Digital BW, The Print

Hello all:

First post here, though I've been reading the list for a while.

I'm a long-time darkroom guy making the transition to digital BW. I have an Epson C88+ set up with MIS continuous feed using Eboni inks, and love the prints it makes on watercolor and drawing paper. I especially love that the whole thing just works, as they say, without my having to deal with profiles and Photoshop.

I am wanting to expand to a 17-inch printer (or even 24-inch).

What are my best options for a larger printer for dedicated, archival BW? Money is, of course, an issue, and I'm very happy to buy used. I like the idea of pure-carbon ink on cotton rag paper. One reason is that I have long sold hand-colored black and white darkroom photos, and would like to continue that work in digital.

I really like the simplicity of the C88 set-up and am a bit bewildered by the options for setting up anything larger.

All suggestions appreciated.

Best,

Bob Keefer
www.bkpix.com