Using a mac, how to adjust "gamma" settings when printing with HP printer?

[rod]

I know there have been a million posts on "design transfer", but maybe someone will have a one line answer:

Whereas Epson printers give an obvious window to adjust gamma, contrast, and resolution when using a Mac computer, I find it impossible to find similar adjusting windows when printing with my recently acquired HP Deskjet 1000 ( recommended by Tom White).

Tom posted he got good results, and maybe Windows computers put up an easy printing window for gamma adjustments, but does anyone know how to do it on Mac?

thanks

Rod

 

[Sam]

Rod: I noticed the same missing options in a Mac driver for one of my old inkjet printers.

 

[rod]

Sam,

Thank you for your input. Since I knew that you would have an answer if it could be done, you were my first line of inquiry.

I hope this is useful for other mac/ HP printer users. First of all Tom White, of Magic transfer, wrote to say he had no experience of Mac/HP printing, so I have been looking into it on my own.

There is a setting for Black Cartridge only, but the other good thing about this HP Deskjet 1000, apart for its very low price, is that you can remove the color cartridge, and the printer will work happily with only the black ink cartridge, there is no electronics chip shutting you down as in some other printers, so no problems wondering if the printer is using a "rich black" setting that actually mixes in some colored ink with the black and this interferes with transfer.

Next, I phoned and talked with HP support, they confirmed there was not a gamma and contrast slider setting on the Mac window when using this printer .... bummer, however, there is a window option to disable the "Let the printer determine photo settings" or "Let your computer application determine the settings". So I checked the " Let Computer determine settings".

I next discovered that Photoshop CS5 ( and possibly earlier editions) allows gamma variation within Photoshop. Read about it here:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7673a.html

Briefly, you create a new ....Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels. Click OK in the New Layer dialog box. More details on the link above.

By the way, I am using mac os Lion, that is 10.7 operating system, and have download the Lion driver for the printer.

Having gone over mostly to Laserjet printing, where design transfer is very easy, but high resolution is not as good as inkjet, I want to have high res on tiny engravings, so keep the two options available.

As ever, I am getting faint , but usable transfers with the new substitute transparent sheets and heavy burnishing appears to be essential. Wiping metal with Sharpie will allow pretty good transfer, but it will tend to rub off as you engrave. By contrast, Tom's white transfer solution seems more tenacious, so I am glad I have a bottle of Tom's brew.

As ever, I am always grateful for a tip or two from those working with Mac and HP?

best

Rod

 

[peteb]

Re: restore advanced settings to C88 Epson (for black transfer printing) In Mac 10.4 use printer utility and delete the offending printer, then reinstall the printer making sure you use the Epson USB. My advanced setting could then be set.

 

[rod]

Thanks for this suggestion, Pete,

Epson printers do give a full window on Mac for adjusting Gamma and contrast, however on Mac, I am using OS 10.7 Lion, they will print a rich black for black and white and you do not have a setting on Epson Mac for black cartridge only. In the past, Andrew says choose CMYK and put CMY all to zero.

That is in the past for me, I am using the HP deskjet 1000 printer, not Epson. It is very inexpensive at $29, including its two cartridges. One good advantage is that you can simply remove the color cartridge and it will work with only the black cartridge installed. Any trace of mixed in color inks that happens in "rich black" does not do well on the transfer process.

Now that I can ask Photoshop to handle color, I am able to select gamma settings within the Photoshop applications, so I think all is well.

Now if only we could still be the easier to use Epson transparency sheets, but they are now a rare collectors item.

best

Rod