Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Mark Tucker" <mark@m...> wrote:
Couple of quick comments-
snip
...I'd 
> like to shake a customer's hand and look them squarely in the 
> eye as I receive their check, and send them on their way feeling 
> solid and confident. (Right now, I honestly cannot do that)

And you haven't been able to do that ever, I don't think it's gonna haapen anytime soon. I'd make a commitment now to 
something anyway, and get on with it. 

Snip...
I am prepared to buy 
> almost any printer, if I can only be assured with some sound 
> backup that the prints are chemically stable.

I just don't think there's anyone out there willing to assure anyone of any particular longevity.

> In my (uninformed) eyes, the two finalists right now are:
> 
> * Piezo inks on (?) paper.
> * Color Pigment inks on (?)
> 
For the toned monochromatic look of the images on your site, it seems to me you're stuck with color inks. If you switch to 
pigments like generations you'll be back into the metamerism problem, though people who insist you get on board with 
pigments will be happy. Cone's pigs supposedly don't have the problem, but do have others. The Indelible inks just never 
seem to actually come out, or no one is buying them and reporting, or their results aren't very good and they aren't 
posting, and we don't know if they have metamerism or clogging. The only post I've seen says the black is only slightly 
denser than Piezocolor black. Someone said they dipped a Royal Plush print in saltwater and hung it out in the hot sun for a 
long time before any fading showed up, so they might last, but you still don't have any  hard info.

> ...that 
> same puckered-up feeling

I've had that since I first got a computer, or did Mom do it?
> 
> I am looking for hard facts. Solid information.

It's not there.

> I like this the people on this list and all, but kinda like AA -- at 
> some point, you just feel like you ought to be ready to "graduate" 
> from it, and get on with your life.

And your printing. At a certain point when everything starts working, I do tend to just get on with my work and post less. I 
think it's only natural. I see issues come up I may have an opinion to offer, but someone will ask the same question again in 
a week, or some post will be made that indicates the same info needs to be restated. I think or hope new "old" people will 
help new people, etc..
I honestly think, you have to make the best choice you can and get on with it and simply tell your customers what you can, 
keeping your eyes open for something new to come along. You'll keep changing inks and paper with testing, it becomes 
totally comsuming, and you have a worldwide group of people affirming that behaviour right here on the net.
What threw you off, I thought you were happy with the prints you were getting?
Tyler
on the road, but unfortunately with a computer