Digital BW, The Print

Joost,

>... I'm considering to set up an Epson R22o with a custom ink set. 

> To what extent can I pick & choose from the MIS UT inks?

Look just at the hextone inks, but not the UT-FS M and Y, which are light
inks from the past that are no longer needed in modern printers.  The
hextone dark (C & M) inks are all about the same density, and the hextone
light (LC, LM, and Y) inks are all about the same density.

So, for example, you can easily use the sepia ink (y-position) from the UT2
or UT7 sets.  You can just put it in the y-position (or even the LC or LM
positions for stronger sepia or more smoothness if the Y-position alone
microbands).

The UT7 cool toner is a bit lower gamut than the UT2 cool toner.  (The sepia
and carbon inks are the same.)

>In order of priority my wishes are:

>1) high quality Neutral (at least 2 shades + eboni?)

I use carbon and R2 neutral inks (among others) now in my 7500.  I like the
R2 neutral better than the older UT-FSN because it uses less cyan.  The
ratio of cyan to R800 Blue in the mixes varies, because the papers I thought
were the best at the time changes.  Today, Crane Silver Rag is near the top,
and it tends to print more green.  Thus the R2 neutral (which is relatively
new) does a better job.  R2 neutral in one channel and carbon in the other
allows very good control around the neutral range.

>2)high quality Warm (at least 2 shades + eboni?)

The Neutral + Carbon only pulls up and down along a line.  Carbon is a
relatively yellow warm.  Thus an ink to pull the warm shades out along the
Lab a* axis is nice.  That is behind the UT-3D approach.  The 3D Y-position
ink, however, is not warm and not strong enough to make a sepia. The sepia
toner can pull up into the red area, but it has yellow in it (i.e., not very
lightfast).

>3) cool toning (cooler than neutral)

The R2 inks are actually neutral-cool, depending on paper.  The UT7 cool
toner is very cold.

>4) sepia toning

The sepia toner works -- I wish it were more lightfast.  (I'm going to work
on a lower gamut carbon + R800 Red to see if I can get a better compromise
for warmer than carbon and more lightfast than sepia.)

>5) photo black

You can just switch black inks.  It's so easy in a desktop printer; no need
to compromise.  The MIS PKN types are good, and Epson PK in some printers
hits very high dmaxs. 

Have fun.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com