Black and white printing
Professional results in black and white printing
Printing black and white photos is now much easier for those needing reliable, high standard results every time. The combination of ink technology, hardware and software and the choice of different media allows you to achieve amazing black and white results quickly and simply. This has been made possible by the new generation of Epson printers using UltraChrome K3 ink technology. Their performance is improved by the driver included with the printer, which provides additions to the normal printing menu on the computer.
Basic principles
With Epson UltraChrome K3 inks you can mix your pallet to five colour and three black nuances. In addition, it is possible to replace 'Photo Black' with 'Matte Black' ink for printing on matte or fine art paper. If you wish to make an individual black tone or to use the pre-defined standards - neutral, cool, warm and sepia, the mixture can be controlled by using the "advanced black and white mode".
There is no risk of quality loss. This is because the picture reproduction is initially carried out in the three achromatic nuances 'Light Light Black', 'Light Black' and 'Photo Black' or 'Matte Black'. The colours are only used in order to define the character of the grey tone. This prevents grey shades being shifted by a cyan overhang or contrasting with one another depending on the surrounding light.
Paper
Epson offers a wide range of media that can be used to print perfect black and white prints. The range of printing media extends from standard papers such as Premium Glossy or Premium Semigloss to high quality fine art media such as UltraSmooth Fine Art paper or canvas. It doesn't matter which Epson media you use because the driver with your Epson printer will take it into account and automatically adjust the settings to achieve the best result.
Epson UltraChrome K3 inks
UltraChrome K3 inks with the Epson Stylus Photo R2400
Epson UltraChrome K3 inks use pigment based inks. Pigment colour prints stay light stable for up to three times longer than conventional colour prints. For black and white prints, for example, it is substantially longer than 100 years *. Epson inkjet prints are also less sensitive to other harmful environmental influences such as ozone, heat and humidity.
*click here to dowload the test conditions pdf
A3+ black & white printing
Most people printing black and white photographs use Adobe Photoshop™, but of course you may use other programmes if you prefer. For this overview we will use Adobe Photoshop. The most important setting for printing black & white photographs can be found in the print menu below the entry 'colour management'. The source is determined in the pull-down menu 'same as source'.
After switching off the ICC profiles you can then continue via the additional print settings.
Step 1
First, you need to select the printer you want to use - this can be done under 'page setup'. From here you also select your paper format. You'll see a preview of the document and can adjust details as necessary.
Step 2
The characteristics of the printer can be determined in more detail.
The printer characteristics are defined using the button with the same name. First of all, the inserted paper type needs to be selected. Simply choose the paper type you are using from the list available.
To print the best black and white photos, set the print quality at 'best photo' - as the 'advanced black & white mode' assumes a high printing resolution. The alternative 'best photo RPM' is not normally necessary, especially as this substantially slows down the printing speed.
Select the 'print preview' button so you can check your final layout before printing.
Step 3
You can go to the colour management section by selecting 'advanced black & white mode' and selecting the tone you want under 'colour toning'. The use of the mode 'advanced black and white mode' also makes prior conversion of a picture into grey shades unnecessary.
Step 3a)
The individual colour tones and the brightness of the print can also be adjusted under the 'settings' menu.
Step 3b)
Once 'print preview' is activated, the page layout can be controlled before beginning the final stage. The image is only printed on to paper once the print is confirmed. Finally, send your photograph to print, and you should receive a beautiful black and white print. Advanced users can manually adjust settings if they wish.
By using the 'advanced black & white mode' it is possible to adjust and design your photograph in the same way you would use a darkroom with developer strength, paper, temperature etc. All menu settings can be saved and used for subsequent prints.
The print is only confirmed when you are happy with the preview.
Advanced users can adjust the setting as desired.