Digital BW, The Print

Hi:

As a longtime darkroom user I am finally ready to go digital. From reading the posts on this newsgroup I am thinking of going with Epson 1400 and the Eboni inks. Chief objective is a system that doesn't break down/clog with a few months' nonuse. 

Most important question: Will the above combination be fine if left idle for up to a few months? 

The amount of info on Paul Roark's and MIS website is a bit overwhelming. I just wanted to doublecheck my understanding.

(a) Get these prefilled cartridges: http://www.inksupply.com/product-details.cfm?pn=EB6-1400-SET
(b) These ink bottles http://www.inksupply.com/eb6.cfm . Do I need anything else with these?
(c) quadtone RIP software (optional).
(d) Some simple starter paper: Hahnemuhle Photo Rag (warm) or Epson Hot Press Natural (neutral). 

I have an Imac 27", Epson V600 scanner for 35/120, Lightroom and Elements 6.
In my darkroom days I prefered a slight warm tone on RC satin or luster surfaces.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice.

"niakapa" <niakapa@...> wrote:
>
>...I am thinking of going with Epson 1400 and the Eboni inks. ...

> Will the above combination be fine if left idle for up to a few months? 


I don't know.  Mine has never clogged from non-use, but a month is probably the longest it's been totally idle. 



> (a) Get these prefilled cartridges: http://www.inksupply.com/product-details.cfm?pn=EB6-1400-SET


Yes.


> (b) These ink bottles http://www.inksupply.com/eb6.cfm .


The color ones and K, not the LLK and LK.  You might want to test the carts first to be sure they are what you want.

> Do I need anything else with these?


For refilling you'll need a 10 cc syringe and dull needle - I like the 4" ones to reach into the bottles.  They used to be on an MIS accessories page.  If you run a cart totally out you'll need a bottom fill adapter.  You'll see I recommend a modification.  See http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Modified-Bottom-Fill-Adapter.pdf

> (c) quadtone RIP software (optional).

> (d) Some simple starter paper: Hahnemuhle Photo Rag (warm) or Epson Hot Press Natural (neutral). 


Yes, and maybe Premier Art Smooth BW.  Atlex.com has good prices.



> In my darkroom days I prefered a slight warm tone on RC satin or luster surfaces.


Eboni is matte paper only.  Under glass they look about the same.  I think matte is better unless the lighting is perfect.  For snapshots most seem to prefer a type of glossy paper.

Good luck with the system.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

"niakapa" <niakapa@> wrote:
...I am thinking of going with Epson 1400 and the Eboni inks. ...
Will the above combination be fine if left idle for up to a few months? 
****************
I also am at about your point on the curve and have decided with help from the list to use a 1400 and the Eboni 6 inkset. I am retired and have a house in the East Texas woods so am often gone for extended peroids and my wife and I travel often away for several months at a time. From reading the Archives I am buying extra empty cartridges and filling a set with a cleaning agent possibly Simple Green as it has been mentioned a lot, and a second set filled with distilled water as it has been mentioned not to leave the cleaning solution in the head to dry out. The thought being to pull the cartridges cap them put them in zip lock bags and to clean the head and then to flush the cleaner. My only concern is that the head parks in a dirty area so I need to find some way to protect it from parking on an ink disposal area. I think this will be worth the little extra cost and trouble. Empty cartridge sets are under $20 on ebay and I intend to do this for the pigment printrs if I will be away longer than a week. I would pull the head but I think they are fixed not like the Cannon head which pops out easily and can also be bagged for long trips.

One other thought and one I have used from when I got my first ink jet printer over 20 years ago. When I am not using it I turn it off the printer generates heat and it does cleaning cycles which dumps ink into the disposal unit which is difficult to change out so no extra cleaning cycles then the pad does not fill up so fast I have been doing this for 20 years with HP Cannon and Epson printers with no problems. I understand the pigment printers are a different animal but I intend to do this with them also I will just make sure to print something at least once a week. For the old dye printers, my Epson in east Texas sat for a year and the first print out was perfect but the pigment inks settle so need agitation peroidically.

Bill Lewis

"Bill" <bill-lewis@...> wrote:
>
> ...Epson 1400 and the Eboni inks. ...
> Will the above combination be fine if left idle for up to a few months? 
> ****************

> ... buying extra empty cartridges and filling a set with a cleaning agent ...


I use my C6b generic base at page 5 of http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Ink-Mixing.pdf.  I also use this to rinse the pigments off of the cleaning pads before storage.  You can get to the parking pads easily by pushing the ink fill button and then pulling pulling the power plug.


Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

I am also interested in how to clean out the 1400 with Eb6 prior to 
several months absence.  I looked up Paul's PDF:

/"I use my C6b generic base at page 5 of 
http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Ink-Mixing.pdf. 
<http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Ink-Mixing.pdf.> I also use this to 
rinse the pigments off of the cleaning pads before storage. You can get 
to the parking pads easily by pushing the ink fill button and then 
pulling pulling the power plug./"

However, in another place, it seems to say that this method is not for 
the 1400 or 1800.
Could I fill ink carts with glycerine, followed by distilled water?  
Obviously, I am confused.  Also, once I get the carts filled with the 
correct cleaning agent, what do I do?  Do I run a cleaning cycle?  I am 
afraid I need a "cleaning for dummies" manual.
Geraldine


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Geraldine Powell <gpowell@...> wrote:
>
> 
> I am also interested in how to clean out the 1400 with Eb6 prior to 
> several months absence.  ...

When the issue is just how to prepare a printer for long storage, there is no magic formula.  The risks are primarily pigment drying on and in the head.  The point of putting in a clear base is just to get the pigments out of the machine.  

Mostly what we're doing is putting distilled water into the system.  The glycerol raises the viscosity so the water won't just run through the head.  It also helps to stop the pad from drying out.  Never put glycerol by itself in a cart.  It's way too thick.

I use and suggested the generic pigment base C6b at http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Ink-Mixing.pdf mostly because I have it and it's cheap and easy.  MIS cleaning fluid or similar commercial products would work fine also.

Epson's cleaning fluid uses a high proportion of glycol, but most don't have that sitting around.  The Photo Flo in the generic base has the glycol in it.

Once you've loaded the cleaning fluid into the printer the cleaning cycle it does at that point is probably enough.  If you print a purge pattern you'll note that there is still some pigment left in the printer, but it's a such a low percentage that it probably would never clog.  The dilute Eboni/Carbon-6 inks never clog.  Eboni itself might if left to long.  We're mostly interested in reducing the concentration of that ink in the head.

I personally don't do anything when I leave for weeks.  My 1400 almost never has any problems from clogging.  (The only serious one was due to ink incompatibility -- HP dyes and MIS pigments.)

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Check out Inkjetmall's Pizo Flush.

http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.362672/sc.18/category.31348/.f

This is a cleaning and storage fluid, dyed light red, which is used to 
clean inkjet print heads as well as to be used as a storage fluid. I 
have a set of carts filled with this fluid and when I leave my printers 
for an extended period I pop these carts in and run a cleaning cycle and 
pull the plug. When I return I re-install the ink carts give the printer 
a cleaning cycle, print a purge file and I am back in business. No 
struggling with multiple cleaning cycles, windex soaks etc.

Cheers

***************************************************

On 11/29/2011 8:14 AM, Paul wrote:
>
> Geraldine Powell <gpowell@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I am also interested in how to clean out the 1400 with Eb6 prior to
> > several months absence. ...
>
> When the issue is just how to prepare a printer for long storage, 
> there is no magic formula. The risks are primarily pigment drying on 
> and in the head. The point of putting in a clear base is just to get 
> the pigments out of the machine.
>
> Mostly what we're doing is putting distilled water into the system. 
> The glycerol raises the viscosity so the water won't just run through 
> the head. It also helps to stop the pad from drying out. Never put 
> glycerol by itself in a cart. It's way too thick.
>
> I use and suggested the generic pigment base C6b at 
> http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Ink-Mixing.pdf mostly because I have 
> it and it's cheap and easy. MIS cleaning fluid or similar commercial 
> products would work fine also.
>
> Epson's cleaning fluid uses a high proportion of glycol, but most 
> don't have that sitting around. The Photo Flo in the generic base has 
> the glycol in it.
>
> Once you've loaded the cleaning fluid into the printer the cleaning 
> cycle it does at that point is probably enough. If you print a purge 
> pattern you'll note that there is still some pigment left in the 
> printer, but it's a such a low percentage that it probably would never 
> clog. The dilute Eboni/Carbon-6 inks never clog. Eboni itself might if 
> left to long. We're mostly interested in reducing the concentration of 
> that ink in the head.
>
> I personally don't do anything when I leave for weeks. My 1400 almost 
> never has any problems from clogging. (The only serious one was due to 
> ink incompatibility -- HP dyes and MIS pigments.)
>
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com
>
> 

-- 



William Harvey

From the Beautiful Napa Valley



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]