Digital BW, The Print

Paul, can the Cone museum black be used with the MIS VM set? I have 
been using the VM set for most of a year now but left anywhere near a 
south window fades warm in just a short time.

Vinny
http://wulfsden.com




--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> 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