Digital BW, The Print

Adrian,

> It seems to me that you may have a long development time ahead of 
you to get
> good results with VM inks. Good Luck. Make sure that you have a 
step wedge
> as part of your neg and final print and use that to gauge your curve
> adjustments
> 
That goes without saying. As a matter of fact I was think about 
starting with a scan of a Souffer's 4x5 step tablet and contact 
printing the digital negative next to the real step tablet.

> I never  got sufficient quality from the 1160 either with Epson or 
Piezo
> inks and drivers to make good digital negs with Pictorico. Too much 
visible
> banding and posterization.
> 

By sufficient range do you mean not enough scale or poor gradation 
due to posterization?

> BUT, if you can get hold of a good well setup Epson 1270 then with 
Dan's
> workflow, Epson inks and Pictorico the results can be stunning. 

Part of my goal is not to use Epson inks if at all possible. Having 
said that what processes have you had success with using the 1270 and 
Epson ink?

> With
> Platinum and other coated papers the process is a little more 
forgiving and
> great results are fairly easily obtained. 

Hmmm, I think you may be generalizing here, have you created digital 
negs of alternative process printing?

> With glossy silver paper that will
> cruelly show every artefact you will need a carefully controlled 
workflow
> but the results can be totally indistinguishable from a projected 
print.
> Strangely the 1270 works very well, but the 1280/1290 printers have 
a very
> different ink laydown and are no good for me.
> 

I thik that is because the 1280 produces too much ink according to 
Burkholder. Maybe I should sell my 1160.

> If you can get on one of Dan's workshops - do so - they are well 
worth it.

Yes that is what I've heard. I've met Dan in Sante Fe, listened to 
him speak and he is quite a hoot; I'm sure his workshop would be 
great. I have a friend here in Atlanta that has taken his workshop 
and used the 1160 with Piezo inks and driver and got passable results 
until his printer clogged from the Piezo inkset. Eventually I will 
migrate over to the FS-N inkset and use the Piezo driver but not for 
a while. 

Thanks for the help,

Don Bryant