Did I do something wrong?

[MLeeK]

I ordered a metal print of this image. I received it today. It's definitely got a purple tint to it.
This is the first black and white metal I have ordered, so... I could have done something wrong?
Or is it me and my eyes and there really is a purple tint to the image?
It's also a bit on the grayscale side in the print... Is that my doing? I am seeing a good contrast and I have not had a problem with prints before, but... God knows I have a real ability to screw things up sometimes... I did notice that although the image is black and white it is not grayscale for the colorspace... Is that my screw up?
So... Is it me? and if it isn't, then how does this happen? Is it the lab and should I let them know about it?

 

[Tony S]

Call the lab, they might know about this being an issue with how the file was set up for printing. Whether it's something you did or something from the lab you won't know till you talk with them.

To me metal would not be the preferred medium to print a B&W on, those usually need something with vivid colors to bring out the metal qualities in a print.

 

[raider]

order true b/w paper

 

[KmH]

Was it printed on metal, or on a metallic paper?

 

[MLeeK]

order true b/w paper

It's a METAL. As in printed on metal. Solid, hard...

 

[raider]

ooooooooooooh

 

[MLeeK]

So... I have talked to the lab and they can't even accept a grayscale colorspace.
So, does that mean that everything I print on metal like this will always have a bit of color in it?
After this fiasco I will definitely be ordering some metal samples in black and white from elsewhere. It's not a small metal. Not huge either, but... This is a rather high dollar item for a client and I am not going to submit and be worried every time I do.
I am going to go try and photograph this properly with a graycard in it... Hopefully someone can give me some insight?

 

[Rephargotohp]

Leeky,
I sampled the image and at no point in the image is there any color cast. So that's not the problem

However anytime yo have a B & W image printed with a Giclee type (Inkjet) that is set up for color printing you can have this issue. Since you are mixing CMYK to obtain Gray, there can be some color cast introduced, the most common is a Magenta cast which may be what you are seeing. Labs that specialize in B & W Giclee printing usually have their machines set-up with a complete set of black/gray carts to insure better B & W's. But most companies that do Metal prints don't have this set-up. It's more for the fine Art/ Fine art paper crowd

 

[MLeeK]

You'd think they'd check it? Flubber. Not really what I wanted to hear.

 

[ann]

So sorry this has happened to your; however, this has been a problem for years with printing with inkjet materials. Not getting a neutral black and white product. Things have improved but clearly on this material there is still a long way to go.

As someone else suggested this is why serious black and white users like to use a dedicated printer with all gray inks.

I know this is not what you want to hear and read, but it is the reality of the inkjet printing.

It is a real shame a company is offering this type of service when they of all people know about the issues with printing neutral black and white images

 

[MLeeK]

you'd think they'd at least warn you about printing black and white's on this.

Wonder if a chocolate would look correct?

 

[paigew]

printing on metal?! wow interesting, never knew people did that. Can you post a pic of the pic? I would love to see that!

 

[MLeeK]

The greycard is in there so I could make sure WB was correct. Especially with my very yellow butcher block counter tops!!!
It's just a quick jpeg!

 

[Rephargotohp]

Sampling it it appears to have a green cast from sampling the jpeg

Problem is with these things everyone has a different ability to see small color casts. And the type of color cast can be very different from lab to lab. Because there are many different types of gray, There are Blue Grays and warm grays that we are used to seeing, in fabrics and wall paints, we tend to discount them in our mind as still being gray. However a magenta cast is not often seen in grays and it becomes more visible to us. It's the trick our mind plays knowing that white is white even when it's not. We perceive grays the same way sometimes

 

[MLeeK]

It's going to have a bit of a green/yellow cast because of my kitchen. I SHOULD have taken it outside and shot it where I wouldn't get anything reflecting on it. Tomorrow is another day.