Digital BW, The Print

A few weeks ago I posted a request for people to comment on their 
favorite ink-paper combinations.  Here are the responses from the people 
kind enough to respond.  I'll continue to collect answers and post them 
here if anyone else would like to contribute.  I am not affiliated with 
any manufacturer or commercial entity.  The purpose of collecting these 
answers is to help people who are overwhelmed by the tremendous number of 
ink-paper permutations. The questions are repeated at bottom for cut & 
paste convenience.

QUESTION 1) What is the printer/ink/paper combination that you use for 
most of
your photographic output?

ANSWERS
Respondent 1) Torchon, Eclipse Satine, Epson Watercolor, Epson Archival 
Matte, LegionPhoto Matte. I use the Nomorecarts Continuous inking systems 
for everything. Now called Niagara from Media Street.

Respondent 2) Epson 1160/ MIS VM/ Epson Archival Matte for all but 16x20, 
Epson 3000/ MIS VM/ EAM for 16x20.

Respondent 3) Epson 880 / MIS VM ink set / Epson Archival Matte

Respondent 4) Color: Printer: Epson 1200, Ink: MIS
Paper: Epson Archival Mat, Media-Street Glacier, Epson Premium Gloss

B&W: Printer: Epson 1160, Ink: MIS (original and about to try FS)
Paper: Epson Archival Mat, Media-Street Glacier, Epson Premium Gloss

Respondent 5) Epson 1160 w/CIS /Generations 4/MediaStreet's Aspen 42# 
matte

Respondent 6)Color-Epson 1270/Mediastreet Plug-N-Play/Red River Premium 
Gloss 53lb. B/W combination used most: Epson 1160/MIS Quadtone/Epson 
Heavyweight 
Matte. 

Respondent 7) Varies greatly. 
Color: letter size=kodak 8660 dye sublimation
Color: 13x19 or less= Epson 1270 with OEM ink

BW (in order of usage): 1160 with piezo software and MIS FS ink... 
Many many papers, but like H.Torchon and Photo RAG best, followed by 
Cone Wells River, for bulk prints, testing and some final prints. 
Epson EAM, Legion photo matte, Cone matte

Next used: 1160 with MIS VM ink and Roark curves, generally at warm 
setting. Almost any paper, but add warm ones like Somerset enhanced 
Velvet to the list above.

Next used: 1160 with Lyson Small Gamut inks. Enormous increase in the 
paper choice...especially the usability of the glossy and semi glossy 
papers...add lyson papers and lumjet pearl


Who constructed your profile?

Answers:
1) CD Tobie
2) self
3) self
4) I use Profiler Pro/RGB to make profiles
5) Epson
6) Epson
7) Cone, Roark, Woolf
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QUESTION 2) What is the printer/ink/paper combination that you use when 
archival qualities are your primary concern?

ANSWERS
Respondent 1) Torchon, MIS Archival or Generations Inks

Respondent 2) Epson 1160/ MIS VM/ Epson Archival Matte for all but 16x20, 
Epson 3000/ MIS VM/ EAM for 16x20.

Respondent 3) Epson 880 / MIS VM ink set / Epson Archival Matte

Respondent 4)Color: Printer: Epson 1200, Ink: MIS
Paper: Epson Archival Mat, Media-Street Glacier

B&W: Printer: Epson 1160, Ink: MIS (original and about to try FS)
Paper: Epson Archival Mat, Media-Street Glacier

Respondent 5) Epson 1160 w/CIS /Generations 4/MediaStreet's Aspen 42# 
matte

Respondent 6) Color archival combination: Epson 1270/Mediastreet 
Plug-N-Play/Epson Heavyweight Matte. 
B/W archival combination: Epson 1160/MIS Quadtone/Epson Heavyweight 
Matte. 

Respondent 7) 1160, H. Photo Rag, MIS FS (piezo)


Who constructed your profile?

Answers
1) CD Tobie
2) Self
3) Self
4) I use Profiler Pro/RGB to make profiles
5) Epson
6) Epson
7) Cone
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QUESTION 3) What is the printer/ink/paper combination that you use when 
trying to create output that most closely resembles the "traditional" 
photographic process?

ANSWERS
Respondent 1) Have never found a paper similar to an air dried glossy 
paper.

Respondent 2) Epson 1160/ MIS VM/ Epson Archival Matte for all but 16x20, 
Epson 3000/ MIS VM/ EAM for 16x20.

Respondent 3) EPSON 880 / MIS VM INK SET / RED RIVER 47# MATTE

Respondent 4) Color: Printer: Epson 1200, Ink: MIS
Paper: Epson Archival Mat, Media-Street Glacier, Epson Premium Gloss

B&W: Printer: Epson 1160, Ink: MIS (original and about to try FS)
Paper: Epson Archival Mat, Media-Street Glacier, Epson Premium Gloss

Respondent 5)Currently I use Red River 5500 (32#) with Generations 4.  It 
is not heavy but is one of the few cheap glossy papers that works well 
with the pigmented inks.  However, I do have the G5 inks ready to use and 
will be using them with MediaStreet's Aspen Extreme Photo Lustre (10 mil) 
which is semi-gloss
VERY similar to Epson ColorLife but whiter.

Respondent 6) Color traditional photo combination: Epson 1270/Mediastreet 
Plug-N-Play/Red River Premium Gloss 43lb. 
B/W traditional photo combination: Epson 1160/MIS Quadtone/Red River 
Premium Gloss 43lb. Occasionally, Lacquer-Mat Matte spray. 

Respondent 7) Lyson with semi gloss paper

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QUESTION 4) What is the printer/ink/paper combination that you use that 
gives you the best looking photographic output?

ANSWERS
Respondent 1) Generations G4 inks, MIS Archival inks (Color),  MIS VM 
Hextone inks for Black and white, Torchon, Epson Archival Matte, Legion 
Photo Matte, and Eclipse Satine.

Respondent 2) Epson 1160/ MIS VM/ Epson Archival Matte for all but 16x20, 
Epson 3000/ MIS VM/ EAM for 16x20.

Respondent 3) EPSON 880 / MIS VM INK SET / RED RIVER 47# MATTE, Epson 880 
/ MIS VM ink set / Epson Archival Matte

Respondent 4)Color: Printer: Epson 1200, Ink: MIS
Paper: Epson Archival Mat, Media-Street Glacier

B&W: Printer: Epson 1160, Ink: MIS (original and about to try FS)
Paper: Epson Archival Mat, Media-Street Glacier

Respondent 5) Epson 980/OEM ink/ColorLife  (though I've not tried the 
MediaStreet Lustre with it yet)

Respondent 6) Best looking color photo combination: Epson 
1270/Mediastreet 
Plug-N-Play/Red River Premium Gloss 43lb. No spray. 
Best looking B/W photo combination: Epson 1160/MIS Quadtone/Red River 
Premium Gloss 43lb. Occasionally, Lacquer-Mat Matte spray. 

Respondent 7) MIS FS on H. Torchon with 1160, Cone profile.
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Here are the questions.  Please answer with responses for both B&W and 
color and include the source of your profiles.

QUESTION 1) What is the printer/ink/paper combination that you use for 
most of
your photographic output?

QUESTION 2) What is the printer/ink/paper combination that you use when 
archival qualities are your primary concern?

QUESTION 3) What is the printer/ink/paper combination that you use when 
trying to create output that most closely resembles the "traditional" 
photographic process?

QUESTION 4) What is the printer/ink/paper combination that you use that 
gives you the best looking photographic output?

Michael A. Schwarz
Corporate, Editorial and Documentary Photojournalism
www.michaelschwarz.com
ms@...