Digital BW, The Print

Hi Itch-

1. The inks are probably theoretically compatible, but I would advise 
you to buy new carts ($39) and just swap out the carts so you will 
only have to clean the tubes and a quick print head cleaning cycle to 
make the change. If you want to risk mixing the two inks, the process 
would be to get a LOT of cheap paper and run flush cycles till you 
have run at least a cart full of ink through the system making the 
flush prints (file available on MIS site for flushing). I just did 
this making a more simple change from MIS FS to MIS FSN and I wish I 
didn't...it took forever and I wasn't ever clearly sure it was 
complete, etc. I would definitely not do it with the change you want 
to make.

2. The Epson driver is very good. It has a slightly different dither 
pattern but if you use the Roark (or other) curves, you have a lot of 
control over every print that you really don't have with piezo. Piezo 
is a lot simpler to use and has lot of profiles with it. I find it 
runs about 2x-3x faster (I wonder why) than the epson driver, so I 
use it a lot for prints that look good with it (most do).

3. I think there are some .jpg files in the archives here that show 
the 21 step files for each ink. If they are different, it isn't by 
much and the advantage probably goes to MIS (but there are multiple 
flavors of MIS). I think the answer really doesn't matter. Both inks 
can make great prints. FS and FSN work great with the Piezo driver. 
Warm tones go (declining) pretty much Piezo, FS, FSN. MIS VM flavors 
allow a gradient of tones. Piezo clogs, MIS doesn't (for me, at 
least). 
 
My advice is pick one and work it to death. If you aren't having 
problems with piezo ink, why change? If you are, you will totally 
love the MIS FS or FSN on the piezo driver.

Good luck

Tom O'Connell

TomOC@...
www.thomasoconnell.com


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., Mitch Alland <malland@m...> 
wrote:
> A few questions:
> 
> 1. I am using an 1160 with the CIS system from Cone, and have the 
Piezo ink in the CIS now. How should I go about switching to the FS 
inks? Can I just pour in the FS ink into the Piezo bottles, letting 
there be some mixture between the Piezo and FS inks initially? 
Otherwise, I would have to empty the Piezo ink now in the 
CIS "cartridges." If so, how do I do that?
> 
> 2. I looked at the MIS website and found that they state that some 
people prefer the Epson driver to the Piezo driver. I find that hard 
to believe as I find the Piezo provides much better (smoother) 
gradation and virtually no dots visible in the highklights. The Piezo 
driver is also faster on the 1160. Does anyone find
> 
> 3. Someone on this forum has stated that the MIS-FS have a 
different gradation than the Piezo ink, while other people think  the 
gradation is the same but that the tone of the MIS-FS inks is cooler. 
What are the facts?
> 
> --Mitch