Digital BW, The Print

Well, there is a significant difference between the 1280 and the 
2200.  The inks in the 2200 are the Ultrachrome pigmented inks, not 
the older epson inks which change color under different lighting 
(metamorism).  In addition, with the 2200, you get both a black ink, 
and a light grey ink, giving you much better tone control of both 
color and greyscale images.  If you plan to print greyscale images, 
or slightly toned images, you should definitely go the 2200 route.

Now, if you can afford it, and want to get up to 16x20 prints, the 
state of the art printer on the market today is the Epson 4000.  
With the 2200, you have to choose between matte black and photo 
black inks.  If you're printing on glossy or semi gloss paper, you 
would use the photo black.  On matte, the matte black ink.  You can 
use either one for either paper, but the profiles cover one or the 
other and you just don't get such deep blacks with the photo black 
ink on matte paper, but it prints and you might not notice unless 
you're a perfectionist, or comparing prints side by side.  I notice 
the difference, but you can make it work.  On the 4000, it holds 
both the matte black and the photo black ink, solving that choice 
problem.  It knows by the paper you choose which ink to use.

If I were getting a new printer today, I'd do the 4000.  I have a 
7600 and might add the 4000 just so I don't have to switch inks and 
could print on other papers.  But on the other hand, I really like 
the matte papers.  Took me a while to get used to them, but now I'm 
converted.

If I couldn't afford the 4000 (it's quite expensive at 1795), I'd do 
the 2200.  If I couldn't afford the 2200, I'd wait till I could.

Mike Askew
www.michaelbaskew.com









--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Kathy Ryan" 
<kt.ryan@v...> wrote:
> Good morning....
> 
> I have been trying to follow the discussions here as a way of 
learning more about B&W digital printing. I admit I'm pretty much 
lost on lots of the technical details regarding inks, curves, QTR, 
RIP and the other acronyms floating around. But I'm learning!
> 
> I currently have an Epson RX500 all-in-one that I use to print my 
photos. They are pretty good but I want better and bigger. I would 
like to print up to 11x14 which is what my preferred size was in the 
wet darkroom. And I would like to get rid of, or at least control, 
the slight color cast I get on the RX500 prints.
> 
> I'm looking at the Epson 1280 and 2200; they both print the size I 
want and I can get the MIS inks for them, too. The price difference 
has me leaning toward the 1280 but if there is significant 
improvement by going with the 2200, I would consider that option.
> 
> Any advice you have to offer will be appreciated.
> 
> Kathy
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]