Digital BW, The Print

Right, thanks for the feedback.  A couple more questions if you don't 
mind.  (please bear with me, I am new to this and promise I won't be 
asking such seemingly daft questions in another months time or so!)

1 - If I was getting 'acceptable' prints from my colour dye set, why 
would I not be equally as happy with the G4 set?  Will something else 
be different?  Is 'metamerism'a bigger issue in B&W?

2 - GULP.  What is an RIP (if there is an FAQ section I missed, 
please point me there....), where do I get it/one & will it cost me 
very much?  Does my RIP replace the Espon driver?  What about 
profiles?

3 - My system is only 3 months old.  If I had to buy another printer, 
I may as well keep my colour one and go hextone for B&W.  Can't 
afford it for now.  When I can, then the majority of the discussion 
here will be of more relavence.


Thanks, 

Steve
--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "antonisphoto" 
<antonisphoto@y...> wrote:
> Steve,
> 
> the Gen4 inkset has its following for archival color printing, but 
hardly anyone 
> here would consider making bw prints with color pigments AND the 
Epson 
> driver combined. If you have a RIP then maybe you can get a 
consistent 
> enough grayscale, otherwise you are in for some heavy duty 
profiling 
> excercises.
> 
> The Gen 4 has a pretty good dmax because of a small percent of dye 
in its 
> black. Some prefer the MIS Perpetuals which are all pigment. Either 
would 
> beat the dyes for stability but  probably won't match their dmax 
(that's also a 
> function of the coating of the paper). One nice thing about the 
Gen4 is that 
> they are sold by inkjetmall who also sell profiles for them.
> 
> If you want a "compromise" solution of one printer for both color 
and bw you 
> may want to look into the new Epson printers with the 7 carts and 
twin blacks.
> 
> Antonis
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., stephen.bate@m... wrote:
> 
> > So, I have decided to give Generations G4 colour pigments a try 
and have
> > read good reports of gamut, Dmax and longevity.  BUT - I have no 
idea how
> > the performance of these inks will suit me for B&W prints.
> > I know this methodology is WAY behind the kind of hi-tech 
solutions you
> > folks are using but I am not ready / cannot afford to go the 
quad/hextone
> > route yet, so this is a real option for my B&Ws.  I guess most 
people here
> > have upgraded from colour B&W prints at some point, so does 
anybody 
> have
> > any experience on how the prints from this pigment set would 
compare to 
> the
> > dyes I have been using or OEM inks when used for B&W prints?
> > 
> > Help appreciated
> > 
> > Steve.