Digital BW, The Print

Thanks Paul,

I do not have a piezo driver.  I realize that this workflow is experimental but if seems to be a great place to start.
I will test swab the inks.  I am torn between taking advantage of member's previous experience and just sorting it out myself.  I will update with the results.

Regards,

Jim Tetlow




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" <paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> Jim,
> 
> >I have... just purchased a
> >1280 and the MIS FS-N inks based on this specific thread and the
> >logic behind it.
> 
> Which thread?  Are you going to print the FS-N inks on an 1280 without the
> Piezo driver?  If so, I have attached my recommendations as of 3/28, below.
> Note, however, that this is a bit experimental.  I have yet to see prints
> done this way.
> 
> >So now I am ready to load the inks into the
> >cartridges and I am stumped.  Do I NOT use the photo magenta and
> >photo cyan inks at all?
> 
> The problem with the FS inks in hextone machines when using the Epson driver
> is that there really are no light, photo position inks.  The FS inksets were
> designed to run with Piezo software, and that software does not use the
> light/photo inks.  Rather, it uses the full-strength inks in those
> positions.
> 
> So, if you bought a "set" of FS inks, then the light/photo inks should be
> the same density as the full strength ink of the same color.  You may be
> able to check this with swab of the inks on some paper.
> 
> I hope this, including my 3/8 post, below, helps.
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com
> ______________
> 
> How to print FS inks with Hextone printers and the Epson driver:
> 
> The FS inks are like Piezo inks and, in hextone machines, will work only
> with Cone Editions PiezographyBW software -- UNLESS the ink positions are
> altered.
> Unlike the quad (4-ink) FS/Piezo systems, there is no way to control the
> Epson driver from Photoshop to distribute the inks correctly with the inks
> in the positions that Piezo uses (and that any current pre-loaded carts
> use).
> 
> The "problem" with the hextone Piezo system is that the light ink positions
> are not light ink.  They are the same density as the full-strength inks.
> Thus, as the input value calls for darker inks, the Epson driver substitutes
> the full strength ink for the "light" ink.  However, with ink densities that
> are, in fact, the same, you end up with a flat stop.  There is probably no
> way around this problem with the Epson driver and the standard Piezo/FS ink
> positions.
> 
> If you want to use FS inks with a hextone machine, you have three choices.
> First, buy a Piezo driver.  Second, buy a ColorByte ImagePrint 4 RIP (check
> with that company first).  Third, change the ink positions and  use a simple
> grayscale adjustment curve and workflow. Such a curve has been written and
> supplied by Shilesh Jani.  The curve is named FS1280N3.acv.
> 
> "On Archival Matte and Photo Rag 308 gsm, the images are stunning" with the
> FS-N inks according to Shilesh.
> 
> (Since I do not have a hextone machine yet, I have not been
> able to test this curve and approach.  I will soon have a hextone (870) and
> test and refine the approach.)
> 
> Here is the alternative FS-Hextone-Epson-driver ink positions I recommend as
> of 3/28/02:
> 
> 
> Black -- Use the MIS FS (or VM) black;
> 
> Cyan position -- Use FS cyan-position ink;
> 
> Light cyan position -- Use FS magenta-position ink;
> 
> Magenta position -- Use FS cyan-position ink;
> 
> Light magenta -- Use FS magenta-position ink;
> 
> Yellow -- Use FS yellow-position ink.  (The FS magenta-position ink may work
> here also.  I'll test both of them.)
> 
> Print files in grayscale mode (no need to convert to RGB).  Have the ink set
> to "color ink," however, to take full advantage of the smoothing effect of
> all those hextone nozzles.  Apply the mild grayscale Photoshop image
> adjustment curve FS1280N3.acv supplied by Shilesh. (You may want to a
> modification of this curve to optimize your printer/paper combination.  The
> mild grayscale curves are easy to adjust -- much easier than an RGB,
> partitioned workflow.)
> 
> I think there is a very good chance that the FS inks in the above positions
> in hextone printers will produce outstanding results.
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com