Digital BW, The Print

Scott,

>>I've published on this forum the formula
>>for a UT7-clone based on Epson UC inks.

>Can you point me to that post?

I posted this on 7/19/04 with the Subject, "UltraChrome-based variable-tone
inkset":  


"This is my 6-14 formula for the UC-VT (for the 2200) I recently tested.  It
is very similar in its behavior to UT7, but the formulas are different.
With sliders set to 0, the 50% patch of an EEM print had C,M,Y = .60, .61,
.60.

"The base:  4 parts distilled water and 3 parts glycerol.  (I used Kic
technical grade.)

"(In the past, I've had trouble finding a base that worked well with the UC
inks.  The simple base I used for this inkset does the job and anyone can
make it.)

"Blue used in mixing:  50% UC M, 50% UC C.

"K position:  I prefer Eboni.  Epson UC matte black would also work.

"LK position:  UC LK, no changes.

"C position:  70% UC PK, 30% UC LK.

"LC position:  52% UC LK, 48% base.

"M position:  30% blue, 40% LK, 30% PK.

"LM position:  30% LK, 10% blue, 60% base.

"Y position:  88% LC, 7% Y, 5% M.

"This is not necessarily a final formula, but it's close and works.  I had
no clogging or other problems with these experimental inksets.  (Nor do I
have clogging problems with MIS inksets.)"

>And how did you come to a starting point?

I'm not sure what you're asking here.

>I've been thinking of making inks myself.
>My wife is a chemist and I'm sure we could do it.

I'm sure most on this list could make the above.  It thought that a small
ink seller might want to take on this inkset for those who have a prejudice
against third-party inks or prefer coated pigs.  But, no one has picked it
up.

Note that I also made one based on the Epson Archival inkset that I thought
might have more marketing potential for an ink seller.  However, in my
initial fade testing the UC-based version did better than the Epson Archival
version.  (The Epson Archival black is about like the old MIS VM black in
fading.  I think it is actually a hybrid pigment-dye ink -- not in the same
league with the current MIS and Epson matte and photo blacks.)

Have fun.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 
___________________________________



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> Ben,
> 
> >...wondering if anyone ... wanted to comment on issues like 
> >lightfastness, ...
> 
> I concluded several years ago that I had to do my own testing.  So, 
I made a
> fluorescent light fader (cheap but probably about as good as any), 
and
> started doing carefully-controlled comparison tests.  (I'll leave 
the
> predictions of years of display to Wilhelm and RIT.)  That is what 
convinced
> me to switch from Piezo to MIS inks.  The cheaper MIS inks were more
> lightfast.
> 
> Now both companies have new and very lightfast pigments.  I still 
do some
> testing, however, to see if anything better comes around and even 
to explore
> non-inkset sources of pigments.  
> 
> The bottom line is that the MIS UltraTone family of pigments has 
beat every
> other inkset I've tested, including the Epson Archival pigments.  
The carbon
> pigments seem to be the very best in terms of their retaining the 
visual
> density after lots of light exposure.  The carbon does warm up a 
bit,
> however.  I think the amount of warming is acceptable and not 
unlike what we
> see with other traditional B&W media.
> 
> Last year the magenta (which is in the cool and neutral inks) was 
the
> relative weakling.  So, at that time I recommended pure carbon, 
like the MIS
> EZ-Warm, for the best lightfastness.  (For archival, dark storage 
the paper
> base and storage conditions are the limiting factors, not the 
pigments.)
> Now the latest formulations have substituted a new pigment for the 
magenta.
> Because of this, the new UT neutral inks are almost as lightfast as 
the
> carbon.
> 
> Of course, I may not be totally un-biased here.  MIS's business 
model is
> such that it simply produces what the market wants.  It does not do 
its own
> B&W inkset designs, but it is an expert in finding good inks that 
act as the
> inputs for the B&W inksets.  As a practical matter, during the last 
few
> years, the B&W inksets have been formulations that I've come up 
with.  So,
> while I'm independent and do this for my own non-monetary purposes, 
one
> could argue that I may have a bias toward the inksets I 
formulated.  On the
> other hand, I formulated them in response to my fade tests, and my 
goal is
> to get the medium to the point where it is accepted by collectors 
as equal
> to the silver print.  Additionally, I've published on this forum 
the formula
> for a UT7-clone based on Epson UC inks.  I also published the fade 
test
> results, and the UC-based UT7 did great in their delta e, but not 
as well as
> the MIS inks in density reduction (fading).
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com





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