Digital BW, The Print

"Paul" <paulmwhiting@...> wrote:
>
> A friend was admiring some of my BO prints at a show and asked how he could get started. I'm using an R1800 with the 3MK approach, but of course that printer is no longer available. 

The 1900 might be about like the 1800, but not having actually tested one, I could not say.  The 1400 and 1100 are the 13" printers I now use.

>I'm leaning toward suggesting he get a 1400. (Refurbs are now at the Epson site for $179, seems a pretty decent deal.) He wants to do BO printing and I think Paul Roark says that only one cart with Eboni is enough, that it does as well as the R1800 with three carts filled with Eboni. 

I'm going to back off that now.  When my 1400 was new, it was able to produce prints that, at the time, seemed smoother than the 1800 3-MK approach.  Now I'm not so sure.  I think the 1400 shows too many defects with only one channel going.  That may be the age of the printer or some other factor.

What I found with the 1400 is that the 1800 3-MK profiling approach can be used on the 1400.  That is, the basic 1800 profiling system in the notes of the profiles for that system, works on the 1400 when 3 positions are filled with Eboni.  This, of course, would knock out the use of color in the printer also.

 
> My friend also wants to do color. My question is can he fill the K slot with an Eboni inked cart and leave it there while doing color?

I used MIS color pigs and Eboni in an R260.  I've had mixed results with mixing OEM and MIS chips.  Usually they fail to work together.


> Would he then be limited to matt paper?

With Eboni, yes.

> Or should he swap back in the OEM black cart, especially if he wants glossy color? 

I'd want to be sure OEM and MIS chips mix before spending too much money on such an approach.

> And since Eboni is a pigment ink, would it be compatible with the OEM color inks, which I think are Claria, a dye ink?

I have that Claria and/or Noritsu dyes in my 1400 with Eboni-4.  They seem chemically compatible. 

 
> And if he's doing BO printing, would he have to use QTR? Are there QTR profiles available for that?

There are QTR 1400 BO profiles.

I'm not sure there is a color + B&W approach currently that does what the 1800 setup did.  

I'd go for 2 dedicated printers -- the 1400 or 1100 for B&W, with a second color printer, maybe third party or maybe just a 1400 or smaller verion with OEM Claria inks.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com