Digital BW, The Print

Paul,

The 21 step, and 0-255, 0-128, and 128-255 gradients printed on EAM 
are being FedExed to you today. I will be away all of next week, so 
please feel free to post your observations and recommendations on-
list.

The originator of this thread should know that using the FS-N inks in 
positions listed by MIS in not a good way to go without Piezo 
software, or other RIP. So it is imperative that that the photo cyan 
and photo magenta are loaded with the same "medium" density inks (the 
magenta ink). For those who don't know, the FS inks are as follows: 
cyan=dark, photo cyan=dark, magenta=medium, photo magenta=medium, and 
yellow=light. In any event, I would suggest they wait until after 
Paul has had a chance to examine my prints with this method.

Shilesh

--- 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