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Advanced Watercolor Paper Printing Tips
(especially for Somerset Velvet -- the uncoated version)
You can "profile" a watercolor paper and ink combination with software i.e. Monaco E-Z Color, in order to get a near perfect match. However, the following settings will still give you much greater control than the general settings on the previous page, and will be quite sufficient for most images.
There are two major problem with the general settings on the previous page:
- They did not allow you to use a print quality greater than "Fine - 720 dpi" ("Superfine -1440 dpi" is not an option with the "Plain Paper" Media Type selection). Being able to use 1440 dpi and "Super Micoweave" becomes necessary sometimes to eliminate printer "banding", especially in blue sky areas of an image.
- They only allowed for overall density corrections (to minimize ink dot gain), but did not allow for "selective" density corrections -- or being able to selectively control highlights, midtones and shadows.
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These advanced settings (requires Adobe Photoshop) will give you more control (The following dialog boxes are for the Macintosh, using the Epson Stylus Color 3000. Your dialog boxes may look slightly different, especially in Windows, but you'll have the same settings):
- With your digital image open in Photoshop, chose "Page Setup..." under the "File" menu.
- When this window opens, click on the "Transfer..." button (bottom left).
- The "Transfer Functions" window will open. This function allows you to build powerful print driver curves that "transfer" to your image file WITHOUT affecting the actual image! These settings can be saved with the image file, and can later be changed at any time.
- The above window shows the default "straight-line" or linear settings (no curve). The "0" density (white) is set at "0:0%" (or O=0 %), and "100" density (black) is set at "100:100%" (or 100=100%). This means all the other values on that line are also at their corresponding default value (i.e. 10=10% or 90=90%), even though no values are currently typed into the blank boxes. But we are about to change that...
- Somerset Velvet and most other "sized" watercolor papers suffer some dot gain (wicking of the ink through the cellulose cotton fibers). This is especially noticeable in the midtone and highlight areas, causing the print to look "muddy", and "flat". Watercolor papers, like Somerset, also lack deep blacks, because the ink absorption by the paper fibers. A simple increase in image contrast would provide some help in the highlight and shadow areas, but that would not help the midtones, nor could it give selective density control in each area. The solution is to build a curve for each paper and ink combination. A good starting point for Somerset Velvet and similar watercolor papers is: 95:98% and 50:42%. (Type in "98" in the box across from "95:", and type in "42" in the box across from "50:".) Your window and new curve should look like this:
- This curve lightens (or "pinches back") the midtones and highlight areas of the final print, while increasing the blacks or "maximum density" (D-Max) areas of the print. For even greater control, you can selectively place other points on the curve (I often use "95:98, 60:55, 50:42, 10:7" for Somerset Velvet).
- To save these settings, click the "OK" button. These settings will be saved to the "resource fork" of your image file (without making changes to your actual image file) once you close and "save" your file. NOTE: I didn't find it necessary to check the "Override Printer's Default Functions". I also found that the curve controls were NOT functional if you click off "All Same", and tried to individually control each ink color. (With the exception of the "Black", which functioned as if you were using "All [the] Same".
- I also found it very helpful to increase the "Saturation" (10 to 25) in the printer driver, and sometimes make color adjustments. This can be done by choosing the "Advanced" Mode, then clicking on the "More Settings" button, then using the sliders in that window (see the dialog box examples in the previous page for help).
Here is an example of the output you should expect from these settings.
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