Digital BW, The Print

Josh-

VFA is a considerably whiter and cooler paper than USFA.  The VFA 
contains OBAs.  I have never compared the two with the same driver 
paper setting because I just use the "correct" setting in the 
driver.  I do, however, print USFA routinely at -12 -16 in the 
driver, which makes the ink color more neutral.  Without this 
adjustment to tone (and with the "correct") paper settings, the USFA 
print in considerably warmer.  With the color adjustment I use, the 
USFA is actually more neutral.  Relatively, the VFA inks look 
creamier.

On the dmax figures you give, this is all relative to the Innova 
paper.  So I'd have to call it a paper/ink test, not an ink test.  
With the K3 inks, the VFA has consistently measured in the 1.75 to 
1.77 range, the USFA 1.64 to 1.66 (the color adjustments reduce the 
dmax slightly).  Both of these figures better your K7/Innova/1.64, 
the USFA by a hair and probably not meaningfully (I think .3 or .4 is 
about what I can actually see as a significant difference on the 
paper).  The K3/VFA seems to be in a class by itself for a matte 
paper and you can *see* it.

Inks and matte papers are highly interactive.  As a matter of 
practice, I think we have to settle on an ink and find the paper for 
it, or settle on a paper and find the ink for it.  We can't really 
endorse these two materials separately, at least not with matte 
papers.  And we cannot draw conclusions about an ink by testing it on 
one paper (or about one paper by testing it with one ink).

For someone interested in a smooth-surfaced, OBA free heavy cotton 
paper, I'd at least look at the USFA.  I've found it quite remarkable 
on the balance (over a few hundred prints) and the quality control 
and packaging are truly excellent.  It is also coated two sides.  I 
think the quality control and dual coating more or less ofset its 
high cost. 

Walt 






--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "joshhackney" 
<joshhackney@g...> wrote:


>
> 
> 
> Set-up #1.  7800, K3, Epson Matte Black, ABW, Neutral, Light, 
Innova Photo Smooth 
> Cotton, QTR create ICC with i1.
> Set-up #2.  2200, K7, K7 Black, QTR, IJM's QTR curve for Innova 
Photo Smooth Cotton, 
> Innova Photo Smooth Cotton, QTR create ICC with i1.
> 
> My first observation is that the media type selection in ABW mode 
effects hue.  Perhaps 
> that fact has already been posted, but I must have missed it.  The 
Ultrasmooth FA media 
> selection produces a warmer print on the above Innova paper than 
does the VFA media 
> setting - both were printed with neutral and light selected within 
ABW.  Walt, since I know 
> you are actively using both of these papers, is VFA a warmer paper 
than Ultrasmooth FA?  I 
> haven't used USFA yet.  I assume ABW is trying to compensate for 
the paper as it tries to 
> produce "neutral" prints.
> 
> Jon Cone has taken it on the chin a bit for not having great dmax 
with the new K7 inks, 
> but I am finding that they measure significantly better than 
Epson's Matte black.  On the 
> same Innova paper, the best dmax I have achieved with K3 is 1.598, 
while with K7 I have 
> achieved dmax of 1.638.  That's a significant difference.  From my 
observations, I see no 
> reason not to wholehearted embrace the K6/K7 inks.  For now, I 
believe that I am stuck, 
> since I have not seen any third party inks in the new pressurized 
carts for the 7800/9800.  
> Nice work Jon.  I'm waiting patiently for the day I can run K7 in 
pressurized carts!
> 
> Best.
> 
> Josh
>