Digital BW, The Print

Helene,

I use a 3000 with a PC and usually have MIS VM-Sepia ink in it.  I think
it's an excellent machine and a great bargain.

The 3000 has a reputation for large dots.  It is true that the color prints
are not, in my view, photo quality.  However, with a properly partitioned
quad workflow, the highlights are essentially dot free (to my eyes).  I
recently took delivery of a 1290 (loaner for the purpose of writing curves)
and printed some black-ink-only B&Ws at 2880 to see how it would do.  It has
clear dots; the 3000 partitioned quad is smoother.  I might not want to do
postcard-size prints with the 3000, but for my 16x20 prints, it's close to
perfect.  The medium format film grain is my limiting factor.

The 3000 also has a reputation for paper-feed problems.  I use Epson
Archival Matte that I slice from a 24" roll.  After I cut 17" off the roll
and let it "relax" between a couple of damp blotter papers for a couple of
minutes to get the curl out, I pre-feed the paper into the front of the 3000
with the "Load/Eject" button (without any wait for it to dry).  I get
perfect feed every time.

The old Piezo list archives are full of stories about 3000s that band.  The
one I have does band slightly with the old Piezo software, but with the
newer drivers at 1440, it is very smooth. (However, the Piezo driver at that
resolution is very slow.)

I prefer the Epson driver even for MIS FS inks, and there is no banding with
that driver.

Also, the black density of the 3000 & Epson driver, with the MIS VM/FS black
ink, is about 1.68 on EAM -- considerably deeper than the Piezo driver and
deeper than the 7000 with the Epson driver.  In fact, the 1280 with the new
PiezoTone black and the Piezo driver delivers only 1.71.  Not a significant
difference, in my view.

I think the 3000 has been in production for longer than any other Epson
printer for a reason.  It's a work horse that delivers -- even if it is an
old clunker in many respects.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

_______________________________________
  -----Original Message-----
  From: grdglass@... [mailto:grdglass@...]
  Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2002 1:00 PM
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
  Subject: [Digital BW] Epson 3000


  Is anyone on this list using a newish Epson 3000 for MIS or PiezoTone
inks?
  Any comments on your experiences with it?

  Helene



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