Digital BW, The Print

I'll start by saying I have basically no knowledge of how inks are put
together, I don't really know what differentiates MK and PK inks. So my
questions might be involuntarily stupid, but here goes.

At the moment I am sticking to printing (for selling prints) with 3MK
and Ilford GFS, and spraying with Print Shield. It has a beautiful
slight semi-matte surface and a tonality, smooth shadows, which I could
not achieve with the 3PKN inkset and the same paper.

I have also, after experimenting with 3PKN and 3MK with Permajet papers,
found a paper which has an even more beautiful surface sheen than IGFS,
it is called Smooth Art Silk 300gsm. Basically a matte cotton paper with
a low sheen/semi-matte coating which comes forward when ink is applied.
But, with 3MK, although the blacks are very very deep, the ink sits
mostly on top of the paper and rubs off quite easily(less than IFGS
though), and it doesn't have the surface sheen. When I printed on it
with 3PKN the ink sits nicely under the coating and the surface sheen is
quite magical(my words), but the blacks are very dull as expected.

It seems that in both these cases the MK form MIS is a bit to "thick".
Are there possibilities for an ink with the dmax of MIS MK but which
penetrates the paper slightly more, a semi-MK?
Would an Epson MK be thinner?
And, would making a 3PKN profile with a higher ink-load for the Permajet
paper give it the dmax and tonality?

Might this be the same issues you're working on with the HP Vivera Gray,
Paul?

PS:I do not have more of this paper left, and it is extremely expensive
over here so I won't be able to experiment more with it at the moment,
I'd probably get a box of A4 size and try it if there is hope for a
sollution, which I dubt. Here's a link to the paper mentioned:
http://www.permajet.com/product/90/Smooth_Art_Silk_300.html
<http://www.permajet.com/product/90/Smooth_Art_Silk_300.html>


sincerely,
espen


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