Digital BW, The Print

Are these inks anything more than carbon, glycerol, and water?

If I know the make up of the ink, I can make it myself.

I have access to lab equipment and resources to purchase chemicals.

Thanks Paul,

Scott


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> 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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