Grayscale? HP 4P Postscript?

[mike]

Grayscale? HP 4P Postscript?

I'd like to print "half-decent" grayscale images without
spending a lot of (any) money.
My HP-4L ain't cutting it.

I have it in my head that any postscript printer can print
true grayscale, not to be confused with dithering/halftoning/
screening. I mean actually modulating the intensity of each dot.
True? False?

I was delighted to pick up a HP-4P for a buck. But my delight
turned to dispair when I learned that postscript was an
option that costs about $180 today.

The 600dpi helps, but it seems that true grayscale would be
a lot better???

Would the postscript option for the HP-4P make a significant
difference in ability to print B/W photos?

Are there other cheaper options? Better (freeware) drivers than what's
in Windows 98SE.

I also have an Apple Personal Laserwriter 320. I think that
does postscript, but I don't have the hardware to interface
it to my PC. Don't suppose there's a postscript simm buried in there
somewhere I could use on the 4P?

Thanks, mike
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[Warren Block]

I have it in my head that any postscript printer can print
true grayscale, not to be confused with dithering/halftoning/
screening. I mean actually modulating the intensity of each dot.
True? False?

False, since there's only one shade of toner. The only way to modulate
that is with a halftone or equivalent, mixing areas of white (no toner)
with areas of black (solid toner).

I was delighted to pick up a HP-4P for a buck. But my delight
turned to dispair when I learned that postscript was an
option that costs about $180 today.

Ghostscript is probably a better alternative.

 

[CWatters]

Grayscale? HP 4P Postscript?

I'd like to print "half-decent" grayscale images without
spending a lot of (any) money.
My HP-4L ain't cutting it.

I have it in my head that any postscript printer can print
true grayscale, not to be confused with dithering/halftoning/
screening. I mean actually modulating the intensity of each dot.
True? False?

False.

If you have access to a cheap inkjet try looking for a "quad black"
cartridge set. This replaces the normal Black+3 colour cart with 4 shades of
black (eg grey) to give improved greyscales..

 

[me]

False, since there's only one shade of toner. The only way to modulate
that is with a halftone or equivalent, mixing areas of white (no toner)
with areas of black (solid toner).

What you need is a contone printer rather than a halftone printer which
you are only going to find more at the professional end of the market.
I have a second hand colour photocopier that does this and each of the
for colours (CMYK) has an 8 bit depth to its output. This enables it to
have a very wide gamut.

Probably the easiest way to do this is to get a network capable
photocopier (ie: one that can be used as a printer).

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

I have it in my head that any postscript printer can print
true grayscale, not to be confused with dithering/halftoning/
screening. I mean actually modulating the intensity of each dot.
True? False?

False.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

I have it in my head that any postscript printer can print
true grayscale, not to be confused with dithering/halftoning/
screening. I mean actually modulating the intensity of each dot.
True? False?

False, since there's only one shade of toner. The only way to modulate
that is with a halftone or equivalent, mixing areas of white (no toner)
with areas of black (solid toner).[/QUOTE]

He's wrong because not just *any* printer can do grayscale. You're
wrong because some printers can do grayscale. A true grayscale, not
halftoning or dithering.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

What you need is a contone printer rather than a halftone printer which
you are only going to find more at the professional end of the market.
I have a second hand colour photocopier that does this and each of the
for colours (CMYK) has an 8 bit depth to its output. This enables it to
have a very wide gamut.

Probably the easiest way to do this is to get a network capable
photocopier (ie: one that can be used as a printer).

Yep.

 

[Warren Block]

False, since there's only one shade of toner. The only way to modulate
that is with a halftone or equivalent, mixing areas of white (no toner)
with areas of black (solid toner).

He's wrong because not just *any* printer can do grayscale. You're
wrong because some printers can do grayscale. A true grayscale, not
halftoning or dithering.[/QUOTE]

I was thinking about the 4P, which will not do grayscale. Put more
generally, PostScript does not give a printer abilities that the
printing engine doesn't already have.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

He's wrong because not just *any* printer can do grayscale. You're
wrong because some printers can do grayscale. A true grayscale, not
halftoning or dithering.

I was thinking about the 4P, which will not do grayscale. Put more
generally, PostScript does not give a printer abilities that the
printing engine doesn't already have.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that's 100% true.

 

[mike]

I was thinking about the 4P, which will not do grayscale. Put more
generally, PostScript does not give a printer abilities that the
printing engine doesn't already have.

Yes, that's 100% true.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks, that's what I wanted to know.
mike

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