gimp/plug-ins/print/README
Sven Neumann 9600ecb32a applied patch from Robert L Krawitz <rlk@alum.mit.edu> and made
the code initialize the File pseudoprinter. Fixes bug #5578.


--Sven
2000-02-12 11:28:42 +00:00

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Print plugin for the Gimp. Version 3.0.6 by Robert Krawitz
<rlk@alum.mit.edu> based on version 2.0 by Michael Sweet
<mike@easysw.com>.
This version has numerous enhancements:
1) Full support for the Epson Stylus Photo, Photo 700, and Photo EX
printers, including 6-color printing, 1440x720 dpi resolution, and
"soft" weave for much faster high quality printing.
2) Many new controls, including:
* Output gamma adjustment
* Contrast
* Red/green/blue levels
* Saturation
* Density
* Additional scaling options
3) Improved tonal resolution. Calculations are now done in 16 bit
rather than 8 bit resolution, which eliminates stair stepping.
Input levels do not map one to one onto output levels, so in 8 bit
output resolution multiple input levels will map to a single output
level. Usually the density range is compressed in the light end of
the tonal range, so many different input levels will map to one
output level. Use of 16 bit output resolution avoids this
undesirable behavior and results in smooth tonal gradations in
highlights.
4) Saving of all settings between print jobs.
This plugin has been optimized for the Epson Stylus Photo EX, since
that's the printer I own. I am interested in comments on performance
both with Epson Stylus printers and with others.
Some tips on tuning the output:
* Start with the default settings
* Brightness and density are not the same thing. Density is a purely
linear adjustment; more density means more ink. Brightness affects
perceived brightness.
* Higher gamma values result in brighter images with compressed
highlights. Lower gamma values are darker, but with better tonal
range in the highlights.
* Different brands of ink yield different results. I've found that
third party inks on Epson printers are generally too cyan. The
correction for excessive cyan is to add red (or reduce blue and
green).
* I've found that what creates good test patterns does not necessarily
create good photographs. In particular, test patterns often print
well with gamma of .6 or thereabouts, but that gives washed out
photographs. Perhaps when I implement a better contrast control
this can be improved.
* The contrast control scales polynomially around the midpoint of the
range. Lower contrast will reduce the contrast in the midtones, but
increase the contrast in the highlights and shadows. Contrariwise,
a high contrast value will stretch the scale in midtones,
compressing the highlights and shadows.
* There are many combinations of brightness, gamma, and density that
will create acceptable images. You may find that you want different
settings for different images.
* One group of settings you might want to start with is:
Brightness 45
Gamma 1.5
Contrast 105
Saturation 1.4
Density 0.8
Makefile.standalone enables you to build this plugin as a standalone
plugin, without reference to a Gimp source tree.
Enjoy!
-Robert Krawitz, January 13, 2000