Digital BW, The Print

I have been scanning 75 years of my father's B&W negatives and mine, editing them with Lightroom on a Mac, and making 8x8 and 8x10 prints with an HP 9660. Family members and I prefer the results to the wet prints I made 40 years ago. Now it appears that HP has discontinued the photo gray cartridge for the 9660. I intend to use this as an excuse to set up a dedicated B&W printer that can handle 13" wide paper. I live on a modest fixed income so this will have to be done on the cheap - buying Lightroom was an uncharacteristic extravagance for me.

While many digital B&W practitioners here and elsewhere on the net seem to assume the use of Photoshop for printing I have seen several references to the use of Lightroom instead. I have read with interest Paul Roark's description of using the Workforce 1100 with Eboni-4 ink. I have read enough here to appreciate the complexity of digital B&W printing but not enough to know if I am missing something. Is there some other combination of tools and materials that might make more sense for a digital B&W neophyte on a budget?

--Doug Anderson

"vm4690" <velocette@...> wrote:
>... Is there some other combination of tools and materials that might make more sense for a digital B&W neophyte on a budget?
> 

I think the EZ MIS approaches with the 1100 are going to be the easiest and cheapest solutions for you.  

Paul
Www.paulroark.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul" <roark.paul@...> wrote:
>
> 
> 
>  "vm4690" <velocette@> wrote:
> >... Is there some other combination of tools and materials that might make more sense for a digital B&W neophyte on a budget?
> > 
> 
> I think the EZ MIS approaches with the 1100 are going to be the easiest and cheapest solutions for you.  
> 
> Paul
> Www.paulroark.com
>
+++++++++++++++++++
Hi Mr. Roark,

In a similar vein, I am new to the "carbon on cotton" process. I'm certainly not new to photography, but all my images are and have been directed to the net only for a long time now (no serious printing since my darkroom days).

By chance, I stumbled across your discussions, which led me to this forum and I got hooked, so I bought a new 1400 ($179!!) and a set of Eboni 6 inks.  The printer has arrived, MIS is sending out the inks today (finally).

I have read just about every single post in the archives over the last two weeks and many questions have been answered and lights turned on in my head.  However, and I do NOT wish to sound in any way critical, many of your outstanding posts and helpful contributions around the internet are not dated, so it has been difficult and a little confusing for me to place the evolution of the process in a correct sequence.  When a post begins with "my latest efforts" (or words to that effect) and there is no date, I'm not sure if I am able to place myself in the learning cycle correctly.  I'm not criticizing YOU, it's a shortcoming of the electronic discussion process common to many ongoing discussions.

Anyway, I am just wondering if you have any up-to-date comments or opinions on papers/profiles to use with this system. I chose this inkset because I want to see what it can do, and I like matte papers, generally. I have another printer (Epson 4900) for glossy or cooler renditions, but I am just attracted to descriptions of this carbon only process and want to try it.  If I had my way, I'd never make another color print, but I have to eat!

I am comfortable with the RIP or ICC profile process and have the tools for creating my own profiles if necessary (but I loathe it) and I'm familiar but not expert with the linearization process.

I use a Studio 3 SR for monitor and print calibration, so I can work through it all okay, but I was just wondering if you had any recent comments you  might share on the 1400/EB-6 combination?

Thank you in advance and for all your many contributions to our great vocation/avocation!

Wayne Emery

"Wayne" <wayne_emery@...> wrote:
> >
> +++++++++++++++++++
> Hi Mr. Roark,
> 
> ... I stumbled across your discussions, which led me to this forum and I got hooked, so I bought a new 1400 ($179!!) and a set of Eboni 6 inks.

Welcome.  The 1400 with Eboni-6 is hard to beat, in my view, of course.


> ...  many of your outstanding posts and helpful contributions around the internet are not dated, so it has been difficult and a little confusing for me to place the evolution of the process in a correct sequence.

Yes, I'm guilty of that on some of my web pages.  I think my newer pdf's are dated, and I think this forum's posts are dated.  In part in responce to this problem, I re-configured my main B&W information page to try to indicate what my current preferences are.

With respect to Eboni-6, I had experimented with combinations of it and neutral glossy inks.  This was, in part, because I liked glossy brochures but also because many wanted a cooler-tone inkset.  Frankly, however, I never used the neutral pigments for matte papers.  I also found that for the most impressive brochures and cards, the dyes win.  I think they are so good that much of my development efforts will be with them, and not just as a 2-ink addition to another system.  But for matte fine art, Eboni-6 remains my top recommendation.

