Digital BW, The Print

Paul,

Thank you for the very detailed and thorough reply.  I think I would like to 
try a 3000 with MIS VM-Sepia and the new PiezoTone Selenium.  Do you think 
it's practical to periodically switch back-and-forth between cartridges 
filled with those two ink sets?  Plugging one set up and switching to the 
other, and then back again?

You wrote, "with a properly partitioned quad workflow," referring to 
MIS/Epson, I assume, did you mean by the word "partition" your curves or 
something more?

Referring to Piezo, you wrote that your 3000 bands with the old Piezo driver, 
but not with the newer drivers at 1440.  What version number gives you the 
very smooth output?

Helene



> Message: 8
>    Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 15:42:35 -0700
>    From: "Paul Roark" <paul.roark@...>
> Subject: RE: Epson 3000
> 
> 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.



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