Digital BW, The Print

Hi John,

> Interesting set up you have developed for the 1400. 

Thank you.  I'm having fun pursuing the technology.  The alternative approaches are as compatible as possible while giving me and others a way to balance our preferences among OEM, smoothness, avoidance of color, projected longevity -- the need for which, of course, varies with the use of the print.

This effort must, of course, be put in the context of 100% carbon being the matte paper, fine art & museum end of the scale for me.  My digital darkroom workflows and inks, hopefully, set up two distinct technologies for different uses and markets, with *enough* differences that the pricing for the two markets can be separated.  In economics, one maximizes revenues by "skimming the demand curve."  The seller -- including photographer or artist -- needs to be able to separate markets to maintain a price differential.  I hope to separate my markets of interest and allow each to find its own price points.


> And, I'm guessing it should be fairly "archival", 

Not too short and not do long, and, it appears, flexible enough to cover several different market segments.

> depending on the papers you choose.

And whether one sprays (and with what), and which workflow and inkset one chooses, among, I suppose, lots of other factors.

> By not mixing much, or any cyan, in with magenta, I'm guessing minimal dye interactions.


Yes.  I am now avoiding all mixing of different dyes.   

In the latest "2K 2LK" iteration, I dilute with a base that is very close to Noritsu's.  The surfactants are the main difference and those tend to be very compatible.  There is only one simple dilution of the black.  All colors come from Epson Claria carts, as is -- no messing with colors is needed.  Mix the base by the liter with a 10cc syringe; the 1:2 uses the same syringe; no scales are needed. Keeping it as simple as possible is a factor.

Of course, my diluted K may well not be as lightfast as the OEM K.  It would be nice to test it or have it tested.  I'll do a simple comparison of initial fading at some point, but an Aardenburg-Imaging test would have much more significance.  For my cards, I'm OK with what I've seen in a year of actual display -- no visible fade.  That is good enough for cards and brochures.

I suspect any increased rate of fade of the dilute K -- the "LK" -- would be largely due to the more dilute nature of the inks.  That is one of several reasons to stay with only an LK and not go to an LLK.

The dilute Claria colors seem to hold their own.  So, I'm hopeful the advances dyes (molecular pigments?) are tough enough to hold up when the crystals are somewhat more spread out.  


> ... beware of atmospheric degradation problems with microporous papers, not protected with glass, or sealant spray. 


Yes, that is an important for long term display.  I have used the Lascaux Fixativ for carbon and these dyes because it has the least affect on the image and, being 100% acrylic, is probably least likely to yellow.  In particular, with the metallic paper the Lascaux preserves the unique "3D" effect that the paper can provide.


Paul
www.PaulRoark.com