Digital BW, The Print

Philip writ:

>  I find there is still a need for B&W inkjet printing onto a more 
> glossy
>  paper than pure matte surface - satin or semi-glossy. Sometimes I feel
>  we may be should revisit dye-based ink for b&w printing.

This is the reason why I've stuck with HP's 8750 for both my color and 
b/w printing: archival dye inks (which do need to be used with HP's 
papers for optimum stability, though I suspect other "swellable" papers 
might work nearly as well). I simply got tired of dealing with the 
standard-issue artifacts of most pigment-ink setups (third-party or 
factory "turnkey" systems), and wanted great results for 
black-and-white *and* color. This printer (which HP just recently 
discontinued) has done it for me. Mind you, Epson, HP and Canon are 
still toying with dye-based formulas for just this reason. 
(Traditionally, pigment inks provide the best image stability, but 
wreak havoc in terms of visual artifacts�metamerism, bronzing, and 
gloss differential�particularly with glossy or semi-gloss/satin papers, 
right up to this day, although the best pigs have minimized this to a 
degree). I have to say that if it hadn't been for the efforts of Paul 
Roark and company, we'd be in *far* worse shape than we're in now. That 
being said, I don't think "dye is dead" by a long shot. (It had better 
not be: my current solo show in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is riding on this. 
:-)


- Barrett


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