Digital BW, The Print

"kwalsh74" <kwalsh74@...> wrote:
>
> .. I've ... left my Eboni-6 (actually just the MK and Y 
> dilution) sitting in its carts and bottles for about 9 months 
> without agitation (haven't been printing).  I know there are 
> settling issues with this ink set.

Actually there are settling issues with all pigmented inksets, they're just worse with the 6% - 30% dilutions of Eboni/Carbon-6.

That said, the Y (2%) and K are relatively stable.  

Actually, I suspect the K just does not show its settlement due to the very non-linear nature of the density/load relationship in an inkset with this high a load; it can thin out significantly at the top and still print with a good dmax.  I might add here that the worst density change from settling I've seen in a printer was the Epson MK in the 7800 I bought used.  It had been on a counter such that the (intentially?) flimsy base was not allowing agitation when the printer was being used, and the printer was not used that often anyway.

For perspective, the 2% Eboni settles more than Epson LLK, but Epson LLK settles the same amount more than MIS PK or LK when diluted for making a warmer version of a 100% carbon inkset.  The more neutral carbon may be such "largely" due to the larger size of the particles; the size of the particles is a major factor in how quickly they settle.  MIS PK/LK is warmer than Epson's versions and is more stable -- in fact, it makes a very stable, warm, 100% carbon inkset when diluted with the C6 base (matte only with the C6 base; glossy if glop is used for dilution). 


>  Can I just agitate these things thoroughly and then let them
> sit for the bubbles to disappear and be back in business? 

Yes, I think you'll be fine.

Note that the settling is a compression of the distance between the particles.  It appears NOT to be "flocculation" (the formal term for the clumping or "agglomeration" usually referred to on these lists).  The flocculation (sound vaguely obscene) is the real problem and what might happen to out of date pigment as the electronic charges on the surface of the particles dissipates.  The coatings or edge treatments of these particles is what keeps them separated.  These electrostatic coatings appear to slowly oxidize or otherwise deteriorate, and when that happens we do have problems.   

> The bottles say use before 12/10 so I'm guessing this should be OK.  

You should be OK.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com