Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Jerry Olson 
<jerryolson@r...> wrote:
> Thomas Fors: 'Deadwood'
> 
> This appropriately named picture is flawless. The print qualify is 
> perfect, I don't see how it could be improved.
> This is the first example of a 2200 print that really shows what 
> that printer can do that I've seen. Dead on neutrals,
> and absolutely NO metamerism.  I sure wish it were possible to get
> this quality from the 2200 printer without Image print. That
> software is just too expensive and difficult to use for me.

I would love to hear comparisons of the same image printed on the 
same paper, one using the new Epson RIP and the other using Image 
Print 5.  Would those who own these RIPs be willing to do this for 
the next print exchange?

From the latest reports, it would seem the Epson RIP may cure the 
metamerism problem of the standard driver and produce neutral grays, 
but without IP's ability to tone (though this can be done in PS--if, 
that is, the Epson RIP can be made to work without converting to 
grayscale).  I don't know if the Epson RIP affords any advantage when 
printing in color, as IP is purported to do.  

Both RIPs sound somewhat problematic to install and use.  At less 
than half the price of IP5, the Epson RIP addresses half of Jerry's 
complaint, even if it's just as (or more) difficult to get up and 
running properly.  But I'd like to know if the Epson RIP can produce 
image quality on par with that described above using IP.  

Dan