Digital BW, The Print

Pamela Holt <pamela39934@...> wrote:

> ... do you have a longer-lasting replacement for the MIS dyes?

Most of my prints are made with either MIS carbon pigment inks (see
http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Eboni-6.pdf) or Epson/Noritsu dyes
(see http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/1400-Claria-Noritsu-2K2LK.pdf
and http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/1400-Claria-BW.pdf).

I do not have a replacement for MIS dyes in the sense of having a
source for a dye ink that is as inexpensive as the MIS dyes.  However,
I'm willing to pay more for better performance.  So, I buy the Noritsu
carts -- 500 ml for $187.   This is about 1/3 the cost of buying black
Claria carts.  When it's diluted to make an "LK" dye ink, it's much
cheaper than Claria.  Most, however, would probably not want to mess
with these large volumes and amounts.  So little color is used in B&W,
that I buy Claria carts for some positions.

>  Are the dyes different from the MIS inks?

Yes.  MIS makes a variety of inks.  I use mostly their carbon pigment
inks.  MIS has dye inks, but I do not use them.  The only dyes I've
used that I am comfortable with -- and only for markets where
longevity is not the main criteria -- are the Epson/Noritsu dyes.

Traditional dyes are much weaker than pigments.  I do not recommend
them for serious B&W work.  That said,
http://www.aardenburg-imaging.com/ has tested the Epson Claria and HP
dyes.   Based on these tests and my own work, I am comfortable with
the Claria dyes, which appear to be the same as what Epson sells into
the Noritsu minilab market.  The Claria Black Only, when sprayed with
Print Shield produced test results that are in the general range of
Epson UC color pigments (unsprayed).  This is an interesting result,
to say the least.  That was the point of the testing information I
summarized in http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Claria-Fade-Tests.jpg.

I am unsure whether any third party company has access to dyes that
have the advanced chemistry needed to match the Epson Claria dyes.  No
doubt, sooner or later there will be equally good dyes on the market
for the smaller re-sellers, but the burden, in my view, is on them to
produce credible tests that show the comparative longevity of their
dyes.  Until I see credible evidence of good longevity, I will assume
the performance is closer to the traditional dyes.  I hope we do see
some comparative testing of third party dyes that show they are, in
fact, able to match the Claria dyes.  I don't enjoy paying more for
inks than I need to.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com