Digital BW, The Print

Hi Clayton,

Actually I've already read every word on your website, as no matter
where I headed on the internet during my initial research, people were
pointing that way.  Thank you for providing such a valuable resource.
 Sites like yours make me love the internet.  It's also your site that
has me so curious about the BO technique.

> The 2400 does not natively support BO printing, but it can be done
> with QTR.  However, the results are not quite as good as produced by
> the 2200 or the R200/220.  The dither pattern is coarser, but still
> looks good for some images.  It's worth a try.

Thanks, if you find the R200 a better solution for BO, I'm wondering
whether I should try QTR on the 2400 or just find an R200 once I'm
abroad and keep it onhand with some Eboni ink, since these units are
so cheap now.  Of course I wouldn't be able to print as large as with
a RIP on the 2400, though.

> Good question.  However, the ABW mode is capable of making gorgeous BW
> prints without requiring a densitometer, special curves and complex
> color management.  So, IMO, you still have purchased the best desktop
> printer for doing both color and BW, and should not regret your
> purchase.

I made prints all weekend and can surely say I don't regret the
purchase; the color results are more than adequate for me and,
following your article on 2400 ABW printing, I'm already getting very
satisfying B&W prints on VFA, which is certainly a credit to the
intelligence of the ABW driver.  I'll soon be trying to get hold of
small samples of some of the other papers you have listed in your
Paper Chase, and will no doubt enjoy making prints with the ABW mode,
but want to explore BO as well.  I like street photography and would
like to see how such images print with the punchiness and rawness I've
heard attributed to the BO method.

-James