Digital BW, The Print

"Mark Tucker" <mark@...> wrote:

>--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark"
><paul.roark@v...> wrote:
>
> >The hybrid that is used by Media Street, called its "Enhanced"
> > black, is apparently coated carbon with dye added to the
> >solution.
>
>Just to be clear, MediaStreet sells two different blacks within
>their pigment line: the first is the one you mention, called
>Enhanced Black, which has some dye. The second they call
>Standard Black, which contains no dye. Obviously, the Enhanced
>black will be punchier. The tradeoff is that the Enchanced has
>shorter anticipated lifespan. Personally, I use the Standard, and
>while I'm not super-knocked-out by the black like I was with the
>dye black, I take comfort in believing that it's not going to fade in
>twenty or so years. It's just a personal choice I've made.

Not to criticize Mark's choice, but apparently neither is the 
Enhanced (nee "Beta") Black going to fade in 20 or so years - or even 
in 100 - at least not in the company of the other three Generations 
inks (as long as the yellow is the new yellow) on MediaStreet's Royal 
Plush paper.

My very vague remembrance is that when MediaStreet introduced what 
was then called "Beta Black", the resulting inkset tested out at 26 
years. But that the improvements made since then have resulted from 
bolstering the yellow ink, which I believe is now the fourth yellow 
to be used.

Such "weakest-link" tests are however more comforting for color 
prints. Have similar tests for the individual inks been published? I 
think I've seen them only for the tests of MIS inks which MIS had 
done at RIT.

Sam

 
> > In one post on the 9000 list someone seemed to say that the
> >Indelible inks
> > are actually purchased from a company that sells to MIS.
>
>I keep hearing about this mystery company; I think the name is
>Magrooder, or Magruder. I've heard all kinds of stories, like that
>they make the ink for EVERYBODY, and then each company
>(MIS, Indelible, etc) kinda monkeys with this "master ink" to give it
>their own flavor and individual traits. Again, all of this is rumor or
>hearsay, so take it with a grain of salt. But I've heard that name
>more than once. They're almost like the Great Oz by now; this
>mystery entity behind the Big Curtain.
>
>-MarkTucker, http://marktucker.com