Digital BW, The Print

Dear Group,

I installed the Piezo system on my 1200 this week, after a couple of
frustrating days with clogs and the banding due to the clogs it is running
well. My first clog free prints however had a different banding pattern. I
call this a linear pattern, more than a band. Feeling overly picky about it
I took out the print exchange package again.

I went over the print exchange prints again with a loupe. I would like to
start a conversation about the various types of output I see and perhaps
have people varify what I'm seeing or tell me where I'm wrong.

My first clog free piezo print has a linear, soft, fine band throughout all
tones and the whole print. It travels in the direction of the print head. I
do not get this banding on prints from this printer with OEM inks.

Exchange prints:

I see a similair banding in all prints from the 1160 using the cone driver,
whether they use cone inks or MIS. I do not see this pattern with the Epson
driver.

I see the exact same linear pattern that I get in prints from the 1200 using
the cone driver, so it is not just my 1200.

I do not see this pattern in Mike's print from the Pro 7000 using Cone's RIP
but in this print I see a very very subtle weave pattern (sort of banding in
both directions but very soft and fine) that I find much nicer than the
1200's banding.  

So is this banding? Is this print head travel? Is this only avoidable if I
were to go to the 7000 with Cone's Pro RIP?  Or go back to the Epson driver?

I see no linear pattern in prints using MIS inks and the Epson driver. I see
very little in the way of dots from 1160's and 1280's using Paul's or Wolf's
curves but do see dot's in the 3000 prints without the loupe.

I read somewhere that the software RIP Mike K was talking about is being
downsized for some of Epson's desktop printers. I wonder if this will help
for the smaller printers to achive dotless prints without the print head
pattern.

I very much like the output from Martin's print, 1280 @ 2880 using MIS  VM.
But I did not want to play with curves just yet...

My output from the 2000P while displaying very subtle dots in the
highlights, does not display any linear pattern at all... One day I hope to
use this printer for monochromes/duo/tritones with non OEM inks. Darn that
metamerism! 

If I migrate the Piezo BW system to a 1280 will this get rid of this wee
linear pattern (banding) issue?

Curious,
Carolyn

PS:  I do not find this at all objectionable from norman viewing distance...
and sorry for being so verbous. ;-)