Digital BW, The Print

Joel Pickford wrote:

>
> --- Tyler Boley <tyler@...> wrote:
>
> > Not sure what experiences you have had that suggest
> > IPs dither better
> > than SPs either. I'd be interested in more info.
>
> I have heard that SP v.11 allows 6 color hextone B&W
> printing to help overcome the banding problem.  If
> anyone has specific knowledge about this, please post.
> My understanding is that it is not true hextone, but
> merely makes redundant use of two positions repeating
> two of the colors.

Peter Supry told me that it is, in fact, a true hextone (six different 
"strength" inks). It was done not for banding, but to improve smoothness 
and "dotlessness." So they tell me. I suspect that this is more useful 
for printing at 1440 - my prints at 2880 are very smooth. If they got 
any smoother it would just about have to effect sharpness ;-)

Jokes aside, I have no evidence that six grayscale inks make a better 
print than four. But people I trust swear it's true, and ErgoSoft thinks 
enough of the technique to spend the money to support it. Might be 
something to this idea.

>
> > I would suggest a higher humidity then Larry
> > suggested as well, and I
> > usually clean and soak the capping station a few
> > times a week. Also, I
> > found wiping the bottom of the head over windexed
> > paper towel was
> > needed more often than I anticipated.
>
> I have tried some of these techniques at times, but
> your point (and Hogarth's) about maintaining overall
> moisture is well taken.  I am curious to know what
> part of the country you (and also Hogarth) live in.  I
> am guessing you live in the East, Midwest or South,
> where humidity is higher.  I am in Central California,
> which is fairly dry, though not as dry as Arizona or
> New Mexico.

I'm in the SE - NC. My humidity level gets low-ish (around 35%) in both 
winter and summer normally due to HVAC running.. You'd think that this 
level wouldn't warrant a humidifier, but when I added a humidifier my 
clogging problems decreased, and my printing evened out as well. Seems 
that letting the substrates get too dry or too moist changes tonality on 
the final print as well.

Today, it's about 20C outside, and inside my RH is 48%. About as good as 
it gets for printing!
--
Hogarth Hughes