Digital BW, The Print

>In modern printers (2200 and subsequent), this Forum's complaints
>... almost always involve non-OEM inks instead of Epson's ...

Most of us have no serious trouble with MIS inks.  They are certainly not
perfect, but you'd need a proper sample of Epson pigment users to see what,
if any, clogging rate differential there is. 

As a practical matter, we wouldn't use the MIS inks if they were too much of
a problem.  I've never had a serious clog that was due to the third party
inks.  Nonetheless, to hedge my bet I've made sure that there is a UC-based
formula for the MIS formulas I come up with.  I published the UC UT7
formula.  I won't use it unless I have to, however, because it is not only
more expensive, but it is also not as lightfast.

>The real arguments for non-OEM seem to be short-term savings (until
>system failures) and, for those who insist, non-bronzing glossies.

The dedicated B&W inksets still have an edge in image quality.  For example,
the UT7 light warm gray is a bit lighter than a 50:50 mix of Light Black and
clear base.  The UT-FS(N) M & Y position inks are even lighter.  The FS-Y,
the lightest, can be used in a UT7 mix if one wants even a lower level of
dots than the UT7 already delivers.  

>It doesn't seem to be a tone issue...QTRgui and other excellent
>approaches and applications provide fine B&W tone control, 
>maximum Dmax and true grays with OEM. 

QTR and IJC are great tools.  However, they are still limited by what the
color inkset can to.  For example, they cannot deliver matte and glossy
printing with OEM inks without changing the black ink.  The MIS inksets can.
This is a huge issue for large format printers.

> the probably-more-archival (per Wilhelm)OEM pigments? 

MIS inks win in my fade tests.  See also Livick's tests at
http://www.livick.com/method/inkjet/pg2d2.htm.  About 1/3 down the page he
tests a 1280 with the last generation of MIS UT1.  A coated print was rated
at 681 years.  His 9600 results are just below these, and none are close.

Since the test above, the MIS formulas have eliminated the weakest color
pigment that was used in the neutral mix.  They now use no magenta, using
instead a clone of the R800 blue.  This is a much more lightfast pigment
that further distances the dedicated B&W MIS inks from the UC + RIP combo,
which do not use this new pigment.

In short, there are some very good reasons to use the MIS dedicated B&W
inksets even aside from the huge cost savings.

I have a reason that is a little more psychological than the objective facts
above.  My B&W productivity goes down when I also have color available.  I
can't help myself from "wasting" time shooting flowers, pretty sunsets, and
other subjects just due to their color.  In short, color is a distraction
that, in the long run, hurts my B&W, which is what I'm ultimately interested
in and prefer.

In this regard, the more people that use the OEM inksets and color digital
cameras the better.  If they are like me, it probably lowers the competition
in the B&W fine art market.


Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 










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