Digital BW, The Print

Philip,

Different people use different ways of figuring dilutions.  MIS often, for
example, just assigns arbitrary percentages just to signify what relative
lightness the inks are.  

I do not dilute the high-load Eboni or MK, and expect the actual loads are
highly proprietary.  For the B&W inksets, from my perspective, the 2200 and
the introduction of the LK density and separate Photo Black gave me what I
consider ideal starting inputs.  As such, the dilutions I work with are now
of these inks -- which are not uniform in themselves.  That is, company X
Lk-1 does not necessarily equal its LK-2.  Same with the PKs.

So, I can't describe the dilution schemes I tend to use in terms of an MK.
It is not what I start from.

With that caveat, the 32% first step dilution is close to a typical Epson
dark-to-light midtone ink dilution.

I usually use a dark gray density that both seems to work the best in
repeated empirical experiments of mine and is a standard that started with
the PiezoBW inkset -- the C position density.  It is between LK and PK, but
the exact ratio depends on the LK and PK involved.  (Note that MK is a
higher load ink than PK.  PK loads, all else being equal, are limited by
"dusting" or glossy loss -- which is not a problem for an MK.)  Virtually
all of the inksets I use or recommend have dark grays close to this -- the
monotone FS-C, UT 2 & 7, UT-R2, etc.  It is something of a standard.

On hextone printers I want the inksets I use to be able to utilize the Epson
driver.  So, the step from the dark to light midtone inks (like C to LC) use
very close to the typical Epson step up.  That seems to fit the drivers and
papers best in my experiments.  So, this is another one of those de facto
standards that I work with whenever possible.  I often don't start with the
standards, but end up close to the same place based on observed printing
results with different experimental densities.

For greater smoothness the FS-Y position light ink is used by some, and by
me on older printers.  This is very light -- lighter than LLK.  The
dilution-to-density relationship is very non-linear.  So, the typical Epson
midtone dilution ratio does not necessarily hold at the ends of the range.
Printer dot size and other factors make experimentation the best way to
optimize the system.  

The 4-ink printers present some different factors.  They haven't been
designed around a midtone cross-over.  The standard hextone inksets are not
optimized for them.  I recommend partitioned monotone qaudtones for the
older ones, and the EZ (all equal midtones) for the C86. 

Hope this helps.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 






> -----Original Message-----
> From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Pacific
> New Media
> Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 11:44 AM
> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Digital BW] Questions about MIS UT7 setup and dilutions
> 
> I was reading FAQ for K6 and K7 inks. Following information is
> interesting:
> 
> K7: The seven dilutions are as follows:
> K7 Shade #1: 100.0%
> K7 Shade #2: 32.0%
> K7 Shade #3: 16.0%
> K7 Shade #4: 10.0%
> K7 Shade #5: 6.0%
> K7 Shade #6: 2.5%
> K7 Shade #7: 0.6%
> 
> K6: The six dilutions are as follows:
> K6 Shade #1: 100.0%
> K6 Shade #2: 32.0%
> K6 Shade #3: 16.0%
> K6 Shade #4: 6.0%
> K6 Shade #5: 2.5%
> K6 Shade #6: 0.6%
> 
> I have the some question about MIS UT7 inks. How are the seven ink
> dilutions set up?
> 
> Can it be used in Epson's 4 or 6-cartridge printer by not using one or
> three shades of gray inks?
> 
> Thanks,
> - philip
>