Digital BW, The Print

What is the formula for converting LAB values to density? My puny 
mind is incapable of thinking in "L".

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Steve Kale 
<stevekale@b...> wrote:
>
> I have heard that dye has likely been reintroduced with the K3 
inks,
> possibly into the resin that encapsulates the pigment.  If I were 
Epson I'd
> neither confirm nor deny this however and so we are unlikely to 
ever really
> know for sure.  The MK ink, however, is the same from K2 to K3 and 
so this
> speculation would not apply to MK.
> 
> BTW I have been playing around with the Nanochromes.  Dmax on HPR 
is Lab
> 10.5, 1.3, -1.6.   The same (black) ink on EPSG has Lab figures of 
5.3, 1.5,
> -3.5.  Epson Archival Matte paper has "normal" performance with 
14.8, 1.4,
> 0.4.  Of course we know nothing about longevity yet but if 
it's "ok" in that
> respect then this could make a very nice universal black ink if 
nothing
> else.  No bronzing at all that I can see so far on EPSG but I have 
a lot
> more testing to do (I can't see any bronzing in the 918 target and 
the
> finish to the inks is very nice).  So far I have just been making 
ICC
> profiles for EAM, HPR and EPSG and also looking at the results of 
printing
> the QTR Calibration Chart, all on my 2100.  The figures quoted 
above are
> from the calibration page printed at 100% ink limit and reading 
the 55%, 40%
> and 80% patches, ie in creating a QTR curve one would likely limit 
K on HPR
> to at least 55%.  If I recall correctly, this is a lot lower than 
what I
> used to use with the MIS UCs or Epson Ucs - I guess that would 
save some
> ink.  LK is quite cool - 100% ink has Lab figures of 28.9, 0.3, -
5.7 (55%
> ink patch has 39.2, 0.2, -5.7).  It's late here and I'll type up 
more of my
> preliminary work tomorrow and post profiles for those interested 
in gamut.
> I must say though, a density of 1.92 on HPR looks very nice.
> 
> 
> > From: Paul Roark <paul.roark@v...>
> > Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> > Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:05:42 -0800
> > To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: RE: [Digital BW] Re: QuadTone RIP vs Epson inks
> > 
> >> The Epson matte black has a dye component, ...
> > 
> > I don't think this is correct.  Do you have an Epson source for 
this?
> > 
> > I've fade tested the UC MK, and it is very good -- right up 
there with
> > Eboni.  The "hybrid" Epson blacks according to how they react in 
my fade
> > tests are the Durabrite and "Archival" black inks.
> > 
> > Paul
> > www.PaulRoark.com
>