Digital BW, The Print

Hello Stuart,

>Thank you for the response.I especially thank you as this is a
>bizarre site where an inordinate number of posts are never answered. 

You're welcome.  I think when questions go unanswered it's because
readers either don't know the answer or don't feel qualified to
answer or the question is asked in such a way as to be unclear.  In my
experience this is one of the most active and friendly forums.   



>What I was referring to is that some of the methods you feel lead to
>fading and metamerism seem to be used by others on this site (MIS
>original quadtones and VMS inks). 

I haven't kept count, but my impression is that more and more users
who post in this forum are switching over to the new generation of
longer lasting inks that came out last year.  I doubt anyone would
argue that the earlier quad inks don't fade and/or color shift.  

Another thing is that lots of people are simply reluctant to change.
I was talking recently with one of the paper vendors who had sent
some samples.  I remarked how their newer paper has much better
contrast and Dmax than their older paper, and wondered why they keep
it on the market.  The reply was that people who have been using it
continue to buy it, so they continue to make it.

It's amazing to me that some BW people still use dye inks, but not
everyone is concerned with longevity.  In my darkroom days I favored
fiber papers over the plasticky look and feel of RC prints, yet there
are people who are working hard and won't be satisfied until they can
get those kinds of prints from inkjet.  So we don't all have the same
goals.


>I have tried BO on my 1270 and find I can make only small prints due 
>to the dot issue. 

That's interesting because it's usually less of an issue on larger
prints because the viewing distance is greater and dots are even less
likely to be noticed.  You have to look closely and try hard to see
them.  It's not like film grain which gets bigger as the neg is
enlarged.  The dots and dither patterns remain the same regardless of
print size.  

As for the dots, while for some they are totally unacceptable, for
many others they aren't an issue.  In the beginning I was bothered by
them, but I gradually grew out of it as I realized they weren't
bothering anyone who viewed my prints.  I have shown prints from 4x5
to 11x14 to many people, including experienced darkroom photographers,
and not once has anyone commented on dots or graininess or coarseness
or anything negative.  All I have said is that they are carbon ink
prints and things about using Photoshop and so on.  All I have ever
received is compliments and amazement at the quality.  I even got a
portrait job, coming up next week, based on someone viewing both my
older silver gelatin and newer work (the customer prefers the carbon
ink prints).

It would be great to have no dots, but I love the luminance, intense
Dmax and beauty of Eboni BO prints.  I have read about and have seen
prints from most if not all of the systems and have concluded that in
order to have no dots I'd have to, in some comination: pay a lot more
money, endure more hassle and tribulation, and have prints with less
luminance and in many cases less Dmax.  Nothing I've seen yet has made
me want to switch.  The only system I've seen that comes close to the
luminance of BO is IP, but that is also dotty (and expensive) and
mixes in color inks with the black.  If I'm going to have dots I at
least want them to be all carbon inks.  I am not convinced that an IP
print won't color shift.  Because Eboni gets among the highest
longevity ratings, I have a lot of confidence selling a print knowing
it is a pure carbon ink print with no other pigments or dyes mixed in.
To me that counts for a lot.


>Perhaps you can answer a question no one here seems to respond to.
>I have an Epson 1270 I would like to devote just to BW work. Can you
>recommend an inkset to use ?

Well, obviously I favor BO.  For that I highly recommend Eboni from
MIS (great Dmax, beautiful color, highest longevity ratings).

If you prefer a full ink system one of the MIS UT series of inks
(which also use Eboni) will do very well in the 1270.  I'm sure Paul
Roark can recommend which one, he's doing terrific work on these inks.

These are probably the two easiest and least expensive approaches for
getting high quality archival prints.  After that you start getting
into more expensive or more complex systems (or both) involving
additional software in one form or another.  There is no perfect
system.  You just have to weigh everything and make a choice.

I hope this is helpful.

Regards,
Clayton


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