Digital BW, The Print

> From: dlruckus <dlruckus@...>

> 
> They're only appalling in retrospect. At the time of their
> introduction they looked pretty good against anything Epson had. With
> the better yellow and used with Eboni as the black they aren't all
> that bad even now.

Agreed that time casts a heavy lens over the results but where are the tests
for the new inks and what happened to the results of the tests for the then
new yellow?

>I suspect many of us don't expect or care if our
> own prints are coveted beyond a normal lifetime.

And even if we do, how many others do?  I think the practical aspect alluded
to here doesn't filter people's responses on the topic enough.  But then it
makes sense for us all to use the best available materials we can afford.

>Besides, the relative
> results reported by Paul and others are quite sufficient for
> comparative purposes.

To the best of my recollection, the results just recently posted by Paul are
the first with the colour inks.  Haven't all prior tests been for greyscale
ink sets?  I'd still like to see tests of the individual inks (including,
actually, fade tests for the Epson K3s).

>It's all more or less based on prophesy anyway.

I ignore the prophecy side of things and like Paul only look to the relative
performance.  I actually Wilhelm tests are garbage in the sense that they
are not side-by-side tests of relative strength.

> 
> I have a feeling the vitriol on the wide format forum is based more on
> the vaperware type announcements over the last year or more from
> Futures and the fuss over the "blue wool" archival testing method than
> anything else. Printers seem to be a somewhat bilious group when
> excercised ;-)

Agreed.  But then it's also nice to see someone with a real passion for
innovation in the area rather than a copycat attitude.  I doubt we would
have the same respect for MIS were it not for the fact that, largely due to
Paul, they have actually innovated in the greyscale niche market.
Personally, I'm prepared to cut the Infu6/Futures guys some slack re their
"pre-marketing" on the basis that it was really just a genuine passion for
what they were achieving.  I also understand very well the delays that a new
business venture, particularly one dealing with pure innovation, can
experience. A setback of a year or two is not at all extraordinary.  I think
they were a little naïve in their management/use of "beta testers" for
genuine product development assistance rather than "marketing" a la Epson.
Nonetheless I hope that their innovations in inks and "coatings" (infused or
otherwise) continue.  I don't know but I wouldn't mind betting that the
extra performance Epson is gaining from Velvet Fine Art is a (very) direct
result of the work done by these guys.  We need to encourage companies like
MIS and Infu6/Futures to be successful and to continue to innovate.  As has
been noted on this forum many times before, the "innovation" the big
manufacturers have brought to the table has been, in many respects, a result
of these smaller new companies nipping at their heals.


Happy New Year

Steve