Digital BW, The Print

I think I'm close to where I want to be with the 7500.  I'm now getting very
good glossy and matte prints from it using the Epson driver and Photoshop
curves, without changing the black inks.  Here is the ink order I'm using:

 

Y = UT-FSN-Y

 

C = UT-FSN-C

 

LC = 60% FSN-M + 40% EZ-N (This makes for a more dense middle gray and
allows significantly smoother midtones.  I don't know if MIS will mix it, so
I made it from readily available inks that will be easy to mix without any
critical percentages.)

 

M = MIS PK

 

LM = UT-FSN-C

 

K = Eboni matte black.

 

As noted above, Photoshop RGB adjustment curves are used to print this.  The
C & LC carry the midtones.  The Y obviously carries the highlights.

 

The glossy black is generated with a combination of the M (PK) and C
(UT-FSN-C).  The dmax this generates is higher than the PK alone.  The best
seems to be with both on full (ink limited by the diver, of course).

 

The UC PK did not do that well in the 7500 in my tests.  The dmax was not
impressive and it was not smooth where it was on the paper along with the
un-coated MIS pigs.  So, I'm using MIS PK.

 

The dmax with the PK in is only marginally higher than if the M is UT-FSN.
However, there is a fair amount more carbon on the paper.

 

However, since the dmax with FS-C in the M spot, one could have a dual
system with the medium warm UT-FS-C and UT-FS-M in the M & LM spots.  I
wouldn't expect this to be good for glossy paper, but on matte it would
probably work fine.

 

At any rate, the results I'm getting are very good.  On very close
inspection with +3 reading glasses I can see a very fine grain, but it's
reasonably even throughout the ramp and will probably never be seen in
actual images.  Not bad at all for a relatively old clunker.  I'll probably
give the 7000 driver a try to see if it works with that also.  Assuming it
does, that whole generation of large format printers can become very good
and rather affordable matte and glossy B&W printers.

 

Paul

www.PaulRoark.com <http://www.paulroark.com/>  



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