The Tone System by Roland Miller

Print Properties

Print Properties Settings tell Photoshop the media type (paper quality and surface), print resolution, print quality, speed, and color management options. You will have four choices in this selection: Media Type, Print Resolution, Print Quality and Color Management Options

• Media Type
  • The media type setting is dependant on the type, quality, and surface of paper you are using. Most paper manufacturers will designate a media type for you to use with their paper, but there is some room for experimentation. Some matte surface papers will work with the Enhanced Matte or the Watercolor Paper setting. This setting should be the same one used to create the media/printer profile.
• Print Resolution
  • There are three or four options for most papers regarding print resolution. They are 360 dpi, 720 dpi, 1440 dpi and 2880 dpi. Most papers will allow only three of the four options; 360, 720 and 1440 or 720, 1440, and 2880. For high quality ink-jet printing the 1440 setting is fine. The 2880 setting is OK to use if you are making digital negatives on a media like Pictorico's Super High gloss White Film. Other than that, 2880 is overkill. Note that these settings are all factors of of 360. Because of this, most ink-jet printers like the file resolution set at 360 ppi. Please refer to the ink-jet Basics section for more information on the difference between dpi and ppi. This setting should be the same one used to create the media/printer profile.
• Print Quality
  • Print quality settings include HIgh Speed (the print head lays down ink in both directions), Superfine, Micro Weave, Finest Detail, and other terms like these. Most of these settings will default to the appropriate setting when you select 1440 resolution. You can experiment with these settings by making comparison prints with them on or off. We recommend leaving High Speed On. We have seen little difference in print quality with it on or off and your image print twice as fast. This setting should be the same one used to create the media/printer profile.
• Printer Color Management Options
  • You will find a number of choices in printer color management options. Since you have already selected to let Photoshop handle color management, select No Color Management or Color Management Off. This disables the print driver's color management. If you don't turn printer color management off, Photoshop will mange the color then the print driver will manage it again. This results in very poor color rendition.

In most cases, you can use either perceptual or relative colorimetric rendering intent. If you want to learn how to preview the difference see the WYSIWYG section.

Black Point Compensation

Black point compensation maps the black of the image's color space (gamut) to the black of the output device. Leave this box checked every time you print. Black point compensation will not take care of all of your needs in the area of shadow detail, but it will when used in conjunction with proper black point settings,

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