Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Michael Calas" 
> Any body have any suggestions that might help with a PC?
> Unfortunately at the momment the expense to switch over 
> to a MAC is not possible. Yet I would still like to get 
> more neutral Black & White prints.

No offense, but I think we've beaten this topic to death.  Your 
choices are:

1.  Black Only printing if the dots don't bother you or your 
intended clients.   This is by far the easiest and cheapest 
approach, but I find it suitable only for large prints viewed from a 
distance because of the dots.  

2.  Dedicated BW printer using quadtone/hextone/septone ink systems 
from various suppliers.  You have to like tinkering, dealing with 
3rd-party suppliers, and be willing to invest in a second printer 
and the inks, drivers, etc, but people who go this route rave about 
it.

3.  RIP software.  Expensive, and BW printing is not really the 
raison d'etre of RIPs, so it's like buying a car just because you 
like the stereo in it, but it works pretty well.

4.  Send your digital BW files out to be printed photographically.  
You get a true BW photographic print, so it's relatively stable and 
metamerism-free.   But it can get expensive, and be time-consuming 
if you need to make more than one try to get exactly the result you 
want.

Unfortunately there IS no BW printing option that is as easy, quick 
and cheap as color, and nothing on the horizon.  So get used to 
it.   I use #4 for prints up to 8x12, and #1 for 12x17's unless they 
will be viewed closely.