B&W home printing

[Ianhoward]

Is anyone able to tell me why my B&W prints have a colour cast - blueish / purpleish ? It seems more pronounced when using gloss paper.
Howard

[Shadowman]

How did you convert to B & W?

[Clactonian]

Howard, are you using the software or the printer to determine the output? Arguably it doesn't matter which, but it is important that whichever option you choose that setting is uniform across the process. So for instance if you are using the software to determine the output you should make sure that the setting in the printer set-up for the printer to determine colours etc. is unchecked or vice versa. Does that make sense? I hope so.

[Manfred M]

In most instances when printing you have a choice of letting the post-processing software control the printer output. In colour work, use the post-processing software, but in B&W work, let the printer control this process.

This is certainly the case with Epson printers, and I suspect other makes likely work the same way.

[Ian H]

I am with Manfred on this one. Epson's Advanced B&W does a far better job than anything else on my calibrated pro 3880.

[Clactonian]

I print through Lightroom for both colour and mono with pleasing results on a Canon Pro-1

[Ianhoward]

Howard, are you using the software or the printer to determine the output? Arguably it doesn't matter which, but it is important that whichever option you choose that setting is uniform across the process. So for instance if you are using the software to determine the output you should make sure that the setting in the printer set-up for the printer to determine colours etc. is unchecked or vice versa. Does that make sense? I hope so.

I always use the software - CS2. This is helpful advice - thank you

[Ianhoward]

This I have not heard before - have always used software only to control printer output. THANK YOU!

[Ianhoward]

I have used various ways, and several ways, that I have read of and followed from Photoshop publications. But the final print is never satisfactory.

[MrB]

For images that are B&W, i.e. no colour tint or colour pop, my HP inkjet printer is set up to use only the black ink cartridge, and the prints it produces are very pleasing.

Cheers.
Philip

[Ianhoward]

For images that are B&W, i.e. no colour tint or colour pop, my HP inkjet printer is set up to use only the black ink cartridge, and the prints it produces are very pleasing.

Cheers.
Philip

By this do you mean ensuring the greyscale box is checked when preparing to print? This is do do , but there is still a colour cast!

[Ianhoward]

How did you convert to B & W?

I always shoot RAW so start any conversion there.

[george013]

Just wondering. How do you print your blacks. Does your printer have a dedicated black ink cartridge for photo's.

George

[mastamak]

I am with Manfred on this one. Epson's Advanced B&W does a far better job than anything else on my calibrated pro 3880.

Thanks for that tip, Ian. I have only ever used the software to control output for B&W on my Epson Pro 3880 with generally good results but after reading your post I will give the Epson Advanced B&W a try. By the way, what paper are you using for your monochrome prints?

[Manfred M]

Thanks for that tip, Ian. I have only ever used the software to control output for B&W on my Epson Pro 3880 with generally good results but after reading your post I will give the Epson Advanced B&W a try. By the way, what paper are you using for your monochrome prints?

Looks like all three of us are using the 3880. I've recently switched to Hahnemuehle papers for B&W work. Their line of Fine Art papers (smooth and textured) are stunning. They sell sampler packs, which is a great way to pick one or two of their papers to go with.

[Ianhoward]

No - apart from checking the print in greyscale box, there is no way I know of to isolate the black from the colours
Howard

[Clactonian]

Those of you using both Lightroom and Epson printers in particular might find this YouTube tutorial interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqE8...E&spfreload=10
I've settled on Canson papers using mostly Platine Fibre Rag or Baryta Photographique with my Canon Pro-1

[mastamak]

Looks like all three of us are using the 3880. I've recently switched to Hahnemuehle papers for B&W work. Their line of Fine Art papers (smooth and textured) are stunning. They sell sampler packs, which is a great way to pick one or two of their papers to go with.

I have recently purchased the Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper which is expensive but stunning for colour graphic images. Epson also have a sampler pack which, until a couple of weeks ago, was out of stock here in Australia. I ordered a pack some time ago and expect to receive it next week. I and am looking forward to trying the different papers particularly for monochrome.

[MrB]

By this do you mean ensuring the greyscale box is checked when preparing to print? This is do do , but there is still a colour cast!

No - apart from checking the print in greyscale box, there is no way I know of to isolate the black from the colours
Howard

Howard, I do check the Greyscale option but, within the Greyscale option for both my HP printers (I have two very different models, one a Photosmart and the other an Officejet), there are two further options - High Quality (which uses all the cartridges) and Black Ink Only, so I select the latter. Those two further options do not appear when the Paper Type option is set to some photo paper types, but they do when set to HP Everyday Photo Paper Matte, and I get surprisingly good quality prints, whether I'm using matte or glossy photo paper. (Independent visiting judges have given several of my B&W prints places among top three in club competitions over the past year.)

Cheers.
Philip

[george013]

No - apart from checking the print in greyscale box, there is no way I know of to isolate the black from the colours
Howard

I don't know who you answer.

I'm not a printer man. I hardly print, to expensive and they don't last long. My prints.

First you could check the pixel values. Are the different colors of the same value?

Otherwise I found this site. Gives an idea what happens. http://www.colourcasts.20m.com/

George