The Darlow Report
by Andrew Darlow
2/05/09
Hi folks!
For this installment, I offer a printing tip, discuss an upcoming exhibition, and mention a few
upcoming workshops.
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Inkjet Tip: Where to Check for Excessive Grain in Inkjet Prints, and How to Reduce the Issue.
I just returned from a printing consultation, where I did some print testing on a range of papers.
As usual, I noticed that some papers rendered images with excellent smoothness from highlight
to shadow, yet others showed pretty excessive grain. The real problem is that in many cases,
you won't see the grain because only certain areas of a test print will look grainy, such as the
neutral colors in the 60-80% range.
Please understand that I often like the look of grain in images, but I want to be the one to
control it, and that's why I'm writing these tips. Assuming that your image is not very grainy to
begin with, smooth, natural-looking prints can be achieved in a few ways.
1. Ask others which papers they like (and that have minimal grain) on newsgroups like the Digital
Black and White Yahoo! Group (http://tinyurl.com/2wt785), or other groups which you can find in
this list of more than 15 groups and sites I recommend: (http://tinyurl.com/6btenp).
2. Use a standard image, such as the one I have available here:
(http://www.andrewdarlow.com/calib.html). This image can be useful because it has a neutral
gradient and a step-wedge that really shows the grain in an image from highlight to shadow.
Grain will usually show up more in the stepwedge than in other areas.
4. Print using a few different Paper Types in the driver. For example, A smooth matte paper
setting, and then a textured watercolor setting can be tested, and then compared. The way
ink is put down with each setting can vary considerably. To take the test to another level,
print out a gradient test with many colors, such as the one you can find here:
(http://www.on-sight.com/download/Onsight_Media_Selection.tif).
5. Print at a few different quality settings to see when grain becomes objectionable. "High
speed" printing (bi-directional) is less of an issue compared with the quality setting that is
chosen. On that note, I've found that the Epson Stylus Photo R1800 and R1900 really
benefit from the highest quality settings, selected in the driver. Other settings tend to
produce graininess to some degree. Most other high quality pigment ink printers made over
the last few years do not need the highest quality setting to produce virtually grain-free
images, however, a quick test is suggested to determine that for yourself.
6. Lighting is very important when viewing prints to determine how much grain they have.
Daylight is ideal, whether from actual daylight coming through a window, or from a high
quality light source like the bulbs from SoLux. SoLux 50 watt 4100K or 4700K are good
choices. You can find out more about SoLux bulbs here: (http://www.solux.net)
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Focus on Nature Photography Workshops in Iceland
I recently corresponded with Einar Erlendsson, Project Manager of the Focus on Nature
Photography Workshops, being held in Iceland in the summer of 2009. The list of instructors
is very impressive, and includes the following photographers:
Ben Willmore
Stephen Johnson
Joe McNally
Chris Rainier
Kevin Ames
John Paul Caponigro
Vincent Versace
Eddie Tapp
Seth Resnick
Eddie Soloway
Rick Sammon
For more information, visit the Focus on Nature links below:
Focus on Nature home page: http://www.focusonnature.is/
Focus on Nature 2009 program: http://www.focusonnature.is/id/1000201
Focus on Nature News: http://www.focusonnature.is/id/1000006
Subscribe free to Focus on Nature News: http://www.focusonnature.is/id/1000178
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Upcoming Exhibition in New York City
SEPIA International Exhibition is currently presenting a group photo exhibition entitled
“light/dark.” The show runs from 1/9 - 2/21/2009 and features the work of Linda Connor,
Sookang Kim, Michelle Kloehn, Yukio Oyama, and Go Sugimoto.
To read the press release for the exhibition, visit this page:
(http://www.sepia.org/lightdark_PressRelease.htm).
To see a collection of the images from the show, visit this page:
(http://www.sepia.org/home.html).
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Upcoming Color Management and Fine-Art Inkjet Printing Workshops
I'll be conducting a number of workshops in the upcoming months, including one focused on
black-and-white inkjet printing. For more info, visit http://www.imagingbuffet.com/workshops.
All the best!
Andrew
About Andrew:
Andrew Darlow is a photographer, author and digital imaging consultant
based in the New York City area. He is editor of The Imaging Buffet, an
online resource with news, reviews and interviews covering the subjects of
digital photography and printing. His new book, "301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques:
An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers" (Course Technology, PTR),
covers tips and techniques for prepping, printing and displaying prints made using
inkjet printers. For more information, and free chapter downloads, visit http://www.inkjettips.com.
That's all for now. If you'd like to share any thoughts about my thoughts, feel free
to contact me through the contact form here: http://www.inkjettips.com/contact-us/
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