Digital BW, The Print

Bob Marsolais wrote:

> I have also been experimenting with HP-PK, only mixing it with Paul's C6
> base.  I've mixed 30/70 and 9/91 (LPK and LLPK) .  Both of them have higher
> gloss than the IS equivalents.  I've also mixed a sepia using only IS inks
> for the R1800 (Y, M, and glop).  The sepia has the lowest gloss level of
> them all.  I have a hunch the glop you used to mix the HP-PK is actually
> holding down the gloss of the final mixture.  The HP-PK pigments are coated
> and by themselves are very glossy.  If glop has lower gloss than the HP
> pigments (which my tests seem to indicate), the GO will reduce the HP
> pigment's gloss on paper.
> 
>  
> 
> By the way, the GO I am using is IS (Image Specialists) GO.


The coating on the Vivera pigment particles isn't enough to 
get an equal gloss in all tone ranges on glossy paper. The 
gloss enhancer in the Z3100 ink set isn't always making a 
better gloss on all spots of a gloss paper, the bare gloss 
paper usually has more gloss than with the GE covering it. 
But at least with the GE the gloss differential is gone over 
the entire image. It also depends on the quantity of the 
gloss enhancer applied, too much gives  the surface some 
gloss texture, the "varnish" isn't smooth in a way. Varying 
the GE/Glop amount independently of the other inks (which is 
possible in a RIP like QTR and my Wasatch RIP), is something 
that should be explored. Using a slightly different gloss 
enhancer/equaliser in the mix than the ink medium is used to 
may make differences in the way the varnish/medium behaves 
when it dries. The bonder/medium in the Glop is most likely 
a PVA or gelatin and there are different  hydrolysis grades 
of both available. Chemically almost the same but with other 
molecule structures. I think the skin formation is quite 
complex and depends on several factors. It has to be seen 
whether the Z3100 GE is better as a "gloss" diluting medium 
too, the way it is applied right now is different to mixing 
it with an ink.

Writing this with a gloss dye print of a Fuji Dry Minilab to 
my left side, collected from the last Photokina. Epson 
inkjet technology in that machine. Ignoring the other 
aspects of dye, the decision to use dye ink delivers a 
problem free, homogene high gloss.

-- 
Met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst


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