Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "ben" <benjschneider2@...> wrote:
>
> I have been using the Epson OEM Gloss Black with 3K printing in an R1800 with good results.  I change the chips, and mounting tabs on the two other channels.  I am getting great results on Silver Rag, and Epson Exhibition Papers.
> 
> I do get a slight bronzing, and a gloss differentrial, but reduce these by waxing the final print with commercial quality Pledge.
> 
> Since it is easy to switch back and forth with the R1800, I have a set of OEM inks for Matte, and glossy.  It only takes minutes to switch and waste only one reload cycle of inks. 
> 
> I sometimes use MIS Ebony, but do not make enough B&W prints to keep it from clogging.  I do not get clogs with the OEM inks.  I reload the original Epson cartridges by resetting the chips and drilling a fill, and a vent hole in the top of the cartridges.  These holes need to be drilled in the right places, and a tube inserted through the double wall on the top.
> 
> Ben
>

In response to this post and a direct email enquiry arising from my original post:

I have only just started experimenting with gelatin myself. I am based in the UK and buy it from here (London):

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=49&sort_dir=0-0-0&sort_column=7-8-0&Start=50

You need to find a pure photographic gelatin, preferably with a bloom number of 250 or larger. 

It is very easy to work with. Initially I have been imersing the paper in a tray of dissolved gelatin but am moving onto using brushing and rolling it. The big issue I am up against is paper curl and am currently figuring out how to add the coating and dry it while keeping the paper flat. I do not think it is insurmountable; just need to keep trying different techniques. At the moment I am experimenting using it with uncoated watercolour papers.

Before starting down the gelatin route (in fact this is still my current method) I am using an R1800 loaded with 3MK (eboni) and full colour inkset. I print onto Hahn Photo Rag Pearl which in my opinion is a fantastic paper (have compared it with their later baryta papers and still come back to it). I then spray with Hahn spray and from this get a print I am very happy with, colour and BW work. I use MIS colour inks as well as their eboni. I have tried overcoating with GO but did not like it nearly as much. The only downside is that I sometimes get banding in certain tonal ranges which drives me mad. I think this is an issue with the R1800 when using MIS inks (does not arise with OEM inks, at least not on my printer). No bronzing or GD though. 

I am now trying gelatin as it is very cheap and unlike the hahn spray is non-toxic. I also want to mess around some more with good watercolour papers as I find these to be very attractive papers to my eye. I also would like to see whether they can be improved for inkjet applications with a further gelatin size prior to printing. Most of the hot pressed varieties of these papers are sized already but I have a hunch a little heavier sizing might be beneficial for inkjet printing. 

Alistair