Digital BW, The Print

James,

(I won't presume to answer for Mike, but since I'm on the West Coast I might
be able to answer your questions faster.)

You wrote:

>Is it safe to assume, that if someone is switching from PiezoBW to
>MIS FS inks, that they would not need to adopt the MIS workflow,
>rather, they would continue to the use the PiezoBW plug-in for
>Photoshop?

Yes.  The FS inks are formulated to work with the Piezo software.  I
currently have the new FS-Neutral inks in my 1160, and I am printing with
Piezo software.

MIS has alternative workflows on its webpage -- the Woolf workflow for FS --
for those who want to use the inks but do not want to pay for the software.
However, if you have Piezo software, use it.  It does a great job.  (The
blacks still don't match the Epson black on my 1160, however.)

(One of the list members also recently posted a very good RGB workflow for
the 1160 and PC with the FS/Piezo inks.)

>Secondly, are people making this switch because of economics or
>because they want a cooler tone than what the PiezoBW inks generate?

I'd guess economics and lack of clogs are the main reasons people switch.
The color of the standard FS inks is really quite close to Piezo.  It's a
little less green, or much less green if your system is afflicted with the
"greenies" (which mine, in retrospect, apparently was).

The new FS-Neutral is going to move color, tone and other characteristics up
the list of reasons to switch.  Basically, it will give a color similar to a
lightly-selenium-toned silver print (a toned Kodak Polymax Fine Art fiber
print was used as a reference).  So, people wanting neutral prints but the
Piezo workflow will be able to have both.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com