Digital BW, The Print

Austin,

Just a slight correction, the 3000 does not have the variable droplet 
size as you indicated. The 800, 1520, and 3000 all use the same 
constant droplet (12 picoliter) head, as does the 850 but it has a 10 
picoliter droplet size. See the info below:

Those printers using 4 ink colors (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) 
and having a consistant MicroDot size. The MicroDot is produced by an 
ink droplet of about 12 picoliters (with the exception of the 850, 
which produces a 10 picoliter drop). 1 picolitre (pl) = 0.000 000 000 
001 liter). Some of the printers using this technology are the Epson 
Stylus Color 800 (replaced by the 850), the Epson Stylus Color 1520, 
and the Epson Stylus Color 3000


Those 4-color printers that have a "Variable dot technology" 
(variable size ink droplets). The droplet sizes usually vary from 19 
pl to 6 pl. The Epson Stylus Color 740, the 1160 and the Epson Stylus 
Color 900 are examples of printers using this technology. They use 
Ultra MicroDots, the very smallest size of ink droplets available 
today. An Ultra MicroDot is only 6 picolitres in size resulting in a 
dot diameter of only 45 microns, 2 times smaller than the diameter of 
a human hair and close to the limit of resolution for the human eye. 
These new incredibly small dots lead to much finer detail with less 
graininess and even smoother Gradations. Print quality is 
considerably enhanced. The Epson Stylus Color 900 employs 3 pl Ultra 
Microdots, with ink droplets half the size of those found on the 
Stylus Color 740 and Stylus Photo 750.


Those printers using 6 ink colors (black, cyan, light cyan, magenta, 
light magenta, and yellow) and have a consistant MicroDot size, using 
an ink droplet of about 10 picoliters. The use of two extra colors 
(light magenta and light cyan) greatly enhances the color gamut and 
tonal smoothness, giving print output that has almost a true photo 
quality. Epson's 6-ink technology is called the "Perfect Picture 
Imaging System", and is used in the Epson Stylus Photo 700 and the 
Epson Stylus Photo EX.


Those printers that incorporate both the "Variable dot technology" 
and the 6-ink technology. Examples are the Epson Stylus Photo 750 and 
the Epson Stylus Photo 1200.

The above information excludes the newest Epson printer line.

Terry 

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Austin Franklin" 
<darkroom@i...> wrote:
> It shouldn't be dithering pure black...but...it could be the dot 
density.
> "supposedly" the Piezo driver prints in higher resolution than the 
Epson
> driver.  Also, the printers (don't know which one you are talking 
about, but
> even the 3000) have variable droplet sizes...and that could have 
something
> to do with it too.
> 
> There are many ways to control these printers...and get different 
results.