digital-negatives.com (http://www.digital-negatives.com/)

ronreeder.com (http://www.ronreeder.com/)

I have to wait until Christmas - my kids are giving it to me.
I look forward to reading it Ron
TimI was in the process of ordering it when my daughter took the mouse away from me. Apparently it was going to be a xmas surprise. So I had to listen to " Dad you always spoil your Christmas. You have no patience" So I have to wait until the 25th. Maybe I'll try ordering the epson 3800 online when the wife is watching just to see if it is on the way...lol

Would you post your website address please Ron?
Tim
Tim-- My personal web site is ronreeder.com. Brad and I have a joint web site at www.digital-negatives.com where we hope to put updates, corrections, QTR profiles, and other info of interest to readers of our book. There is not a whole lot on the digital-negatives.com site as yet, but we hope to keep adding stuff.
By the way, Tim, I read your post about using digital negs to make lith prints. You might want to try making such negs using Pictorico OHP instead of white film. I have recently made a number of negs on OHP, intended for printing on silver gelatin. For those images where the original was a bit grainy I thought the OHP negs were very good. It is my impression, from the few lith prints I have seen in person, that a bit of enhanced graininess is part of their charm. If that is true, then any grain structure contributed by the OHP would just add to the overall effect. And you would not have to blast light through the semi-opaque white film.
As a further aside, I do not think the "grain" in OHP negs comes from the OHP itself. If you take a clear piece of OHP and expose through it so that you get a light gray on silver gelatin paper you see a very smooth, grainless tone. The "grain" must come from the way in which inks interact with the OHP. (but, of course, it still looks like grain!). Cheers, Ron-san

There is a signifigant difference in the output of
Don Bryant
Wow-- Thanks for posting the 3800 vs 4800 dot structure comparison. I wonder if this printer (the 3800) will be able to print no-compromise negs for silver gelatin using Pictorico OHP?? I hope someone will try soon and let us know. Unfortunately for me, Epson took a seemingly great machine and screwed up the user interface once again by omitting a roll feed feature. Maybe they will get it right on the next model. Cheers, Ron-san

Wow-- Thanks for posting the 3800 vs 4800 dot structure comparison. I wonder if this printer (the 3800) will be able to print no-compromise negs for silver gelatin using Pictorico OHP?? I hope someone will try soon and let us know. Unfortunately for me, Epson took a seemingly great machine and screwed up the user interface once again by omitting a roll feed feature. Maybe they will get it right on the next model. Cheers, Ron-san
Ron,

I think for some users the roll feed feature is a great plus but for me (I currently own a 2200) I've always thought it just added expense to the printer for a feature I didn't want. Ditto for the paper catcher and cutter.

Perhaps a better solution would have been to offer the roll feed as an accessory.

I too am hoping the 3800 will break the silver gelatin barrier without requiring the use of translucent substrates. A friend of mine here locally has one on order, perhaps he will be kind enough to let me make a few tests with it.

Don Bryant

Wow-- Thanks for posting the 3800 vs 4800 dot structure comparison. I wonder if this printer (the 3800) will be able to print no-compromise negs for silver gelatin using Pictorico OHP?? I hope someone will try soon and let us know. Unfortunately for me, Epson took a seemingly great machine and screwed up the user interface once again by omitting a roll feed feature. Maybe they will get it right on the next model. Cheers, Ron-san
Of course another question is, 'How will RIPS like QTR be able to support the new dot pattern?'

Don Bryant

Of course another question is, 'How will RIPS like QTR be able to support the new dot pattern?'

Don Bryant
And the short answer is that they won't.

RIPS use their own dithering pattern. QTR uses our GIMP Print as its ditherer, so it supports whatever patterns the Gimp print developers care to use. Roy Harrington uses an ancient version of Gimp Print, 4.3 from 2002. The 5.0 version (now called GutenPrint) is a total rewrite, a lot more sophisticated, and considerably less grainy, but switching QTR to GP5 would require making entirely new curves. GRIP uses 5.0, but it's not ready for prime time yet. (And I think the name is going to change to WIZ RIP before the beta goes out).

And the short answer is that they won't.

RIPS use their own dithering pattern. QTR uses our GIMP Print as its ditherer, so it supports whatever patterns the Gimp print developers care to use. Roy Harrington uses an ancient version of Gimp Print, 4.3 from 2002. The 5.0 version (now called GutenPrint) is a total rewrite, a lot more sophisticated, and considerably less grainy, but switching QTR to GP5 would require making entirely new curves. GRIP uses 5.0, but it's not ready for prime time yet. (And I think the name is going to change to WIZ RIP before the beta goes out).
Wiz--Are you implying that a new version of QTR is in the works? What will WIZ RIP be? An improved driver like QTR that we can use to make our profiles and negs with? Ron-san

Wiz--Are you implying that a new version of QTR is in the works? What will WIZ RIP be? An improved driver like QTR that we can use to make our profiles and negs with? Ron-san

Ron, more of an "alternative" to QTR. ;)

While I am very interested in this discussion, maybe they should be moved to a new thread with a more apt title?

How would i use my epson 3800 with QTR to produce digital negs. Which settings would i use to get started, should i start with QuadR2400.

There might be a roller mark issue with this printer as i have experienced this problem with gloss papers.

Dave,
Your question might be a bit off topic for this thread, but would probably make a good start for a new one.