Digital BW, The Print

As I mentioned previously, I'm experimenting with Eboni-based inksets.  The
purposes include to see if I can make an even more lightfast inkset than the
Ultra Tones (Eboni is remarkably stable and more neutral than the UT grays),
to upgrade the vm-s inkset (which currently used FS-N as the gray ink), and
to make available another alternative for the old Piezo driver.

The interim formula I have for a Piezo-compatible inkset is as follows:

The cyan position ink is

	23.9% Eboni black,
	4.8% MIS 7600 cyan,
	6.5% MIS 7600 magenta,
	64.8% MIS clear base.

The magenta-position ink is 23.5% cyan dark gray, above, remainder clear
base.

The yellow-position ink is 45% magenta middle gray, above, remainder clear
base.

This ink is for matte paper, not RC.

The Piezo driver on my 1160 prints the inks with the following densitometer
readings:

	25% patch: c=.32, m=.33, y=.32, visual=.32

	50% patch: c=.61, m=.62, y=.61, v=.62

	75% patch: c=.95, m=.96, y=.94, v=.95

So, the ink is quite neutral, going a bit cool in the shadows, and having a
bit of a "selenium" bias to it.

I matched the old PiezoBW ink densities with the above mix.  Note that the
PiezoTone sample test prints that have been sent to me indicate that ink is
a bit more dense than the original PiezoBW ink.

For the ink mixers out there, this might give you an interesting and rather
inexpensive alternative to the current PT selenium.

I have no idea if MIS is interested in mixing this ink.  I'll, of course,
send the formula to them also.

I will be fade testing various alternatives to this formula -- basically
different color pigments.  Based on past experience, I expect the MIS 7600
color pigs used here to win that contest, but since I have not tested this
combination before, the results could be different.

Hope this is useful.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com