Digital BW, The Print

Phillip Kimble <grimmieoldfart@...> wrote:
>
> Paul,
> 
> Under the K4+ approach, what is the best mixture of inks 
> ou have discovered. I read where the 100%-30%-9%-6% works 
> and another document where 100%-18%-6%-2% is also good.


I've started to move to the 100-18-6-2 as the standard.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First, all the 1400 carts would be available from MIS pre-loaded and in the right positions.  These would be the Eb6-K, M, LM, and Y positions.  Then the UT14 C and LC would plug be available and plug right in.  This would allow toning and glossy cool prints.  Those inks are neutralized PK and LK.

Second, the 2% Eb/Carb-6 is the most neutral of the dilute inks.  So, with it in the mix, particularly with the right profile, one can make a relatively neutral looking print.  See page 2 of http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/1100-Eb4.pdf for example.  The Premier Art Smooth BW with a partitioned profile that uses the 2% for the highlights is a very nice print and looks cool when matted with natural white mat board.  

With respect to the PA Smooth BW, I picked up some of these prints from a gallery today and had them outside, where there is a lot of UV, and they really glowed.  I might add that the paper backing on that paper has a Lab B of 1.3.  That might bleach down a bit, but you can see from the graph that after the OBAs burn off the print will probably look a lot like its "big brother" the un-brightened Premier Art Smooth Hot Press 325, which I believe to be the progenitor of the Epson Hot Press papers -- all very fine papers that I recommend.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com