Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "antonisphoto" 
<antonisphoto@y...> wrote:
> Jim,
> 
> I am aware of those threads. Didn't know if this was the same thing 
or not. You 
> say it is, so I'll take your word. In my experience, it wasn't 
anything as horrific 
> as I remember. A severe drop in the midtones that came back after a 
while


Well, please understand that you really have to look for the 5 or so 
symptoms RELATIVE to a past print done at least 3 weeks previous. 

Also, I would usually find more than one symptom at once. So if I just 
noticed a flattening of midtones, I'd be worried, but I would hesitate 
to label it DSS until maybe a second , possibly third symptom was 
apparent (like say, a shift towards lighter highlights or increase in 
posterization-esp around 75%k).

My only worry is that flattening of midtones for me was one of the 
more obvious symptoms, easier to detect. And you describe it pretty 
much as I saw it on my own prints. But I'm not saying you have DSS- 
you have to report in more symptoms first comparing to an older print.

The first time I got DSS I got rid of roughly 90% of it by running 
Epson carts for awhile, then reinstalling CIS. The second time when it 
came back, this only restored it maybe 75-80% of normal. Mike I think 
got rid of just about all of it but he had to resort to direct 
injection of head, if I recall.
 
> and that hasn't happened again because I now make sure to agitate 
the inks.

That's interesting. I refrained from speculating on possible causes of 
DSS because I didn't have the knowledge or resourses to tackle the 
issue- I defferred to Cone. I guess what you're doing would point to 
ink settling? I never tried doing this, but I should have thought of 
it. The bottles did get disturbed when CIS was pulled/reinstalled 
after Epson cart flushing.

> 
> Of course, I wouldn't want to know how this 1160 would look to a 
densitometer 
> day to day....

The reason I was such a stickler about DSS was that, without the 
knowledge of what to look for, a person could put a curve on their 
file so the output looked good. As the problem got better or worse, 
this curve would also keep changing. And if it was saved in 8 bit- 
comb city.

  Let's remember we are all one big science lab and 
things go 
> puff! from time to time. This is by no means "mature and stable" 
technology, to 
> say the least!!

I agree wholeheartedly. I hope in a year or two, something nice and 
stable, predictable, reliable etc, comes through. Maybe Epson will 
give a complete solution with this new 7 inker.(?)
Jim H.

> 
> 
> Antonis
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "jimhayes361" 
<jimhayes@j...> 
> wrote:
> 
> > Well, you're desribing one of the main symptoms of "Density Shift 
> > Syndrome" alias "DSS", alias "Hayes Syndrome". You might go back 
and 
> > search this list and the Piezo list for that. I and others have 
> > documented the problem fully in the past, and there's enough info 
out 
> > there now to just do a search. More than the midtones change, it's 
> > scary. And it's tough to fully cure.
> > Jim H.