QuadToneProfiler—DN
for digital negatives and photogravure

 

FEATURES

Built-In Printer Setup and Curve Installation Utility

  • Printer Installation Utility to setup and simply working with the QuadToneRIP printers

  • Ability to automatically install and/or update quad curves without needing to run the installxxxx.command file


Starter Curve Setup

controls for extra UV blocking Density

Start with the default ink levels for common platinum/palladium systems or use the simple tools for finding and setting your needed blocking density.

The total blocking density needed can be found with one additional step using a special blocking density quad curve and calibration image. The increased overlap of the Light Black and the five color inks ensure clear highlights without excessive ink loads.

The macOS application has additional controls for fine-tuning the starter curve ink levels in the highlights, midtones, and shadows prior to linearization.

Premade Starter and Density Test Curves for Digital Negatives and Direct to Plate Gravure

The standard pre-made quad curves are designed for common platinum/palladium printing formulas. 

  • Standard starter curve suitable for most processes

  • Traditional Cyanotype

  • Lodima/Lupex/Azo contact paper curves

  • Ilford Multi Grade Classic and Warmtone paper curves

  • Direct-to-Plate Gravure

  • Built-In maximum black density and DTP-Gravure open bite test curves


Advanced Linearization and Soft-proofing Tools

 
 

Measurement Editing and Smoothing

  • New measurements graphing view that lets you select and drag outlier measurements

  • New weighted moving average smoothing for better curve fitting based on the number of the original measurements

  • Ink channel smoothing in the linearized .quad curves for even smoother tonal transitions

Output Density Rendering Intents

  • Linear Lab L*

    • Uses a standard straight line for evenly-spaced tonal steps

  • Perceptual Rendering w/ BPC

    • Adds a slight contrast curve based on the density range of the original measurements for a better screen-to-print match

  • Spot Color Tone Value Correction

    • Primarily used for linearizing KCMY+ separations for multi-layer gum, carbon, or gravure

  • Manual Curve Controls

    • Gives the ability change the shape of the output curve or add a saved Photoshop .acv curve file (using a grayscale or composite RGB values)

Export Options

  • QuadToneRIP .quad files (with option to automatically install when saved to a Quadxxxx folder

    • Defaults to a correction curve based on a negative image and “normal” .quad file, with a check-box to switch to a positive correction curve to use with photogravure or printing positive images with an “inverted” quad file.

    • Adds notes for the measurement and quad files that were used to create the new linearization for easier troubleshooting and organization

  • Photoshop .acv or .cube presets for correction curves and ability to use non-QTR compatible printers

  • Photoshop RGB .acv curve or .cube LUTs presets for soft-proofing the measured color values or the final linearized color values with

  • QTP Lab measurement .txt files for smoothed and interpolated 256-step data

  • GutenPrint .xml ink channel files to be used in the “User Defined” folder

System Requirements

  • Native macOS version requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later

  • QuadToneRIP for the print driver

  • Epson Printer with UltraChromeK3-style ink sets (StylusPro or SureColor series 8 or 10 ink printers, including P700/P900)

  • Way of measuring the printed targets (Scanner and Photoshop, i1 Pro, SpyderPrint, ColorMunki, or manual reflective densitometer)

  • Inkjet receptive transparency material or photopolymer plates

Linearization

Supported Printers

  • All Epson printers and ink sets supported by QuadToneRIP

  • Any printer when using Photoshop .acv or .cube layers for the correction curve.

Supported Measurement Devices

  • i1 Pro

  • ColorMunki/i1 Studio

  • SpyderPrint

  • iOS Bluetooth enabled colorimeters (DataColor EZReader and similar)

  • Manual densitometers

  • Reflective flatbed scans

Supported Measurement file formats

  • CGATS .txt

  • ArgyllCMS .ti3

  • SpyderPrint .txt

  • ColorMunki .csv

  • QTR-Linearize Data -out.txt

  • DataTool .txt or .csv

  • Single Column L* or logD density measurements (all supported stepwedge size targets)

  • Manually entered L* or log D density measurements (21-step targets)

Starter Curve Setup

Supported Printers

Epson UltraChrome K3

  • R3000 and 3800 to 9800

  • 2880 to 9880

  • 7890, 9890

  • 4900 to 9900

Epson SureColor K3

  • P600, P800

  • P4000, P6000, P8000

  • P5000, P7000, P9000

Epson SureColor Pro10

  • P700, P900

Including all non-US models