Digital BW, The Print

Hello everyone, I have been reading your many interesting posts over
the past few days since joining and wanted to introduce myself and
ask a question. I am
a darkroom user at present but am looking into getting more into
digital black and whire
printing. I use 35mm and medium format equipment, Ilford paper and
chemistry and work 
outof a homebuilt darkroom making medium sized prints  generally on
fiber based cool
toned paper. I also have a decent digital camera, which I actually
purchased to shoot 
copies of my silver prints. I am about halfway through getting an MA
in photography and
the only person in the program still using a darkroom.

I have been less than happy with the results I have seen from the
Epson 2200 and larger printers which have been used in the
department, with the 
standardinks, to make black and white prints. These prints tend to
have limited tonal 
range andabrupt tonal transitions, not to mention metamerism, and so
I have not been
inspired to move in a digital direction until I found the Piezo
website, and the MIS site,
read the many testimonials, and was led to this group.

My current concern /observation, having bought a few samples of
prints using Piezo and MIS inks, has to do with the surface fragility
of the prints. Very
little handling, touching of the surface for example, damages the
surface of these prints. If
touched, there is a patina, a shiney mottled surface that results, as
if the ink has a soft
surface that becomes flattened. The ink doesn't come off but the
surface change is very
noticable. Light pressure can make a dull line in the surface as
well, as several prints I
ordered( the Piezo ones primarily) were affected by pressure from
postal handling, even
though they were protected.

 I think that the term archival has to do with more than
lightfastness or color stability,but 
also implies some ability to withstand handling. Silver prints
arevery sturdy and can be 
handled quite a bit without damage. I read a few posts
regardingprotecting the surface of 
prints in books with overleaf pages so imy impression is that this
issue is unfortunately 
ubiquitous where inket prints are concerned (at least ones made on
matte surfaces). 

 I appreciate the flow of information and the very evident love of
fine prints displayed by 
the members of this group and appreciate any comments regarding the
above.

Grant Fergeson