Author Topic: Speaking of Underexposure  (Read 22035 times)

Offline Evo

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Re: Speaking of Underexposure
« Reply #75 on: June 14, 2011, 09:37:05 PM »
Douglas and Mike, do you guys recommend non-waterproof films for the 3000?  I have a 1K mercury vapor unit.  I noticed that the film doesn't let as much UV through and there is a box where the film sits--no matter how long they are exposed.

I have tried several brands of standard film AND several brands of wp film in the 3000 and the sharpest results are always from the wp film.

I also noticed with some standard films, after being stored for several months, there was some ink bleed into the fine lines of negative space in the films. Like the ink had leeched out and spread out to fill the lines.


I have am Epson 9600 now that I use most of the time and my 3000 is for backup. I only use it for less detailed work or simple text. The 9600 with stock inks through Accurip makes perfect films. I've dialed in my exposures with a 1200w metal halide (MSP 3140) so the frosted wp films are no biggie. (Fixxons) Wp film used to give me some headaches with a less powerful exposure unit (banked fluorescent) because there was no integrator and I had to re-time the thing every couple months.
There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey.
John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)


Offline mk162

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Re: Speaking of Underexposure
« Reply #76 on: June 14, 2011, 09:51:25 PM »
I've gotten the same thing with WP film.  After a while the edges blur, to the point that there is no way to use them.

Non-WP films are pretty much single use.  It's not worth it to store them for any length of time.  And at $1 a sheet and a few cents in ink, it's easier and usually faster to print new ones.

Offline ZooCity

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Re: Speaking of Underexposure
« Reply #77 on: June 14, 2011, 11:48:18 PM »
Here's the thing about the 3000- I got excellent, really almost perfect films on the Westjet film I linked to, with my own setting via the original epson drivers or, on the mac, with some gutenprint settings I worked out.  No banding, no excess ink, no rough edges.  Problem was, I had no rip to run a separations base workflow and had to manually breakdown each files color seps and, if I wanted dots, bitmap them in photoshop, replace in illy and then, after all that, print each file one by one.   This is not an appropriate workflow for a busy shop obviously.  And, without getting all up in some color profiles and massive curves adjustments natively in photoshop you don't have much for dot gain control.  This is an issue on the non-wp film. 

None of the rips I trialed could get as good of a film out of the 3000 as the above did, on any brand of either wp or non-wp film, and I think it's because nobody that I know of has written a rip that takes advantage of the the 1440dpi setting on the 3000.  Understandable I guess, it is a pretty damn old printer so why bother.  I sucked it up and moved on to a 4800.  If I had a rip that got me that film quality on the 3000 I might never have left it but I got tired or screwing around with it.  Networked, they actually do pretty darn good for themselves compared to the new models.  It's hard to beat the roll feed/paper cutter deal on the 4800 though and the custom print size settings with Accurip- check yer overprints, go to the dialogue and check the spot colors and print size, hit print and go do something else. 

Offline Evo

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Re: Speaking of Underexposure
« Reply #78 on: June 15, 2011, 03:57:50 AM »
go to the dialogue and check the spot colors and print size, hit print and go do something else.

EXACTLY.

Epson needs to make a modern roll-fed, dye-based high resolution printer for separations. 17" wide. One with a SINGLE bulk tank of black and no color channels.

I can dream right?
There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey.
John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

Offline DouglasGrigar

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Re: Speaking of Underexposure
« Reply #79 on: June 15, 2011, 01:37:38 PM »
go to the dialogue and check the spot colors and print size, hit print and go do something else.

EXACTLY.

Epson needs to make a modern roll-fed, dye-based high resolution printer for separations. 17" wide. One with a SINGLE bulk tank of black and no color channels.

I can dream right?

About three years ago an Epson tech Rep contacted me about “all of this screen printing positive stuff” and wanted to sit down take notes and ask questions. He had traveled to the SGIA just to find out about this “thing” going on with “his” printers.

I suggested something similar to the above, I talked to him several times over the phone when he called to ask more questions, I think it was on the company radar and they ran it by the numbers guys who figured the company would not make enough money over the products they already make and just shelved the idea.

They already make the printer, someone else is making the RIPs and the film, someone is selling inks and they can stay out of the industry for customer service and continue to be a player in simple sales.
When there are no standards, you must make them!