Digital BW, The Print

Hello Ansje,

>I am ready to take the plunge in purchasing the Nikon Cooscan 50 
>and an Epson 2200...Considering that I would like to print both 
>b&w color, is this the best way to go?   How easy is it to switch 
>between b&w and color inks?  

Switching between inks is a big hassle and is very inefficient due to
all the cleaning cycles that take place whenever inks are changed.  I
don't think I've ever seen someone in this forum say they were happy
doing that.  

To do color and BW on the same printer in a practical and efficient
way would require using either the Black Only (BO) technique or using
one of the RIP programs that mix the color and black inks.  Many
people who are serious about color and BW have two printers, but of
course it's expensive and takes more space.   

If you are interested in the BO technique there is information about
it on the web site listed below.  It's a great way to get started
immediately without requiring any extra expenditure for special
software, and the 2200 is a great printer for it.  It creates
beautiful BW prints and allows you to gain valuable experience while
deciding on a further course.  As for RIPs, I don't use one but the
most popular one for the 2200 seems to be ImagePrint (IP).


Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm