Grayscale images on Epson 9800

[Hende]

Friends,

Is it possible to achieve a true black grayscale image using an Epson 9800 and Rampage 10.5? The "monochrome" setting in the proof profile produces more of a sepia. I'm looking for a result similar to the "Advanced B&W Photo" setting when printing directly from the Epson driver. I'm fairly new to RAMpage, so I hope there is something simple that I am missing.

Thanks

[johnny_jay]

How are you color managing the 9800, Rampage ICC or a Third Party Rip?

[Hende]

The 9800 is being color managed using Rampage ICC.
When outputting a grayscale image using the "monochrome" setting the results are very similar to outputting a grayscale image using the "Color: Black" in the print settings of the Epson driver. I can come closer to the "Advanced B&W Photo" by turning off CMY and checking the "Don't correct 100% black" when I send the file from RAMpage, but it seems to add a yellow tint and has too much contrast.
This may be okay for one color jobs, but I need to be able to send a four color imposition with grayscale images.
Does any one know if RAMpage offers tech support?

[johnny_jay]

They offer tech Support but not for ICC profiles.

Have you checked the calibration of your proofer lately? We have the same set up as you and I have seen this when the proofer is going out of calibration.

My own preference is to leave the "Don't correct 100% black" off. I have had images with 100 K in them and the proof looks awful with some parts of an image uncorrected.

[Hende]

Well, that may be part of the problem. The color management was set up before I started working here. The guy that they had trained left a couple of months after I started and no one else knows how to do it. I guess I'm going to have to stumble my way through it.

We have an i1 spectro and use the ProfileMaker software. Any tips on how to get started?

[johnny_jay]

To get started I recommend reading over the info that comes with Rampage, all of this should be on the last upgrade CD you received.

In the Rampage Extras Folder, there is a folder called "Using Epson 9800 with Rampage"

In the Rampage Options Folder find the PDF "ICC Support Notes.pdf"

The Yahoo group "Rampage Workflow" is also a great place to ask questions. Several color management gurus help people out there and I have been helped on several occasions.

[Hende]

Thanks for all your help Johnny_Jay!

[nickt]

what we do is take a file and convert it to grayscale and then paste that information into each channel of a cmyk file and then take the cmy channels to a 30% ghost, we then RIP that file with no profile and run it with ICC turned off on our inkjet, the other alternative is to make a new profile with MAX black generation, this will allow you to actually send a grayscale to your inkjet and it will actually priny black only but it generally comes out a bit weak as it's only 1 color...