Digital BW, The Print

Some glossy canvas is much worse than others I’ve found. I don’t really like any of them and much prefer to coat matte canvas the way I like it, but I’ve recently sampled a bunch of glossy canvases for a client who has asked for it, and I found some to be tolerable, while most are ridiculously bad with highlight reflections. I also discovered that glossy canvas isn’t very water resistant compared to matte canvas and again, some are much worse than others. All in all, it’s a cheap way to go and it looks it even at its best.

From: mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2017 10:34 PM
To: DigitalB&WPrint 
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Re: Glossy VT on 7600




If you can refill empty carts on an Epson, you can convert it to either the matte/"Eboni-6" or glossy carbon inksets.

I'm debating now whether to even bother with glossy for my Sept. show.  It saves on the acrylic, but I prefer the non-clogging "Eb6" (generic base and volume purchase of STS WJ1082) (i.e., incredibly cheap) inkset, that I'm increasingly leaning to abandoning glossy altogether.  I'll probably do a few glossy canvasses just to see if I like them, but what I'm finding annoying at the moment is the highlights glinting off the canvas.  The s/n ration goes down the drain.  The lighting has to be right for gloss canvas to work.  

On the other hand a just shipped a big order that required glossy -- would hate to have had to turn that down.  A conundrum. 

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 

On Mon, May 1, 2017 at 1:01 PM, 'John Castronovo' jc@... [DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint] <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

    
  I’ve got an Epson 10600 here that might be a candidate to convert for BW, but the carts are different from the others in that vintage. Can it be done and what’s involved? All the heads are working beautifully after years of sitting. 

  p.s. I also have a 2200 and wondering what it might be best suited for if only for parts. I understand that the head is the same as the 9600. 


  From: mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Monday, May 01, 2017 12:00 PM
  To: DigitalB&WPrint 
  Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Re: Glossy VT on 7600




  As to the old printers, I had a 7500 for years.  The problem with that model is that the carts have an old-style connection to the printer that puts a syringe needle type printer male end through a rubber cart female valve.  They are not meant to be reused; they'll leak.

  So, unless someone is using a CIS type system, I don't recommend going back as far as the 7500.  The 7600 was the first modern coupling that allows reliable re-use.

  That said, with the old 7500 and its large dots (not a problem with Eb6-Y 2%) was the only printer I had that could print (on slightly brightened papers and with Eb. v.1) a 100% carbon image where the Lab B never got above 0 -- very cool in at least two respects.

  Paul
  www.PaulRoark.com 

  On Mon, May 1, 2017 at 8:10 AM, fneil.simms@... [DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint] <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@...m> wrote:

      
    Thanks, Paul. I ended up going Eboni VT in the 7600, and the big prints are coming out beautifully. I decided I wouldn't be printing that many glossy prints, so the clogging potential with a not-heavily-used 7600 using the glossy config wouldn't be worth the ongoing hassles. And I can print a pretty decent B&W glossy on my new p600 if I really need one.



    A general comment on repurposing old 24" or larger Epson printers to use B&W inksets -


    By replacing dampers and running Eb base through the head of my badly clogged 7600 (hadn't been used in many years), plus some gentle Windex syringe flushing, I was able to get it back up and running beautifully. If folks see old long-out-of-use printers cheap or free on local classifieds, give it a shot - you could get a top notch archival large format printer running for little $$$'s...