Should I print B/W image as Colour or Grayscale for best quality?

[gwelmarten]

Hi
I am trying to print this:

Should I print it in greyscale or colour for best quality? Going on plain non-photographic paper.
Thanks,
Sam

 

[Giuly]

Buy good paper, at least 90g/m² premium inkjet paper, preferably inkjet photo paper. Then print it twice and take the better one. Make sure to select the right paper and turn the quality to Best in the printer dialog.

 

[gwelmarten]

Buy good paper, at least 90g/m² premium inkjet paper, preferably inkjet photo paper. Then print it twice and take the better one. Make sure to select the right paper and turn the quality to Best in the printer dialog.

Hi
Thanks for the reply. I do know I can do this, but am just conscious that it is a lot of ink and I don't want to waste resources. Since I have to print a number of copies I am not looking to get the highest quality (photographic paper) just know which will show the most detail out of the two types of ink pigment - using the softer or harder black ink cartridge, selected by choosing grayscale or not.

 

[Giuly]

If you print a lot of copies anyways, print both and then decide. Take the less good looking and keep it yourself, and you have the proper setting.

 

[drsox]

Hi
I am trying to print this:

Should I print it in greyscale or colour for best quality? Going on plain non-photographic paper.
Thanks,
Sam

What's the original ? A photo, a printed photo, a copied image or a digital file ? Is it a continuous tone original ? Is there a press dot structure (e.g. as there is on an image from a magazine page) ?

 

[gwelmarten]

What's the original ? A photo, a printed photo, a copied image or a digital file ? Is it a continuous tone original ? Is there a press dot structure (e.g. as there is on an image from a magazine page) ?

It's a digital file and I don't think it is press-dot.

 

[drsox]

It's a digital file and I don't think it is press-dot.

If it's digital file then you might try the finest resolution you can on your printer and go for monochrome ( with a best setting if there is one ). It's going to be your printer spec that will limit the quality. Epson seem pretty good as their ink is finer but it's debatable as it's a matter of scan jitter also.

As far as I remember from 15 years ago a digital file won't be press-dot anyway unless it is a YMCK file that needs a dot generator. I would suppose that your file is something else - RBG jpeg for instance.

 

[gwelmarten]

If it's digital file then you might try the finest resolution you can on your printer and go for monochrome ( with a best setting if there is one ). It's going to be your printer spec that will limit the quality. Epson seem pretty good as their ink is finer but it's debatable as it's a matter of scan jitter also.

As far as I remember from 15 years ago a digital file won't be press-dot anyway unless it is a YMCK file that needs a dot generator. I would suppose that your file is something else - RBG jpeg for instance.

Hi
Yes - it is a jpeg. Your suggestion confirms what I had suspected before - that grayscale will do a better job. I'll give it a go and post back the result. I'm using a Canon 5150 printer.

 

[drsox]

Hi
Yes - it is a jpeg. Your suggestion confirms what I had suspected before - that grayscale will do a better job. I'll give it a go and post back the result. I'm using a Canon 5150 printer.

You might also try using a coated paper as then any ink absorption issues will go away (bleed, uniformity). Be careful with drying time though. It might be better. How good do you want ? Good enough for casual use or is it part of your resumé ?

 

[Giuly]

What's the original ? A photo, a printed photo, a copied image or a digital file ? Is it a continuous tone original ? Is there a press dot structure (e.g. as there is on an image from a magazine page) ?

I assume that the 1500x1000 jpg is the original as far as this discussion is concerned.

And still, I'd print one copy of both, then decide and print the rest in the better setting.

 

[gwelmarten]

You might also try using a coated paper as then any ink absorption issues will go away (bleed, uniformity). Be careful with drying time though. It might be better. How good do you want ? Good enough for casual use or is it part of your resumé ?

It's for fairly casual use - I just need a few for a fairly low key display similar to this, and getting it right first time saves a fair bit of ink!

 

[drsox]

It's for fairly casual use - I just need a few for a fairly low key display similar to this, and getting it right first time saves a fair bit of ink!

OK, then decent quality ordinary paper will be fine. I would try to use the highest DPI setting on output.

 

[gwelmarten]

OK, then decent quality ordinary paper will be fine. I would try to use the highest DPI setting on output.

Hi
Did it last night. Used the 'best' quality mode and did Grayscale - they came out very very well. I had a little fiddle afterwards with just a segment of the photo on colour mode and it was much worse - I guess it used the other black pigment.

 

[drsox]

Hi
Did it last night. Used the 'best' quality mode and did Grayscale - they came out very very well. I had a little fiddle afterwards with just a segment of the photo on colour mode and it was much worse - I guess it used the other black pigment.

No, it was probably the colour algorithm trying to mimic some of the greys with a colour mixture and failing.