Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Ed Mathews" 
<ed@l...> wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Paul [mailto:psmurnan@y...] 
> <snip> 
> > This 
> > internet supplier is promising a Hp 59 replacement cartridge 
soon...  
> > http://inkjetsaver.com/
> 
> Paul,
>      I would be very, very skeptical of any aftermarket ink for the 
HP
> printers that use the Photo Gray cartridge.  HP has very carefully
> matched the paper to the ink in this series, and this is to date the
> most specific and critical paper/ink match ever made.  In a recent
> interview in Shutterbug with Henry Wilhelm, he mentions that and 
states
> that the combination of the new HP inks and HPPP paper yields a 73 
year
> fade resistance when the same ink on another paper only rated 2 
years.
> That's how specific the ink/paper match is.  You can read the 
interview
> here:
> 
> http://www.shutterbug.net/features/1103sb_thearchival/
> 
>      Remember, these are dyes, not pigments.  To get a decent 
archival
> rating from dyes is an engineering feat that involves the ink and 
the
> paper.
>      Of course, if print longevity isn't important to you, then go 
for
> it.
> 
> Thanks,
> Ed
> http://lightandsilver.com

Thanks for that Ed. The interview makes interesting reading. I'm all 
for longevity for my prints. What's the point in spending time and 
money on them only to fade away in a short time. I need to get in 
touch with some HP person in Australia as the Hp Premium Plus Photo 
paper has been discontinued here to be replaced by Hp Colourfast 
Photo paper. I am unsure if it is the same paper. It's only available 
in gloss at present and I of course prefer matte. The info on the box 
makes long archival claims. I have looked at internet suppliers in 
the US and they are selling the Hp PPP but will not ship it overseas. 
I wonder if there is some HP prohibition on this. It's all a bit 
strange.

I never before considered buying anything other than an Epson 
printer, so this is a brave new step :-) I would say that with this 
printer I can finally give a client a black & white print made on an 
inkjet that is as good as any I can pull out of a tray of developer.
At the end of the day I guess you have to weigh up the ink costs and 
ask if it's worth it. For me it is, I feel there is light at the end 
of the tunnel that (for me at least) has been the downside of digital 
photography....trying to make a good black and white print.

Paul.

Paul Murphy
Sydney
Australia