Digital BW, The Print

Miguel,

You wrote:

>[PR website says:] "... a new VM-Sepia variable-tone/mix
>inkset, which is sold by MIS. The new VM-Sepia has a range that goes
>from sepia to neutral. ..."

>Does this mean you can produce relatively neutral black & white
>prints with the sepia VM inkset? I am a great fan of sepia tone,
>*but* I also like b&w so probably I have a winner here!

Yes, that is exactly what it means.  It is the inkset I now have in my 3000,
and, so far, I'm very happy with it.  It will not hit the very cold tones
that the standard MIS VM inkset will.  However, it appeared that most people
on this list preferred the range from neutral to warmer than the standard VM
inkset would go.  So, I studied the tones of old photos and came up with
what I thought was the most common old photo sepia tone (not as yellow as
many faded albumen prints, however).

I've been using the light sepia curve I made for the 3000 for photos I enter
into competition with a mix a art forms, and the sepia seems to do better
than the flat gray when hung next to paintings with color in them.

You can see an early sample of the range of the inkset in a scan I put in
the Files section of this forum.  The file is "VM-Sepia3-N3.jpg."  Go to the
Files section at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/files/
and then follow the links to > Message Related Files > 11_2001 uploads.

  In addition to a very large range of tones, it also uses the relatively
non-warming FS-Neutral inks for the grays.  So, while I have not tested it
for non-warming, the VM-sepia should be more stable than the standard VM
ink.

To see a comparison fade test with FS-N and standard FS, see image
"300_Fade_FS-N_FS.jpg" in the files section.  Follow the links > Ink Sets,
reviews and techniques > MIS FS.

(I have not yet made a non-warming version of the sepia toner, however.
It's on my list, but will be a while before I get to it.  And, the VM black
is the same in all the inksets, and it will still warm up.)

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com