Digital BW, The Print

Hi Basil,

>... just gone thru a learning process for printing B&W 
>with the  Epson 220 with MIS ebony neutral black substitutes.
>The D max seems weak ...

No matte paper has a huge dmax, but with the right one, you should be
getting a good, deep black.  Hahnemuhle Photo Rag has often been considered
the best matte paper, in part due to its good dmax.  Now Premier Art Matte
BW gets the same dmax at a fraction of the price.  If you have not tried it,
you might want to.  
See http://www.premierimagingproducts.com/pm_mattebw.php  and
http://www.itsupplies.com/cgi-bin/itsupplies.storefront/45ad104d055350f02740
4200c14c05f9/Catalog/1623
(cut and paste URL) (ITSupplies sells the Matte BW under one of the older
names, like double sided matte or premier matte.  Look for Premier Art and
210 gsm.)  For a cotton paper with no optical brighteners and a good dmax,
look at Premier Art's Hot Press.  I'm using the 325 weight for my museum
archiving work.

>Epson is offering a new Epson 1280 for $224, after rebates.

They're getting rid of inventory due to the expected introduction of the new
Epson 1400.  See
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=ye
s&oid=63066043&gclid=CI319MTD5YkCFQn4YgoddlXsJg (Cut and paste URL or just
go to Epson and search "1400.")

The 1400 uses the new technology first seen in the 260.  It is un-tested
with pigments at the moment.  However, I expect it to replace the 1280 and
be a major development in printing.

> Will this [the 1280] be a good step for me to take? 

The 1400 is not currently available, nor are the carts for it or inksets
that have been tested with it.  So, the 1400 is not a sure thing.

The 1280 is capable of excellent prints.  However, it has a spotty record
with respect to reliability when pigments are used.  I suspect that the
carts do not fit it as reliably as the more current models, and I also
suspect the small screen in the head was made just for dyes, making it more
likely to clog with pigments.  More modern Epson printers do not seem to
have these problems.  Nonetheless, many have used the 1280 successfully for
years.

>And will MIS be able to offer me the six B&W inks?

The 1280 uses a single color cart that has 5 chambers.  This is considered
one of its shortcomings.  If you buy the cart pre-filled, when one chamber
is empty, you need to replace or refill the entire cart.  I also suspect the
single cart is part of the problem with third part carts not fitting as
reliably.  The printer inlets and cart outlets all need to be manufactured
very precisely.  When printers use individual carts for each color, the
carts may self-center over the inlet peg better.

So, bottom line, the 1280 is a bargain, but it is also an old and relatively
slow printer on the way out that has not had the reliability of the more
modern Epson printers.

Personally, I'm anxious to get my hands on a 1400 and see what we can do
with it, but I don't know when it will be available, or even if it will work
with pigments (but I strongly suspect it will).

Good luck with your B&W printing.

Paul 
www.PaulRoark.com