Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> Jim,
> 
> You wrote:
> 
> >... With a CFS and MIS VM ink in an 1280.
> 
> >In the first 4-6 weeks of usage I did not notice these problems, 
nor
> >did I have them when using individual non tubing carts for 6 months
> >prior to CFS install. Now at 10 weeks things seem to be happening 
<snip>

> Given your location and experience, I'm surprised you use a 
continuous feed
> system at all.  I no longer do.  They clearly have more places where 
there
> could be trouble.

Yeah, you said it. However I thought I could put one over on other 
nature because I installed the CFS on July 28th, when the humidity 
here generally keeps above 40% without needing a boost from my 
humidifier except maybe around 4 hours of running time every two weeks 
or so.

In mid September I had to start to use the humidifier more and more to 
maintain 40%RH min. Oh well...even with artifically boosting humidity 
it doesn't cut it.

> 
> >2) Visible ink caking inside K bottle and a little in C bottle.
> 
> The K has the highest ink load and uses a more volatile solvent.  If 
you
> have used the standard MIS Archival K (not as black), does it have 
fewer
> problems?

Haven't tried that option. How would the curves be affected, 
generally? Jerry was experimenting with using Epson dye black at some 
point back, I'd expect he got great density with that but fade 
resistance?
 
> 
> The C has the next highest loading.

And I did observe a small amount of "caking" in the C bottle.

> 
> >3)..."leopard spots" ... Within a few minutes to an hour,
> >all but the 100%k, possibly 95%k steps look nearly normal- spots 
fade away.
> ...
> 
> Sounds like drying I've seen on other papers.  I don't know why it 
changes.
> Perhaps humidity?  Perhaps the more volatile carriers have 
evaporated
> through the tubing, leaving a carrier with a different 
characteristic?

Yes, that's my suspscion. I imagine a more non-uniform ink or clumpy, 
due to evaporation, hitting the paper. Sometimes it spits out a clumpy 
wad, sometimes a more dilute k.

> 
> >...mottling at 100%k is more pronounced on both fresh samples,
> 
> More solvent would mean more evaporation and more change of 
characteristics.
> ???

Yes and I can confirm at 48 hours drying time that there is a visible 
difference in 100%k, a little in 95%k. If you look really hard, traces 
of mottling are still faintly present at as light as 70% occasionally.

So I pulled the CFS and ordered fresh bottles and carts for vacuum 
filling. Am sending Epson ink through printhead in the meantime to 
flush it out good.

> 
> I wonder if the UltraChrome black would work for you there.  I think 
Epson
> has done the most to get the inks to behave themselves in lots of 
different
> environments.

I'm leaning that way, this is too much work. My two worries are fade 
resistance of UC vs MIS VM, and finding a workflow that doesn't cost 
$500 if possible<g>. Any illunination on these?



  I hear that the UC-K is not that great on Eclipse, 
and, of
> course, it is more expensive.

I got TSS photo to print out some stuff on Eclipse 190gsm with both 
matte AND photo black. Yes it has some problems the biggest is I'm 
disturbed by the drop out from just higher than 90%k to 100%k. Also of 
course they didn't use any correcting software and there is 
metamerism, and also an overall color change in different light.

OTOH, if it's the only thing that doesn't dryout, clog up, print 
green, fade away in two days of medium light, destroy the printer, etc 
etc, like everything else has these last two years, then hey, I might 
live with it- it at least sort of works.<g>

> 
> Good luck.

Thank you Paul.
Jim H.
> 
> Paul