Digital BW, The Print

Stephen,

I will try to answer your questions as best as I can.

#1. Yes, you can switch between inksets but I am not sure you would want to do it on a regular basis. My reasoning would be that switching inks consumes quite a bit of ink as first you purge the ink and then refill the printer. The 7000 hold quite a bit of ink and ink is expensive.

Further, the waste ink pads located in the vacuum chamber will need replacement sooner than normal with regular ink changes. They are not cheap to replace as Epson requires their service technician to perform the service.  I have read that some folks are changing themselves by replacing them with feminine hygiene napkins.

Should you encounter a clog that can not be cleared, the printer can be serviced by Epson. Epson makes a big deal about using third party inks, but can not void your warranty. Should the printer be damaged by the inks, they can refuse to replace the parts under warranty.

I have changed inks in my 7000 at least 5 times in the past year. I used the original Epson dyes, Stadtler Pigments, Generations Pigments, MIS Original Quads, MIS Variables, and Piezography Inks. I have never had a serious clogging problem. When first switching to Piezo Inks I had to let the printer sit overnight to clear the clog.

#2. I believe I answered this question in #1 as well. I always purge all inks before re-filling. The 7000 does this when you remove the carts and turn off the printer. I also always use a flushing fluid to clean out the old inks before changing inksets. Some people do not flush, but for me the risk is not worth the 10 extra minutes.

#3. I also used to print platinum/palladium until I became sensitized to the potassium oxalate developer.  The Piezo prints on the 7000 exhibit a warm tone on the papers I use. Primarily Hahnemuhle William Turner, German Etching and Torchon.  As time goes on they do warm up a bit more. Last week I compared a Piezo print side by side with one of my platinum prints made with 95% platinum and 5% palladium. The tones were amazingly close in color. My 100% palladium prints however are much warmer than the Piezo prints.

#4. The Piezo prints made on the BW24Pro RIP do not have dots. They do have a slight dither pattern that in reminiscent of the Iris herringbone pattern only much finer.  I have not compared the RIP to the plug in. The RIP is easy to use, and runs without the use of Photoshop, a very convenient feature. You may want to look at Cones page to see what he describes the benefits to be.

#5. The MIS Variable tone inks with the warm curve definitely print warmer than the Piezo inks, but not substantially so.  I believe that the closest to a platinum print you will get is with the Piezo system. The MIS Variables will let you approach the look of a silver gelatin print.

Try to get samples of prints made using both systems. Then make a decision and give the chosen system a serious amount of time to formulate a valid opinion of what it can do and what it can not. I don't think you can go wrong with either system.  What works for me in my studio may not work for you in yours.

Good luck,

Mike

Michael J. Kravit, AIA
Architect/Photographer
www.kravit.net/photography


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