Digital BW, The Print

Daniela,

>I am overwhelmed by the number of inksets appearing on 
>the market for printing Fine Art B&W.

Competition can be messy, but we all benefit from it.

If you look at just what the offerings are for the printer you have, the
numbers are much more manageable.  Also, simply stay away from dyes.  

> The go from 3 densities of grays (like Epson K3) up 
> to 7 densities or so.

>My question ...:
>which is a reasonable number of gray densities needed for 
>an inkset to make top notch B&W prints?

Short answer: With a modern hextone or better printer I see little value in
more than a black ink and 2 densities of midtone inks.  These printers use
variable dot sizes -- 3.  So, one might argue that you really have 9 levels.

The long answer:

It depends on the printer quality and how closely the print is examined,
among other things.  You'll definitely get different opinions from different
people.

The older printers with non-variable dot sizes required the very light
Piezo/MIS FS - Y-position ink due to their large dots.  My 7500 is best with
such an ink, for example.  So, for the older ones we've usually used 4 ink
densities (black, dark gray, medium gray, and light gray).  Even with this
many, on very close inspection of totally smooth areas one can sometimes
detect the cross-over points in the older printers.  As such, they arguably
would have benefited from more shades if one was printing very small images
with them.  However, for large display prints, the film grain and other
problems are far more significant.  So, I find 4 ink densities in the old
7500 to be just fine for my large prints.

The newer printers with variable-dot technology and very small dots don't
need as many ink densities.  For example, the MIS EZ B&W inks for the C86
(or C88 now) use only one midtone gray density, plus a black.  Some will see
the dots in the highlights, but many think it does an excellent job and see
no reason for more.  It just has 2 ink densities, but the lighter one is
used by 3 jets firing their smallest dots at very high resolution.  

I personally like the additional print quality the modern hextone printer
give over the C86 or C88.  So, for me the printer that gives the best for
the buck is the R220.  With a black and 2 midtone densities, it does an
excellent job.  That combination also allows the Epson driver to be used.
This is also an advantage in my view.

Probably the best printer I have is the 2400 with the same black and "color"
midtone inks as the 220, but also the LK and LLK.  I'm not sure how much of
the LK and LLK add to the quality.  I'm not sure I can really tell the
difference between the two.

I might add that more light ink is not better in all respects.  Light ink
fades faster.  Too much light ink will cause papers to ripple.  It also
increases artifacts on glossy papers.  Frankly, super-light ink is rather
expensive water.  But, there are definitely some who believe the more inks
the better.  I'm not among them.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com