Digital BW, The Print

Paul,

thanks for the speedy and detailed response. I'm impressed by both your
work and this forum!

Robert.


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark"
<paul.roark@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Robert,
>
> See my write-up of the UT2 inkset at
> http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/UT2-Readme.htm It'll answer some of
the
> questions.
>
> > I've purchased an Epson 1280, along with
> > the UT2 K inks (both Ebony and Photo black) from MIS.
>
> > I've done some BO test prints, and they look a lot
> > better than I've anticipated.
>
> The 1280 was the first printer I saw that could do relatively smooth
BO
> printing.
>
> > I understand that BO printing alleviates the artifacts of color
inks,
>
> One of my goals is to use as little color ink as possible. While BO
with
> Eboni or MIS PK has no color, the dedicated B&W inksets that use the
least
> possible color to neutralize the warm carbon ink have sufficiently
little
> color that artifacts are not a problem. In particular, the UT2 and
other
> dedicated B&W inksets generally use no yellow pigment at all in the
neutral
> prints. As such, metamerism is very low in them. (UT2 sepia toner does
> have some yellow in it, but this ink is not used in the midtones of
neutral
> prints when curves are used to control the inkset.)
>
> > and helps in keeping
> > the print appearance close to of a wet print.
>
> If BO looked to me like a silver print, I would not have bothered with
all
> the other inksets. The problem with BO printing from my perspective is
that
> the tone is too warm and they are not smooth enough for my style of
B&W. My
> original "Variable Piezo" adaptation was specifically made so that I
could
> hang my digital prints next to my silver prints.
>
> >I'm thinking about purchasing the MIS five shade UT2 kit.
> >Would I need to worry about color casts,
>
> No. Just be sure to start with papers that are supported by existing
> curves/profiles. Once you're comfortable with the way the inkset
works,
> learn to linearize the curves for new papers as described at
>
http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Embedding_Photoshop_Curves_in_ICCs.pdf
>
> Roy Harrington's "Create ICC-RGB" program (part of the QTR download)
came
> after the UT2 inkset was made. However, it is an excellent tool that
makes
> the prints match the monitors better and allows one to use existing
curves
> with many new papers.
>
> > lower d-max,
>
> No, the same black ink is used. Some of the older printers did,
indeed,
> give a slightly better dmax in BO form, but I believe that was due to
their
> using some midtone inks in the "100%" black spot to smooth the print
at that
> point. The 1280 was smooth enough that this "under-printing" of the
black
> was not needed, as I recall. The 1280 with UT2 has a very good dmax.
>
> Good luck with the system.
>
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com
>