Digital BW, The Print

Frank,

I think Shilesh is on to something.  I have an R2400, got one of the first to come out.  But I almost went with the R1800.  I recall some reviews at Photo-i being very helpful.  The thing is, the ink formulations in the R1800 aren't the same as in the R2400.  I believe I recall discussions about the color gamut being different, and color patches on the Photo-i reviews clearly showing minor but significant differences between them.  In fact, I think the OEM R1800 carts use different colors than the R2400 altogether.  Do I correctly remember blue and red carts rather than cyan and magenta?  Perhaps you or someone else who has an R1800 can correct me on that.  If I do remember correctly about color gamut and different color carts altogether, there's no way that K3 inks will work simply and straightforwardly in an R1800.

The real issue is probably not that the inks will harm the R1800.  The real problem is that the OEM Epson R1800 printer driver is going to be set up to expect different colors in different locations than you presently have with K3 inks in the printer.  Since the R1800 had only one black and the K3 ink by definition has 3, I'd guess darker prints would be expected.  You have to remember the colors the R1800 print come from mixing colors, and if you add extra shades of black into positions that expect something else, the resultant color would be both "off" and darker than expected.  It sounds like that's what you are experiencing.

If you are really committed to using K3 inks in the R1800, I suspect QuadTone Rip is the only way to go.  QTR will completely replace the Epson printer driver and allow you to use whatever ink combos you want (as long as they don't hurt your printer).  But...  that means making your own profiles for paper and ink combinations, since I'd suspect few others are doing what you're trying to do, so you probably can't borrow others' work to get where you're going.

I'm going to go out on a limb.  I'd guess that since you are posting to this group, and are using K3 inks in an R1800, you are trying to get better B&W prints out of your printer than it will do natively.  I strongly suspect that if you keep at it, you may get decent results with QTR and the K3's if you work hard enough.  But maybe not perfect.  The K3's rely on some color, mostly photo magenta and photo cyan, being mixed in with the black inks to make a neutral black.  I have tried black-only printing with the K3's in the R2400, and I can assure you that Epson's OEM black has a decidedly green cast to it.  Without the extra colors mixed in their proper proportion, you won't get neutral black and greys.

Instead of going to all that work for maybe inferior results, perhaps you should look at either Jon Cone's inks or the any of the ink Paul Roark has helped develop.  It would be way easier, and you'd get better results.  Although I have an R2400 that the K3's work fine in  (and I have learned to print well using them), I am finding I like Jon Cone's SE inks better still.  I have no reason to think I'd dislike Roark's formulations.  Think about it before working too hard on making the K3's work in an R1800.

That's my 4 cents worth.

Gary Gervin


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Frank Jay <frankjay02@...> wrote:
>
> This question has been out for two days, and because I am antsy to get an answer I am posting again,�usually I have a lot�of patience as I Know�this is all volunteer help, � I really need to print color by the end of the week and either will fix this problem or pay someone to print for me. 
> excuse this and thanks in advance for any help I can get. 
> from K3 back to color equals dark prints 
> Posted by: "Frank Jay" frankjay02@... � frankjay02 
> Sat Jun�13,�2009 5:49�pm (PDT) 
> 
> 
> Hello,
> I have not printed in several months. Today �I switched out my K3 inks in my R1800, which I was told I could do when I bought the K3 inks and after running about a dozen prints thru the printer, it still prints dark and off color. I would think it was my monitor but my R1400 prints on the money. I calibrate about every six weeks. I printed some prints while upping the brightness factor in +30� increments in PS3, but the colors were still off and dark.� I have run three cleanings/nozzle checks. 
> �� Is there anything I can do to remedy this, or am I stuck.
> �� Also. Am I allowed to sell items here. I have about a hundred and fifty dollars worth of inks, cartridges and chips for the R1800, which I would sell at a deep discount. 
> thanks a lot for any help offered.
> Frank
> 
> 
>       
> 
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