Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Richard
Smallfield <r.smallfield@p...> wrote:
> Hi Nick and Steve,
> I seem to have all the same problems as Steve with my CFS and have
done most of what he has done - in fact, at various times, all his
procedures. But things have got worse. Much worse.
> 
> I have gone from having one chamber (yellow) that would only give a
clear nozzle check after at least three cleaning cycles, to, after
cycling the ink through, now having now four chambers not working.
> 
> I have battled and battled to get MIS inks to work on my 1200, but
it just gets worse and worse and I feel like I'm hitting my head
against a brick wall. 
> 
> It's a great system, works on great papers, is archival, can give
sublime warm tones ... but, for me,  trying to get the system to be
reliable has been an exercise in futility - and, a huge drain on time
and financial resources for minimal output (I'm sick with CFIDS and
live on an invalid benefit ... photography is my lifeline).
> 
> I feel (or hope) that inkjet printing is still in its infancy and
that reliable pigment quadtone systems will emerge. To print on a
variety of papers, you need pigment inks - and the only other option
is the Ultra Chrome system - with expensive, coloured, not quadtone
inks .... I'm hoping that in the next couple of years a better
solution will emerge.
> 
> What has kept me trying the MIS inks is the number of disciples it
has. And the results are fantastic if you can get the system going.
And many manage to coax the system along with rapturous enthusiasm.
That baffles me, but has so far kept me trying. In the meantime, my HP
7660 is getting a lot of use ... with more expensive inks.
> 
> I fear that my ability to persevere is running out now. Sadly, my
box of Photo Rag is left on the shelf.
> 
> I do have one question: of all the printers for which MIS inks are
made, has any one been found to be the most reliable? (Although, after
being stung and spending so much on ink so far, I'm reluctant to push
this uphill much longer.)
> 
> Thanks for listening to my complaints - I just had to get it out of
my system.
> 
> Thanks to all of you who have educated me through this list. It is a
fantastic resource. 
> 
> More power to you all,
> Richard
> --
> http://smallfield.vze.com
> http://photos.smallfield.vze.com
> 
>    "Experience is a great advantage.  The problem is that when 
>    you get the experience, you're too damned old to do anything 
>    about it."
>    --Jimmy Connors

Let me add my two cents. I was plagued by clogged nozzled, despite
cleaning and nozzle check cycles. I am using MIS Eboni inks on an
Epson 1280. For reasons too complicated (embarrassing, too) I replaced
the printer. Now the problems have totallty disappeared. This leads me
to wonder whether clogging problems are more a function of the printer
heads than the ink.