Digital BW, The Print

Scott-

You are not alone. But let me give you a little bit of the lay of the 
land as it relates to digital BW printing.

Epson, HP, Canon and others have spent many millions developing the 
technology, inks, and hardware for mass color printing. They have 
done an outstanding job of making it simple and fairly predictable to 
get an acceptable color print. 

They have spent almost nothing on BW technology. There are about 5-6 
companies that supply ink, a few who develop technology and no one 
who focuses on BW hardware (maybe there is no need?). What you have 
stumbled on here is a collaboration of experienced (Paul, Austin, 
Mike, Jerry, Steadman and many others of equal experience but less 
visible in the forum) and new (me and countless others) users who are 
willing to put up with some effort in a quest to produce high quality 
prints...most of us come from wet darkroom experience, so the idea of 
a struggle is not a new one.

I see that Paul has advised you to try the MIS FS inks with Piezo 
software. I use that as well as others and agree that that is the 
easiest way to get consistently good BW prints. You don't have 100% 
control but you have a lot with Photoshop anyhow, so for most prints 
you won't miss it. 

I think you may have hit on the dilemma of the BW photographer...it 
is really more art than science (more so as a percentage than color). 
The difference in a boring BW print and a striking one is more 
intertwined with technique than first meets the eye. This is not a 
bad thing...it doesn't require one to learn tons of geekspeak, but 
the quality of prints produced by the photographers I mentioned above 
is far beyond what one will manage with an office inkjet and "photo" 
paper...and this forum is dedicated to pushing that limit to approach 
some ideal not yet defined.

All of that said, I think you will find that all levels of questions 
and requests for help are respected and dealt with on this list. If 
you continue to "tune in" you will learn a lot...sometimes more than 
you wanted to know, but that's a good thing <g>. If you do 
eventually "drink the coolaid" and get addicted to BW printing, you 
will look back and thank Martin and Antonis for starting this forum!!!

Hang in there and don't be intimidated...even the most experienced 
digital BW printer only has a few years more experience than you 
do...and the landscape is changing every day...

Print and enjoy!

Cheers,

Tom O'Connell

TomOC@...
www.thomasoconnell.com


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "smichener" 
<smichener@y...> wrote:
> Hello Friends,
>    First and foremost, I probably speak for a number of 
eavesdropping 
> members of this group when I thank you for sharing your knowledge 
and 
> ideas with us.  It is a tremendous resource.
>     There is another printer out here.  As a physician and father, 
> black and white photography is my hobby.  As an enthusiast, I long 
to 
> produce images like I see on your websites.  
>      I don't have access to a custom lab without the mail. . . I 
> don't have a wet darkroom.  The digital darkroom is more accessible 
> and more affordable.  The learning curve, I think, no less 
difficult.
>     To gain widespread support for this medium, we must gain in 
> numbers.  But while you argue over minute technical details of 
blacks 
> being black and details in shadows being present. . . we never see 
> references as to what will advance this art?
>     For a hobbyist, we want a reliable, reproducible printing 
form.  
> We want it to be of superior quality, but want to concentrate on 
the 
> image as our primary goal.  If I get 4 hours to sit down and try to 
> produce some work, it is frustrating and will be terminal if that 
> time is spent clearing clogs, aligning heads, trying to correct 
> banding, etc. . .   Is scanning, formatting and printing quality 
with 
> ease a pipedream?  For this, it seems piezo would get the edge, yet 
> then you get the clogs, the green etc.  So, where should a newcomer 
> begin or end?
>     So, while we look to your work for our advancements, some 
> consideration should be given to quality with consistency and 
> technical ease.  It will keep the door open to the hobbyist and may 
> someday make the digital black and white darkroom more popular than 
> we ever imagine. 
>                   Thank you,
>                            Scott Michener