Digital BW, The Print

When you were first beginning with whatever b&w workflow (or 
specifically MIS VM/Epson 1280) you use how long was it before you 
got prints that weren't total junk and embarrassed to show even your 
mother? 

I've tried different sets of curves, adjusting those, a couple 
different papers. It's been about 2 weeks since I got the MIS inks 
and other than a 100step wedge here and there, I can't get anything 
out of this I would admit as my own. Is there another "standard" test 
image that one could use? I find the step wedges do nothing to judge 
gradation. I've got numerous wedges that look great, but I try to 
print an image, something isn't right. Now if that wasn't ticking me 
off I get microbanding throughout the prints. I can run through every 
utility in the driver. Next image or maybe two I try will have no 
banding. But by the third print, I have banding again. I've had the 
printer for almost a month now, before the MIS inks I did some images 
with BO. I haven't gotten anything yet from the VM setup that looks 
half as good as BO. 

matt betea