Printing too dark in CS4

No, Advanced Black and White is not broken. Everything there works fine. "Darker" gives me the print density I want, and it's the default, and correct, setting. It's when you involve Photoshop in managing colors that things go awry.

>> Using the Advanced Black and White functions requires a different series of choices

I think your best information on this workflow will be in your epson manual...if dark prints are the issue, why are you saying Darker is the correct choice?

It appears in your linked photo that a lot of your pixels are in the lower zones (which look dark and problematic to me going to 4800 Epson ink), maybe you need to reevaluate your file in those areas (for the printer/paper/ink)...

I see there is some confusion in how I explained my workflows. Here are the Standard Operating Procedures.

For color prints, or for when I want to use a specific output profile I select: Photoshop Manages Colors, and pick the appropriate profile. I use a Perceptual rendering intent with Black Point Compensation checked.

When you press Print you have another series of settings, many of which I have saved as custom presets. The crucial ones are Print Settings, where you choose the proper media type, as Epson adjusts nozzle flow differently under each selection, and Printer Color Management, where Off (No Color Adjustment) is the proper choice.

Using the Advanced Black and White functions requires a different series of choices, which has led to this confusion over why I would ever turn off Color Management. In that workflow I select Printer Manages Colors (in CS3 this works fine) or No Color Management (which appears to be the only way to get Epson b/w to work under CS4). Then under Print Settings you have the option under Color to choose Advanced B&W Photo, whereupon you have those lovely settings under Printer Color Management. Darker is the default setting, for no apparent reason, yet it appears to be the correct choice.

Sorry I was wrong the Epson plugin does not support the 4800.

Has Adobe not tested printers?

Do they or anyone else have a list of printers that work correctly with PSCS4 and OS 10.5.5?

Re: #2

Doug:

In the Color Handling box where you selected "No Color Management", you should have chosen "Photoshop Manages Color".

And then in Printer Profile, you need to choose the profile for the paper on which you are printing.

Then you need to click on the "Print" Button

In the dialog which now opens, choose Color Management (from the drop-down menu in the third box) and make sure that "No Color Adjustment" is selected there.

Then Print.

If prints are regularly too dark on certain matte papers, and you are unable to have a Custom profile made, you may find it helpful to add an overall Adjustment Curve to the file before printing.

I use one for a particular matte stock where an Input of 100 provides an Output of 120; and I save this curve as a Preset so that I can load it as needed.

doesn't b/w advanced call for Color Handling> "No Color Management" (I recall we are to select "Printer Manages Color" for b/w advanced?)?

also when you get to b/w advanced dialog, isn't there dark, medium and light options

add a Paper Type should set up the workflow, but I had trouble following your post...

Interesting mess this whole Adobe/Apple/Printer drivers thing is.

I believe Epson makes a PS plugin for the 4800. You might want to give that a try and avoid this silliness.

Canon makes a wonderful plugin for the iPF series printer and without it I would really be raising hell about this whole mess.

I see the same thing in CS4 print dialogue.

Really, "No Color Management", choice #3, after Printer Manages Colors and Photoshop Manages Colors, in the Color Handling dropdown. See here: http://www.dougplummer.com/clients/cm2.jpg

Doug,
>"No color management"

Exactly where do you see that exact wording? Can you post a screen shot?

Or do you mean "No Color Adjustment"?