Digital BW, The Print

on 10/26/01 4:08 PM, Tyler Boley wrote:

>> I wasn't crazy about the samples they provided me. The product certainly
>> showed potential, like deep blacks and a uniform neutral color, but the
>> prints on glossy paper showed a lot of microbanding, and some bronzing of
>> the deepest blacks,

> workflow issues, you know as well as I do there is no reason to judge an
> inkset by those particular issues.
 
>> and the print on the water color paper was just not my
>> cup of tea at all (read washed-out).

> The poster expressed no interest in that kind of paper, rather luster,
> semi-gloss or glossy.
> In fact, he seemed to have a specific niche, there is nothing else worth
> pursuing as I would never recommend Lysonic after
> going through many hundreds of dollars worth of it.
> Good grief, what did I do this time?
> Tyler

Tyler

I hope I didn't come across as challenging to your sentiment or advice. I
tried to be fair to the product and mention what I did see as it's upside.

I was just speaking broadly to my experience with the product as it was
presented to me, and to your dismay as to why a good product gets such
little airplay. Unfortunately, I think it is because the producers/marketers
don't put out compelling information and samples.

The sentiment I was trying to express here is the same on I expressed on the
Ink Options list regarding Indelible Inks: that market acceptance will in
large degree be predicated upon savvy marketing, regardless of how
phenomenal the product may be. Frankly, I think it's becoming more and more
apparent that the inks that will do well will be those that come with a
packaged "workflow", be that profiles, curves, or drivers (i.e., Piezo and
MIS). Surely others can do well (Generations) but I believe not nearly as
well as they would do with a good sales and support structure. I'm talking
about quality for the masses, which so far, nobody is better at than Epson,
in spite of all their foibles. But that's not to say other companies can't
find a way to emulate Epson's convenience factor. If it's true that Epson
sells it's hardware cheap and makes it's money on consumables than there
should surely be incentive for upstarts to attempt to steal some of that
more lucrative business.

Anyway, when the intrepid among us do put the work into making good use of
these inks I certainly hope they'll share their results. I'd like to see
Spectratones used more, as they probably are the best product for certain
applications, particularly those applications you rightly addressed.

Todd