Comments on: More on Epson’s Radiance color matching

By: Rick LePage

Rick LePage — Fri, 30 May 2008 23:12:45 +0000

If you’re using Epson’s Advanced B&W mode, Radiance won’t apply. Epson’s using different screening algorithms to produce black-and-white prints with six inks (photo/matte black, light black, light light black, light cyan, vivid light magenta and yellow).

If you print a black-and-white photo using Photoshop or driver color — which many people do — Radiance will be used, and should help give you better highlight and shadow detail.

I print about half of my B&W prints with Advanced B&W mode, and the other half using Photoshop color. For me, it depends on the image.

By: C

Fri, 30 May 2008 18:05:35 +0000

what’s the implication of this radiance technology on B&W? will it matter or will i see smoother gradations in my tones? are the smoother gradations appearing in the highlights, midtones, or shadow areas?

By: Rick LePage

Rick LePage — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:43:33 +0000

There are definitely new screening algorithms alongside the new LUTs. (I’ve tried to talk with some folks at RIT to see if I can get more, but I haven’t been successful so far.)

The plots and prints I’ve done seem to indicate that Radiance is one of the things that makes the R1900 an improvement over the non-Radiance R1800. Whether that means they’re better than the color technologies being used by Canon or HP is a bigger discussion.

On the ‘marketing point,’ I’m sure it’s possible, but I’d be surprised if they’re that bold/stupid to do something like that.

By: Bruce Kaplan

Bruce Kaplan — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:14:53 +0000

This doesn’t really explain what is so new about Radiance, other than a new Color Look Up table to drive the printer? Is there some new stochastic screening technology? What is the key concept that makes this different? And doesn’t the gamut map and gradient look like its been doctored to make a marketing point?