Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "m_r_tomlinson"
<mark.tomlinson@q...> wrote:
> 
> Hi
> 
> I have just started a group to deal with this issue called
> Digital Black and White printing - Non Epson. It can be found at:
> 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBWnotEpson/
> 
> Now I also have a DesignJet 130 and am struggling to make BW prints
> 
Mark,

Good luck with your group. I think that's an issue HP should address
or failing that, hopefully a third party ink supplier. This group is
mostly centered on MIS inksets and the other group mostly centered on
Jon Cone's Piezo inkset. I fail to see how you can make progress
without a third party inkset supplier. Maybe you can convince MIS,
BWguys or even Jone Cone to design an inkset for your HP printer. 

I remember Jon Cone promising to adapt its Piezo system to Canon
printers. That was at least two years ago. Anyone using a Canon
printer with the Piezo system these days ? In any event that's not
going to be of any help to your HP printer.

There's a few good reasons that Epson's are discussed on this group.
Simply put, it works. What other printers are able to use pigments
inksets ? 

Using dyes color dye inksets for b&w prints will gives you all sorts
of problems: reduced longevity, metamerism and color casts. These
issues have been discussed ad nauseam on this group. 

HP has a new insket which is said to produce neutral b&w prints with a
color inkset. And is HP providing this inkset for A3+ and larger size
printers ? Problem is, you're stuck with HP's high price for the
inkset and longevity is assured only if you used HP brand paper. 
That's what I call a captive market. Thanks, but no thanks.

Bottom line is: show me a non Epson printer that can use a carbon
pigment inkset from a third party supplier and I'll consider it when
the time comes to replace my four year old Epson 1160 printer.

Respectfully,
André Moreau