Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Roark" <paul.roark@...>
To: "DigitalB&WPrint"
<DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 8:49 AM
Subject: [Digital BW] Ilford Smooth Glossy


> I'm not sure RC paper have made the grade yet, but I like the
surface and
> price of the Ilford Smooth gloss and pearl papers.  They do
seem to have a
> few defects with Ultra Tone inks, however.
>
> First, there does seem to be a little "dusting" in the deep
shadows.  I was
> curious if this was the paper or the UT pigs.  So, I mixed a UT
inkset with
> Epson UC coated pigs.  When used with Epson Photo K in the
black cart, the
> dusting completely disappeared.
>
> The 100% black still has a different look, but it is much
closer.  All thing
> considered, the image looked excellent.
>
> I left the UT toner as is, and there does not seem to be enough
pigment in
> that to make a difference.  I'm suspicious that the light gray
is also so
> weak that it could remain the stock MIS UT light gray.  So,
I'll mix a batch
> with just a cyan (quad) position ink the Epson mix and see if
that gets rid
> of the dusting.  That would be easy for us or MIS to mix if it
cures the
> dusting problems -- with the Epson Photo K.
>
> I also noticed that this paper (perhaps like all RC papers)
shows
> fingerprints badly on the 100% black spot.  Interestingly,
however, the
> fingerprints even look deeper black.  So, I decided to rub my
finger across
> my face to get it extra oily.  Then I rubbed it on the 100%
patch.  The dmax
> leapt from about 2.05 to 2.6.  Whoa.
>
> I did the same thing to an old Ilford Smooth Glossy test strip
where the
> black looked a bit veiled, even though it read about 1.8.
Again, the dmax
> leapt to 2.6, and the veiling disappeared.  The depth of black
was just
> amazing.
>
> I'm not sure what is going on here, but it makes me wonder if
some easy
> surface treatment could give spectacular results.  Perhaps
there is a
> residue on the surface that can easily be cleaned off with a
cloth lightly
> dampened with ... ?? oil??
>
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com

So changing from Eboni to Epson Photo Black isn't enough, the
darker grey has to be replaced as well ?

Did you try some wax too ?  It must be a better material than oil
in the long run.

Ernst