Paul
Www.paulroark.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul" <roark.paul@...> wrote:
>
> "Wayne" <wayne_emery@> wrote:
> > >
> > +++++++++++++++++++
> > Hi Mr. Roark,
> > 
> > ... I stumbled across your discussions, which led me to this forum and I got hooked, so I bought a new 1400 ($179!!) and a set of Eboni 6 inks.
> 
> Welcome.  The 1400 with Eboni-6 is hard to beat, in my view, of course.
> 
> 
> > ...  many of your outstanding posts and helpful contributions around the internet are not dated, so it has been difficult and a little confusing for me to place the evolution of the process in a correct sequence.
> 
> Yes, I'm guilty of that on some of my web pages.  I think my newer pdf's are dated, and I think this forum's posts are dated.  In part in responce to this problem, I re-configured my main B&W information page to try to indicate what my current preferences are.
> 
> With respect to Eboni-6, I had experimented with combinations of it and neutral glossy inks.  This was, in part, because I liked glossy brochures but also because many wanted a cooler-tone inkset.  Frankly, however, I never used the neutral pigments for matte papers.  I also found that for the most impressive brochures and cards, the dyes win.  I think they are so good that much of my development efforts will be with them, and not just as a 2-ink addition to another system.  But for matte fine art, Eboni-6 remains my top recommendation.
> 
> Paul
> Www.paulroark.com
>
+++++++++++
Mr. Roark,

Thank you so much for your kind and prompt reply, it was quite helpful.  I look forward to my EB-6 inks arriving. I'll probably keep this 1400 as a matte-only, carbon-only printer.
It will be interesting comparing it to the output of the 4900.  Regarding that printer, I'm looking and hoping someone will be making an "alternative" ink supply available.....soon. (I think Efillink is close.)

Wayne Emery

>  "vm4690" <velocette@> wrote:
> >... Is there some other combination of tools and materials that might make more sense for a digital B&W neophyte on a budget?
> >
> 
> I think the EZ MIS approaches with the 1100 are going to be the easiest and cheapest solutions for you.  

Would this do a satisfactory job for b/w photos? Or is this primarily for text use?

A few years ago I followed Clayton Jones' suggestion to use an Epson 220 and a single Eboni cartridge and I thought it did a fine job with photos, to get me started. I still use it for family photos and greeting cards with photos on the front page. Would the WF1100 and EZ MIS ink be comparable?

Still trying to help a friend get started... I may suggest the 1400 and Eboni 6 if the WF1100 would not satisfactory for photos.

Thanks!

Paul

The 1100 with EZ type inks will do a better job than a sigle black only approach.  Although Epson sells the Workforce printers as fast text printers, they make rather classic quad printers also.  QTR does not support them, but an EZ approach works with them just like with the C88.  

In addition to an EZ approach, one can use Photoshote curves to partition the inks.  I have Evoni-4 curves for this.  I don't recommend most try to make their own curves for this.

At any rate, the 1100 is, in effect, like a 13" C88, but better.

Paul
Www.paulroark.com


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul" <paulmwhiting@...> wrote:

>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >  "vm4690" <velocette@> wrote:
> > >... Is there some other combination of tools and materials that might make more sense for a digital B&W neophyte on a budget?
> > >
> > 
> > I think the EZ MIS approaches with the 1100 are going to be the easiest and cheapest solutions for you.  
> 
> Would this do a satisfactory job for b/w photos? Or is this primarily for text use?
> 
> A few years ago I followed Clayton Jones' suggestion to use an Epson 220 and a single Eboni cartridge and I thought it did a fine job with photos, to get me started. I still use it for family photos and greeting cards with photos on the front page. Would the WF1100 and EZ MIS ink be comparable?
> 
> Still trying to help a friend get started... I may suggest the 1400 and Eboni 6 if the WF1100 would not satisfactory for photos.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Paul
>

Sounds good, Paul, thanks. I'm not familiar with the EZ approach, but I gather it's been around a while. I have heard about it. I'll do some searching and I should be able to find out more about it.

Paul

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul" <roark.paul@...> wrote:

>
> 
> The 1100 with EZ type inks will do a better job than a sigle black only approach.  Although Epson sells the Workforce printers as fast text printers, they make rather classic quad printers also.  QTR does not support them, but an EZ approach works with them just like with the C88.  
> 
> In addition to an EZ approach, one can use Photoshote curves to partition the inks.  I have Evoni-4 curves for this.  I don't recommend most try to make their own curves for this.
> 
> At any rate, the 1100 is, in effect, like a 13" C88, but better.
> 
> Paul
> Www.paulroark.com
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul" <paulmwhiting@> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > >  "vm4690" <velocette@> wrote:
> > > >... Is there some other combination of tools and materials that might make more sense for a digital B&W neophyte on a budget?
> > > >
> > > 
> > > I think the EZ MIS approaches with the 1100 are going to be the easiest and cheapest solutions for you.  
> > 
> > Would this do a satisfactory job for b/w photos? Or is this primarily for text use?
> > 
> > A few years ago I followed Clayton Jones' suggestion to use an Epson 220 and a single Eboni cartridge and I thought it did a fine job with photos, to get me started. I still use it for family photos and greeting cards with photos on the front page. Would the WF1100 and EZ MIS ink be comparable?
> > 
> > Still trying to help a friend get started... I may suggest the 1400 and Eboni 6 if the WF1100 would not satisfactory for photos.
> > 
> > Thanks!
> > 
> > Paul
> >
>