Digital BW, The Print

Alan,

I've had the 7600 for about a year and a half, I think, and I love 
it.  I print b/w, toned, and color, and have printed color up to 
24x30 with wonderful results.  I love the ability to slightly tone 
black and white prints with a hue and saturation layer (hue about 
40, sat between 5 and 25, depending on intensity), and have sold 
portraits and other prints from this printer.  The resolution is 
amazing.  I both scan 4x5's (on an Epson 4870, just upgraded from 
the 2450), and print from my Nikon D100 files.  I've printed 
portraits from the D100 in a sepia tone up to 24x30 also, and 
they're stunning.  I have had no trouble with the heads, though on 
occasion I do have to do the alignment sequence, which is very easy, 
it just takes about an hour to do the several runs it takes to get 
them aligned.  I use papers from 8x10 sheet up to 24x300 (I think) 
roll paper, and have used enhanced matte, watercolor paper, canvas 
(wonderful in color portraits), semi gloss, and glossy papers.  You 
do have to be careful with glossy papers, some of them don't hold 
the pigment very well.  I could tell you more about that later if 
you're interested.

I'm printing an exhibit of a recent trip to Tuscany, and have 
decided to print them all digitally (I also print traditionally in 
my darkroom) at 16x20 on 22x28 paper (24x29 cut down), and frame 
them unmounted against the glass.  So far they look fantastic, and 
I'm testing people to see if they can tell the digital from the 
darkroom prints.  Most people cannot tell when they are behind glass.

I have tried Roy's QTR driver as well, and love the tones I can get, 
but so far I can get higher resolution with the microweave setting 
on the 7600 driver.  Roy is working on that aspect.

I also tried some knockoff inks to save money from Epson's inks, and 
it was a waste of money.  I went back to the Epson inks and am glad 
I did.  

My only complaint is not having both photo black and matte black 
inks in residence as the 4000 does.  You can change the inks, but it 
runs a cleaning sequence, and drinks a lot of ink to do that.  I 
just use the matte black ink for everything, and if I print on epson 
semigloss (I don't much anymore) then I use the enhanced matte or 
the ultra smooth paper settings.  It seems to work just fine.

That's about all I can think of.  Let me know if I missed anything.  
I thought about going to the 9600 too, but I can't justify the 
cost.  A 24x30 print is really big.  I also print panoramics at 
20x40 and that's big enough.  David Gibson prints like 24x60, so I 
could do that, but haven't yet.  That's a lot of ink and paper.

Mike.


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Alan 
Zimmerman" <azimmerman1@c...> wrote:
> Mike, I also am moving up from a 1280 but am debating between the 
7600 and the 4000. What has been your experience in print quality 
and reliability with the 7600. Most ( 70%)_ of my fine art work is 
16x20 Another 25 % would be 24: wide by xx. the remaining 10% over 
24" wide. I believe the 9600 could not be economically justified but 
am hovering between the 4000 and the 7600. Any comments on your 
experience would be most appreciated.
> Alan Zimmerman
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Michael B. Askew 
>   To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 1:05 PM
>   Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Printer recommendations, please
> 
> 
>   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]
> 
> 
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