I ended up making several prints using different curves (I’ll explain later). Also, I’m not sure the paper selected was a good match for prem. Luster. Nevertheless, I ended up with a decent print that was quite neutral and had even more contrast & detail than #2. This is defintely the best way to go but will take some work to find the optimum calibration between the screen, printer and paper type. In the mean time #2 is the way to go until I get #3 sorted out.
OK, #2 in detail.
Printing from LR CC using Epson Ultra Premium Luster paper.
Step 1. In LR CC, in the Print Job Module, Select “Glossy” for media type (EPs ultra Prem Luster). Under “Profile” select “Managed by Printer.
Step 2. In Print Settings - Color Matching, select “Epson Color Controls”
Step 3. Under “Basic” - Print Mode, select “Advanced B&W Photo. Under “Color Toning” select “Neutral”
Step 4. Go back to Advanced Color Settings”. Don’t change anything except “Tone” should be “Dark” (default is “Darker”)
Save all this a s a preset then print.
Some notes:
1. I printed using the above workflow 2 images - one was straight from LR (RAW), the other was a TIFF which had been round-tripped through PS. In PS I converted it to Grayscale Gamma 2.2. I wanted to see if there was any difference in the prints between the two. I could not see any difference.
2. While it is not possible to soft proof using this workflow, there are sources of profiles that emulate the various ABW setting that can be installed and used for soft proofing. Presumably, for actual printing, it reverts back to the built-in ABW driver, relying on a good match between the soft-proof profile and the actual result. One such source is:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3880/abwprofiles.html
I'll give these a try.
It is also possible to build your own profiles for specific papers and curves. Follow this link for instructions on doing this:
http://www.diallophotography.com/pdfs/QTRworkflow.pdf