Digital BW, The Print

Hi Shilesh,

Thanks for your observations and for suggesting alternative methods 
of printing PiezoTones on the 1280.  The old driver is very slow, as 
you say, 16 minutes for a small print as compared to 6 minutes on 
the 2200 with ImagePrint.

I am very happy with B&W prints made using ImagePrint on the 2200. 
Fast and easy to use.  Many say the prints are neutral.  However, at 
50,50 tinting they seem slightly warm to me, but not as warm as 
PiezoTone Selinium Tone.  I like both renditions. However, for more 
tonal variation I look to PiezoTones.  I would imagine that the new 
PiezoTone system will make them easier to use and give better 
results, except, perhaps for customized approaches like yours.

Ron

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Shilesh Jani" 
<shilesh.jani@s...> wrote:
> Ron,
> 
> I agree with you!  This special luminous quality is restricted to 
> some images and under specific light condition.  I see this also 
in 
> BO printing.  Use of pigmented grays in highlight areas impose the 
> quality of inks, rather than allowing the paper to assert itself.  
A 
> long time ago - 1.5 years;-) I was using dye based inks for b/w 
> printing.  And sure enough, the paper character was more readily 
> apparent in the highlights.  Too bad about color crossover and 
fade 
> of color dyes.  I am looking forward to the day when we get a dye 
> based grayscale inkset, even one which has a limited lightfastness 
of 
> 20 years.  But that is just me.
> 
> On the microbanding front:  It should be noted that the 
Piezography 
> plug-in is not the only way to go with the 1280.  One can use the 
> Epson driver along with the MIS FS (and FS-N) inks 
designated "E".  
> Alternatively, you can use the regular FS (and FS-N) inks provided 
> you switch the inks around as follows:  cyan=magenta=dark, 
> lightcyan=lightmagenta=middle, yellow=light.  A moderate curves 
> adjustment layer (call it profile) linearizes the response 
nicely.  
> No plug-in, no banding.  Also in fairness, I have seen a lot of 
> prints made with the Piezo plug-in and PT inks with no evidence of 
> banding.  I personally don't use the plug-in because I like the 
> ability to custom mix my own inks, and the plug-in (mis)uses too 
much 
> ink, and it is slooooooooooooow!
> 
> Regards.
> 
> Shilesh