Digital BW, The Print

Jeff,

Here is what I would do.

(1) get the 4000 if 17 inch is wide enough for you.
(2) install and use QTR
(3) if you like it, send Roy the $50
(4) enjoy making prints

If you don't like QTR, that's when life gets complicated.  You have 
choice of:

(1) continuing with OEM inks + RIP.  This will not necessarily be 
better than QTR, or
(2) putting-in 3rd party gary inks such as offered by MIS and Cone.

In my mind (and experience), there is no doubt that the best output 
will come from 3rd party gray inks.  But the difference will be so 
miniscule, that you will wonder why you went down that path, in the 
process losing the ability to make color prints.  Only a year ago I 
would have recomended to go with 3rd party inks and get a separate 
printer for color (if that is an interest for you).  Not anymore.  
For $50 QTR is an embarrasing bargain.  Oh, I have made and seen some 
very compelling b/w prints from the 2200, 4000, and 7600 printers 
with just the Epson driver, provided you have a good profile for your 
paper, and you are not too finicky about metamerism.  The same cannot 
be said for the older generation 1280 dye based inkset.

Good luck.

Shilesh

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Jeff Curto 
<jeff@j...> wrote:
> 
> The collective wisdom of this group is phenomenal, so I'm looking 
for some
> opinions.
> 
> Once upon a time, I used Cone's Piezography Photoshop plug-in in 
combination
> with his inks on an Epson 1200 to make beautiful prints. Problem 
was, for
> every beautiful print I made, I made 20 that were "tossers" because 
of ink
> clogs, banding issues, etc, etc, etc.
> 
> I gave up.
> 
> Recently, I've been using QTR on an Epson 2200 (thanks, Roy!), and 
I'm
> impressed, mainly because it works on a nearly "plug-and-play" sort 
of
> fashion. I'd like a bit more richness in the blacks, but otherwise, 
I'm
> happy.
> 
> I also note that a number of users on this list are using Paul 
Roark's
> curves, and still others are using ImagePrint to drive various 
printers.
> 
> I am also on a Piezography listserv, and note that the number of 
messages in
> that group has tailed off to nearly "zero" over the last few months,
> suggesting that either users are busy making prints, or that, like 
me,
> they've abandoned ship, looking for a lower frustration 
and "P.I.A." factor.
> 
> I'm considering buying an Epson 4000 for use with either QTR or 
ImagePrint,
> and before I make that large (size and price) leap, I'm seeking 
opinions on
> the state of B&W inkjet printing at this point in history.
> 
> *Is Piezography dead?
> *Is the Epson 4000 worth the price of admission?
> *Is ImagePrint superior to Roy's QTR? If so, why or how?
> 
> Thanks in advance for any insights that anyone might have.
> 
> -Jeff Curto