Digital BW, The Print

Thanks for your encouragement. I will continue to use my Epson 1290
and UT2 inkset and continue participating in this group. 

I like Epsons and I think the work that people like Paul Roark and Roy
Harrington do is great and should be applauded. I also used to use Jon
Cone's workflow on an 1160 many years ago. Experimentation is what
makes these groups work so well. I am not trying to start some rival
group.

Surely a wide format 24 inch printer like the hp130 for the price is
worth a look and some experimentation, no? Maybe this is not the forum
to discuss these things as it has become dominated by Epson related
technology. (And there is nothing wrong with that.)

For the record I have made some nice black and white prints with the
hp, but I take your points about being tied in to their ink and paper
and that's fine. Although a lot of people are now using Ilford papers
with it (myself included). I usually like toned prints rather than
neutral BW so some of the issues you mention (like colour casts) are
not so relevant to me personally. Also I don't see any metamerism with
the hp130, but most people who have discussed this on this group just
assume that it will be present.

Regards
Mark



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Andre"
<am1000@v...> wrote:
> 
> --- 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