Digital BW, The Print

The MIS EZ inks can print very well in the WorkForce series.  The MIS EZ ink density is about 80% that of standard LK.  So, they are close.  In the 1100 H. Photo Rag printed with MIS K4 LK hits Lab L = 50 at a file grayscale value of 50%.  The dmax is good and Lab L curve with No Color Adjustment not too far off a straight line.  MIS EZ ink would be just a little lighter.

While the above is good news, the WorkForce line generally has ink limits and other printing characteristics that are not well optimized for MIS inks.  On most papers the ink load is too high, such that the dmax is reached well before the file's 100% grayscale point.  With the WF glossy paper settings the MIS PK dmax has been quite weak in my tests.

Because of the Epson settings being considerably less than ideal for non-Epson inks and most papers, special profiles can make a significant improvement to the image and how well it will match a calibrated monitor.

I moved to a rather standardized LK density for the WorkForce printers as well as most there inkset approaches.  The profiles I make for that approach are will print lighter than the standardized ICC targets if the older MIS EZ inks are used.

I will be using the nomenclature "K2-Quad" for the WF30 and WF1100 where the midtone inks are this more standard LK density.  Hopefully this will help avoid confusion with whatever MIS is doing with the "EZ" inks.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "wrkrparasite" <ryancroson@...> wrote:
>
> Well, for what it's worth, I use an 1100 with the EZ inks. I originally started printing with a WorkForce 30 with the EZ inks and liked the quality and simplicity, but like you I wanted to go bigger. So I bought the 1100 and just swapped the EZ cartridges into it. I've been refilling them with a bottle of the EZ Eboni black and the EZ warm cyan. 
> 
> I'll be honest and say I had no idea that there was any sort of substantial difference between how the printers print. I just knew that the 1100 would take the same cartridges and assumed that it was pretty much the same, just bigger. I use the same printer settings for the 1100 with the EZ ink that I was using for the WF 30.
> 
> All that being said (and now knowing that I've been using the wrong inks for my printer!), I've been extremely pleased with the results. I primarily make my finished prints on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth, and I think they look great. Note that these prints are definitely warm tone, but for what I do it's perfect. Your mileage, obviously, may vary. 
> 
> Different papers will print with varying levels of warmth. In my (admittedly) limited experience, the Hahnemuhle rag that I use is at the warmer end of the spectrum. Papers like PremierArt Hot Press and Freestyle's Arista II 100% rag paper are more (though not entirely) neutral. Canson's Rag Photographique is somewhere in between. I find the Canson Aquarelle rag to be closer to the Hahnemuhle rag in warmth.
> 
> I'm obviously pretty new at this, so feel free to take everything I say with a grain of salt.
>