Bummed that upcoming Piezography Course requires MacOS

1

:slightly_frowning_face: Is it still true that the upcoming Piezography from Beginner to Advanced

still REQUIRES MacOs, i.e., Windows Users left out??

And will that be online format?

And is there a tentative date?

Thank you

2

I think you should go to the inkjetmall.com website and look for workshops and read the info on the piezography course.

3

From what I see, they are workshops (require travel) and I was looking for online

Thanks though.

4

While we do (and will) support Windows for output going forward, the reality is that QuadtoneRIP was built for the Mac system and then ported by a third party (not Roy Harrington) to Windows. That third party abandon updates a decade ago to the Window GUI version of QuadtoneRIP. Roy can keep adding printer support, but the UI is very limited, and does not allow for ICC printing, proper image placement, etc. It’s not a good UI. Simple used iMacs or MacMinis can be bought for less that $300 now and are mighty powerful enough to run as stand-alone output computers in a mixed Mac/Pc home setup. When people are at our studio with a PC they get to learn both the PC side and the more immersive Mac side at the same time. But if they only have a Windows machine at home they won’t be able to.

So for now, it’s Mac-only. In future, yes maybe we will add Windows as well. But ideally after we get commitments from the code stakeholders that it will be fully supported going forward. Ideally we would take over the upgrade the code-base (gratis) for the wider bw output community.

-Walker

5

Thanks Walker for your reply. I’m not a Mac user, but do have a recently ‘retired’ MacBook Pro (runs on Catalina and cannot, afaik, upgrade to Big Sur (machine is 2012, and upgrade requires 2013 or newer).

Is this sufficient? File transfer might be a hassle, but I could otherwise give it a go and maybe also have the Windows QTR on hand in case it becomes handy for something. Would file work done on an image in Windows QTR be transferrable to OS QTR, or stuff be lost/not translate?

Also, any info on making cyanotone prints, (not the historical process) articles or references?

Thank you!

6

Speaking as a long-time Windows QTR user who has dabbled with the Mac version, Windows has limitations and advantages. You can print with an ICC, but it’s less convenient to do so. It’s less prone to OS upgrade problems. Like any workflow, you learn it and then you use it.

7

Thanks Brian,

I will load both and see how it goes.

8

This is all good. FWIW, I’ve run QTR under Windows, and “it works”, but runs rather limitedly compared to other linearizers like Imageprint. With the print tool interface, the notion that this is DESIGNED to work under MACos and is best there just makes a lot of sense, so I guess I’m game to give it a whirl for $300.

Question I’d ask since you’ve suggested we’d just be swapping image and setting files back and forth between Windows and MacOS at that point
 is there a particular VERSION of the MacOS (for those of us generally unfamiliar with the Mac by the way
 as in NEVER) i5 or similar hardware specs to look for? Really really really appreciate any and ALL guidance. No kidding. Thanks!

9

For home studios at large I really recommend that you have a NAS (network attached storage).

This does three great things:

  1. It keeps your hard-drive on your Windows machine clear for work.
  2. It allows for easy access to your files from any OS.
  3. It’s safer storage.

We use QNAP.

best,
Walker

10

And any particulars for a MACos hardware machine to attach for running QTR? Chip or RAM or iOS version capabilities? Guidance appreciated for those of us Windows-dominated guys. If I should redirect that to Roy H, let me know as well. Thanks!

11

really anything. QTR does not take much resources.

best,
Walker

12

I can’t argue that the PT interface is nicer than that of QTRGui, but I can’t see any functional difference that is worth the hassle of switching machines & OS and setting up a NAS, etc, just to use that interface. The settings you send to QTR are still the same. You’re still editing in PS and then switching to a separate application to print.

There is one exception, and that is you can print with an ICC without having to create a separate copy converted to the ICC, but I can’t see that the hassle is worth the minor benefit just for that, and it doesn’t apply if you print in GG22. Possibly also multi-image layouts, but I imagine that’s not a common use case for most people. QTRGui works just fine despite its age, unlike some of us.

13

Brian: Couldn’t agree more. HOWEVER, if they’re going to teach the online course videos ONLY with a Mac, that kind of makes it a bit limiting to try to follow along with a Windows machine? Nothing is ideal. But sometimes you just go with the flow. I may be too old to insist on having it my way any more. :wink:

14

I have another option for you to consider. I’ll PM you.

There is another difference that I forgot, which I also consider to be not worth the trouble. My understanding is that the Mac printing pipeline is 16 bit. I’m less sure about Win, where there are multiple print pipelines and I haven’t been able to determine which one QTR uses. But as Andrew Rodney (the digitaldog) keeps telling people on LuLa, 16 bit has no discernible advantage over 8 bit when it comes to sending the file to the printer.

15

The “Digital Dog” and I go back some years (back to 2003 actually) in our online deliberations . . . for RGB which has 24bits of data at 8bits per channel, there is no different really. For grayscale which has 1/3rd the tonal data of RGB at 8bits per channel there is a difference and you can see it. With Piezo you can print an 8bit full page gradient and see stripes. In 16bit it’s smooth.

That said, the Windows driver is 16bit capable.

best,
Walker