Digital BW, The Print

I'm using an 860 with MIS UltraTone monochrome pigment inks on Ilford 
Smooth Gloss and Smooth Pearl papers, and get flexible tones (cold, 
neutral, medium warm and warm) by applying the appropriate curve, with 
virtually no metamerism.  I've read somewhere (perhaps here?) that there 
are no real advantages to more than 4 inks if you're using monochrome inks, 
and unless you go to the 2200 you won't get much faster in an Epson than 
about 10 minutes for an 8x10, which is about what my 860 takes.  The MIS 
inks are not very expensive compared to OEM cartridges, either, although 
refilling those cartridges is a real nuisance (compared to refilling my 
Canon S9000 carts, which I can do without taking them out of the printhead 
- but so far, no pigment inks available for the Canon.)  There have been 
lots of nice things said about the 2200, but they ain't cheap and from the 
specifications, are HUGE things (I think the spec is 36 inches front to 
back when printing, although maybe that's for a roll paper holder of some 
such.)  So you might give the MIS inks a try before you go to a lot of 
expense for a new printer.

Cheers,
Kip

At 6/7/2003 08:12 PM +0000, Rick wrote, in part:

>  I need to print on glossy paper and so
> > have to use dye inks.
> >
> > I'm thinking of selling the 860 and getting ???.  Open to all ideas for a
> > dedicated BW printer.