Digital BW, The Print

Hi Mitch,

>(1) How come you didn't resolve the clogged-on-delivery 
>issue by exchanging the printer for another refurb? 
>Would you have incurred the return shipping cost?

I could have just sent the printer back at their expense, but the printer
was working well enough to test my 100% carbon approach.  I'd already sent
back a R800 refurb that barely worked at all, but just well enough that I
thought I had a reasonable chance of success.  So, I upgraded the 800 to an
1800.  Then when the 1800 came and worked OK except for a few clogged
nozzles, I just stuck cleaning fluid in them and completed my testing of the
general approach.  By the time I was convinced the approach actually was
going to produce good prints, the clogs were all cleared up.  So, I just
kept the printer.

>(2) Can you give more specifics on what you did in the 1-week 
>period with the cleaning carts to clear the clog? Run the printer
> every day?

I was just testing it using other channels for the Eboni.  By the time I'd
completed enough testing to be convinced the approach would work, the clogs
were gone.  I did nothing more.

>(3) Re: smoothness, is the output comparable to C86-EZ output 
>on matte paper (which seems very smooth to my eye and is my 
>only point of reference right now)? I've seen your dot 
>output scans for the 50% squares in your PDF document,
> but it's hard to infer how that translates into midtone
> appearance in an actual print. Seems like the
> C86 output might appear a tiny bit smoother,

The 3MK is smoother in the highlights, and the C86 is smoother at 50%.  At a
reception with a half dozen excellent B&W darkroom printers, none of them
noticed the "grain."  Now these were old darkroom types that are accustomed
to film grain, so they may have seen it and just assumed it was the usual
film grain -- very fine grained at that.

Did you see the comparison with the film grain at
http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Grain.pdf?  There is, for sure, a bit of an
apples to oranges comparison problem there, but it might give you a sense of
why these darkroom workers didn't mention or even seem to notice the grain
at all.  Those on this list will definitely be able to see the midtone grain
in test strips.  I doubt anyone not looking for it will find it
objectionable in an actual photo.

Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have more questions. 

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com