Digital BW, The Print

Helene,

>...  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?

I think so.  It takes, perhaps, 4 cleaning cycles to get the inks out of the
internal tubes.  Although Cone recommends flushing, I don't think the inks
are incompatible -- like Lyson and the rest.  However, I have not tried any
of the new PiezoTones yet.

>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?

The vm curves & Epson driver, or the Piezo driver.  Both partition the inks
to keep the dark inks out of the highlights.  Note that I use a PC.  So, if
you are using a Mac, the curves may need altering.

>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?

I have the last of the free updates -- version 5.1.3e, Release 5.  Note that
it works with the latest paper profiles, specifically including the EAM
profile.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

_________________________________________



>    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.