Digital BW, The Print

The small gamut inks are good, you will get much better prints than
you've been getting with the oem inks.

Just keep reading on this list. Everything you'll ever want to know will
be and has been discussed here.

Paul Roark's curves can be had from paul.roark@...

Go to the http://www.inkjetsupplies.com  and look over their offerings
on inkjet inks and papers and workflows. 

First, choose a couple of papers you really like. Make the Epson
Archival Matte on of those papers for comparison purposes. You can get a
nice deep black on this paper, and it is quite inexpensive at http://www.atlex.com

I think the paper is sold as Epson Enhanced Matte now.  They changed the name.

The paper is only about 12 dollars for 50 sheets of letter.

If you like cool tones, get the VM inkset from MIS Supply (inkjet
Supply). If you like warmer prints get the FS (Full Spectrum) inks. They
make a lot of different inks and Paul has written curves for several. 
If you like sepia tones, he has curves for that too. With the VM, you
can print either very cold to warm prints depending on which of Paul
Roark's curves you use.

You will probably also want a continuous inking system (5 different
shades of gray and one black ink) that comes in 4 ounce bottles, and
each CIS has a set of cartridges that replace your epson original
cartridges. Your ink cost will be cut by 80 percent or so.

Nomorecarts makes the best CIS system, Media Street's Niagara II is a
very nice system, but they don't have black inks and it comes prefilled
with color inks, so that probably wouldn't do for you. 
http://inkjetgoodies.com has a CIS, and so does 
http://inkjetart.com

I'd recommend using the Media Street Generations 4 Enhanced Black with
whatever other hextone inks you use, because it is blacker than any
other ink out there.

All MIS, Generations, and Epson dye inks are compatible. MIS VM inks and
Generations 4 inks are pigmented inks. (They last a lot longer than dye inks).

 Jerry

> Thanks for taking the time to address my problem. I have just
> ordered Lyson small gamut black and color in the hope that I will
> see some progress. But please enlighten me: VM, FS, what do they
> stand for?

FS, although standing for "Full Spectrum" is a black and gray inkset.
VM is the Variable tone inkset that goes from warm to cold, depending on
the curve used. It is 5 shades of gray and a black, also.