Digital BW, The Print

At 07:07 AM 3/26/2002 -0600, you wrote:
>Morning Scott,
>
>I'm afraid that you have voiced exactly what I was telling a friend the
>other day.
>I am "in the business" of selling photography and have been very impressed
>with what some people on this list are producing, As just one example,
>Paul's images and knowledge is incredible,
>but I have yet to try it because I don't want to take the time to deal with
>all of the problems.
>
>Regards,
>
>John in Okc
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "smichener" <smichener@...>
>To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
>Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 10:11 PM
>Subject: [Digital BW] A Newcomers View
>
>
>| 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
>|

Scott,

The deal is much of the traffic on the list about quirks and problems fall
into just a few areas.  There was some talk of doing a FAQ to give new users
a leg up. I don't know if there is one in the archive. 

Most of the time "clogs" are no more than air bubbles. Dorking around (as we
all do) with different inking systems and inks is bound to cause
aggravation. If I were starting out I'd stick with one ink system, one ink,
one paper, and get real good with them. You will not likely have problems
providing you have looked at the invaluable information in the list index
and on the piezo and MIS pages.

I had a piezo with Cone inks and CIS set-up that never screwed up because I
left it alone. I ruined my 1160 by stupidity - but that's another story. I
now have the MIS inks with piezo in carts which I re-fill on a 980 and it
never screws up. Only I screw up. 

Find someone in your area that is doing quads and take them out for coffee.

AZ

Maker of Lookaround panoramic camera.

http://lookaroundcam.com/
         or
keyword.com lookaround