Digital BW, The Print

Doug,

>>The experimental quad I've mixed with the Epson Archival pigment
>>uses no color dyes or color pigments, is dead neutral from
>>45%-55%, and about 0.01 unit warm outside that range (plus or
>>minus 0.01 unit depending on other random factors).
>>It seemed to run very well on my 1160.<<

>So is this experimental quad for your 1160 made of the
>your special brew for black and then three normal VM or
>VM-S pigments in the other carts/positions?

No, the diluted Epson Archival Black pigment is for the midtones.

It's not really my special brew.  All I did was dilute the standard Epson
Archival Black with clear base in the appropriate ratios (the hard part) to
get the densities that would run with Piezo software.  It can also be
printed with the Epson driver.  I consider the PiezoBW ink densities to be a
good standard starting place.  There are lots of those drivers (which are
now rather cheap) and lots of Epson workflows for that type of inkset.

I published the entire formula on this forum, although that one is a draft
that is not the final mix.

The fact that the image formed with this inkset (if the Archival black is
also in the black position) is composed of 100% Epson Archival black pigment
is part of it's value.  I can't afford a Wilhelm test, but Epson can.  No
collector/high end purchaser is going to be comfortable with "Paul's special
brew."  On the other hand, the Epson pigments, with all the Epson
advertising hype and Wilhelm tests behind them, should be a relatively easy
thing for purchasers to accept.

For the black position, use whatever black you like.  For glossy paper or
the ultimate in print longevity, I recommend the Epson Archival black.  For
matte paper the FS-K, Epson UltraChrome Matte black, Cone Museum black ...
are all fine candidates.  The FS-K continues to be the best value; the Epson
Archival K is the toughest (but weak on matte paper); the UC Matte black is
excellent on some papers (a bit warm and printed in a wavy manner on my
1160); and the Cone Museum black looks very nice, tested well in Cones fade
test, and is what I may well use for most of my matte paper printing.  (I
like the fact that the Museum black, according to Jon Cone, is pure carbon.
I can spray it with a light B72 fixative (with it's alleged 400 year
stability) and call the print an "encapsulated carbon pigment" giclee --
marketing.)

> If so, do you just use your standard VM or VM-S curves for
>printing?

This initial Epson Archival inkset is an FS/Piezo-compatible inkset.
Variable-tone inksets (UC-class standard vm and Archival vm-s) will probably
follow.

>  Does it allow you to print on surfaces other than matte (glossy,
>semi matte)?

I will probably no longer design any inkset that does not print on glossy,
but we still have to deal with the black ink switching -- just like the
UltraChrome printers.  That is the new standard, in my view -- no dyes at
all (thus no significant warming) and glossy paper compatibility for the
midtones.  (And there are very affordable third-party pigments that do this
in beta now.)

>> I think it's time to open up easy glossy printing to B&W.<<

>Amen to that!

I think the RC prints have their place.  I still like matte, however.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com