Digital BW, The Print

>I'd like to start exploring printing black and white digitally ...

How large you want to print is one of the first issues.  At the 8x10 size,
there are excellent and very cheap alternatives for the Epson C88 and R220.
See my index at http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/index.htm

I highly recommend starting simple. 

> My source will be scanned 6x7 b&w tmax 100 negs.

My guess is that you'll eventually want to go up to 16 x 20 or beyond with
those negatives.  Once you're digital, the tools allow an output that is
larger than you've probably felt was the limit of your negatives.  That
might argue in favor of learning on an 8x10 printer and then jumping to the
3800 or a used 4000.  I find my medium format negatives are good for 22 x 28
without much problem. I have a used 7500 for that output.  I could actually
be rather happy with only my 220 and 7500 printers.

> So far, I've printed using my Epson
> R800 priter using Epson inks on Epson Heavyweight Matte 
> and Epson Ultra Premium Glossy.

With MIS inksets you can easily switch between glossy and matte papers.
With the smaller printers and simpler inksets (C88 EZ and 220 UT-R2)
swapping the black carts is all that is needed.  With the UT-3D and most of
the other inksets I've used, both matte and glossy are printable without
swapping inks at all.

>I have Photoshop Elements, but not full Photoshop.

Elements allows the use of ICCs in the Print Preview, which opens up a
number of the workflows.  Curves can be used only when they are on
adjustment layers and dragged from a source file to the working file, or
when they have been embedded into an ICC.  The descriptions of the workflows
goes into this.  Truth is, you'll want to go to full Photoshop eventually.
The tools that are omitted are important.

>I'd like to get a bit closer to the results I've gotten 
>from a wet darkroom print on Oriental Seagull Fiber VC cooltone. 

>What do you recommend as my next step: diffenent paper or 
>different ink or quad tone rip?

You need both different papers and a B&W inkset and/or printer.

The papers that look most like the wet darkroom air dried fiber prints are
the Crane Silver Rag, Innova F-Type Gloss, and H. Pearl.  See the top sample
pack at http://www.shadesofpaper.com/  These are "glossy" papers, but do not
have the RC look, and they are acid free.

As one thread also suggested recently, matte papers, once you get used to
them, still are favored by many here.  However, Matte Heavy Weight is
acidic.  It's not as bad as Enhanced Matte, but I'd avoid it.  There are
good acid free papers that are just as cheap.  I've been using PremierArt's
Matte BW 210 (also known as Premium Matte) lately.  See
http://www.premierimagingproducts.com/pm_mattebw.php and
http://store.ultrafineonline.com/prprma210gr2.html  


> Or should I investigate digital inkjet negatives first. 

I've been that route and do not recommend it.  The quality of the inkjets is
now so good there is little reason to avoid them -- assuming you're using a
good carbon-based inkset.  The best internegatives get expensive.  The
inkjet internegatives cannot be enlarged.  I used relatively cheap 8x10
Fujix (400 RGB ppi/inch) output and was able to enlarge it to 16 x 20, but I
find inkjet output better.  One huge advantage of inkjets is the ability to
print drafts/proofs cheaply and immediately make the adjustments to the
image file.  The turn-around time, calibration issues, etc. with the
internegatives just did not fit into a workflow that I found pleasing.  (Of
course, for those doing alternative processes using contact printing, the
inkjet internegative is very useful.)

Good luck with your B&W journey.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com