Digital BW, The Print

Daniele,

I have to agree with Phil's message below. Using a color ink set to 
get a true neutral B&W print is very difficult and frustrating. Many 
of us have started that way and wound up with a grayscale ink set in 
a second printer.

You mentioned that you monitor color calibration was not that good. 
In order to accomplish what you are trying to do, you need perfect 
color calibration through out your system. The closer you get to a 
neutral image the more visible small color shifts become. The cost of 
a full, good quality color management system is much more than a 
second printer setup for just B&W printing.

New 1160's are still available in Europe and I believe at good 
prices. For a six color the 1290 would be the way to go although you 
could not go with the Piezo inks right now, they are planning a 
release for the 1280 (US version of the 1290) in the near future.

Martin

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Phil Bard" <phil@p...> 
wrote:
> Daniele,
> 
> Sorry if this post shows up twice, first one was sent several hours 
ago 
> but hasn't shown up.
> 
> Hopefully some of the folks on this list will be able to help you 
> improve your output issues, but I just wanted to throw in 2 cents 
worth 
> on the "neutral" subject.  I have yet to see a CMYK printer that 
can 
> print a truly neutral B&W image without some color problems.  It is 
> very difficult to make up a grayscale image out of CMYK dots since 
they 
> need to be in absolutely perfect balance over the entire tonal 
range. 
> This is a hardware, not software, problem.  The slightest shift 
will 
> cause a cast or crossover (highs one color, shadows another).  
Perhaps 
> you can do it but I would encourage you to try to get a look at 
some 
> actual quadblack images.  You will be amazed by them.  They do have 
> their own set of issues, some inks don't print well on certain 
papers, 
> DMax can be weak sometimes, etc., but overall it's a great system.  
You 
> do need a separate printer, but if you can dig up an 1160, you're 
in 
> business for cheap...
> 
> Good luck,
> Phil
> http://philbard.com
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., d.martini@c... wrote:
> > I am just new in this group, and I see that everybody have great 
> > knowledge about b&w digital printing, so I think there will be 
> > someone who could advise me. I scan my films by a Powerlook III 
Umax 
> > and Binuscan Photoperfect, then I print them by an Epson 5000 and 
> > Power RIP 2000 software (with Photoshop 6): normally I am quite 
> > satisfied of the results in color . The trouble begins with the 
b&w 
> > printing: if I print only with black the result is poor, if I 
print 
> > monochrome the result is almost "green", regardless the type of 
> > paper; I have tried duotone method, and I obtain just 2 tones on 
the 
> > print...The best result actually is this:I scan b&w negative in 
mode 
> > CMYK (Binuscan do this), so I have on my monitor a b&w image but 
> > CMYK, than I print it in color (power RIP). The print made in 
this 
> > way is less "green" and more gray, but it is quite "flat". Before 
to 
> > buy another printer b&w dedicated, with black and gray inks, I 
would 
> > like to explore all the possibilities of the six color 
cartridges. Is 
> > someone of you passed in this situation? Many thanks of your 
help. 
> > Daniele Martini.