Digital BW, The Print

Mike! Soon as I saw your post I loaded up some EFAS IN MY 7000. I have the 
Standard hextone inks with the addition of the VM-4 -k Black. I had printed 
this sheet last week without noticing the any mottle. I did a full 21x30in 
image mainly just too see if I liked the image big and I did a second 16x20 
of a different landscape image. Although I wasn't using any sep curves at the 
time the only warnings I got from this paper were that the Blacks were 
blocking up between 90-100% A transfer function adjustment fixed that. The 
21x30 image ran unattended and I didn't check it till a couple hours later.
Tonight I printed two photographs with a 21 step pasted to the bottom of the 
page.
I was horrified initially as the mottled look you described was showing its 
ugly face. Immediately I printed a second one using the glossy media 
selection which I know puts down less ink! Any way Its 45min later and the 
first print has dried down to an acceptable level.(much, much improved 
anyway) Two other prints I've made are drying down now. The one with less ink 
laid down is still mottled maybe even more so than the first one. Looks like 
this paper needs at least an Hour to dry down. Let me know how yours is 
looking. 
For a thick sheet in comparison the Eclipse  Velvet looks a lot nicer 
in(tone) and less fussy but it looks like the EFAS is not a  complete waste.
Steve M.

In a message dated 08/16/2001 6:48:37 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
kravit@... writes:

<< I just printed a 21 step ramp on Epson Fine Art Smooth with the MIS 
 Variable Tone Inks. I am getting a significant amount of mottling in 
 the midtones and shadow areas 90-95%. At first I thought that it is 
 just wet, but it has been a good 15 minutes and it is still there.
 
 Has anyone else tested the EFAS?
 
 Mike 
  >>