Digital BW, The Print

I've been printing with the Warm Neutral inks for about 6 month and while I'm blown away with the results I find the tone of the inks just a little too warm.

I've seen examples of the neutral ink set and find that just a little bit too neutral. 

It seems I've two options:

 1 - install a 50/50 mix of the neutral set and the warm neutral set into each cartridge
 2 - do some sort of 'split toning' 

With the split toning I could do a 'traditional' split tone with, for example, the darker tones as neutral and the lighter tones as warm-neutral. 

Or could I get a more even tone by alternating warm-neutral and neutral through the tonal range? (i.e. #1 - neutral, #2 - warm neutral, #3 - neutral, #4 - warm neutral etc)? Would this have a different effect from just installing mixed inks into each cartridge?

Anyway I'd be interested in reading anybody's thoughts and experiences on the subject.

thanks

Julian

Instead of changing the ink, use a cooler, or more neutral Paper.  I have been using Epson Hot press papers.  I use Bright when I want a cooler tone, and Natural when I want a warm tone.  I even use some other papers for even warmer tones.

It is sure a lot easier to switch a sheet of paper, then mix up a special ink batch, or change inks.  It is less expensive too!

Ben

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

I agree with Ben on that. All of the five K7 ink sets are designed to be variable tone when printed on warmer or cooler papers. 

If you do wish to blend and lots of people blend K7 inks, Neutral is not a great blender. If you add 25% Selenium to the Warm Neutral - you will produce a much more significant effect than adding 70% Neutral to them.  Just make sure that you do not mix shade #s...  The K7 curves will work with all five ink sets and any blend of the K7 ink sets as long as you do not mix the shade #s. In other words, you can mix any amount of Selenium shade 3 into WN shade 3 and still use the K7 curves....  but you can not mix even a small percentage of shade #4 into shade #3 and use the K7 curves. I hope that is clear.

For split toning, you can make the shift at shade #4. If you like noticeable splits - break it at 4 with a pure ink. If you want slightly imperceptible split toning where it's difficult to detect the separation - then blend shade 4 50/50.   Special Edition is a triple split tone ink from Neutral to Selenium to Carbon in the shadows. The splits are blended so it is very subtle and most people who use it think of it as a platinum/palladium process on steroids!

Best regards,

Jon Cone
Piezography
http://www.piezography.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, ben schneider <benjschneider2@...> wrote:

>
> Instead of changing the ink, use a cooler, or more neutral Paper.  I have been using Epson Hot press papers.  I use Bright when I want a cooler tone, and Natural when I want a warm tone.  I even use some other papers for even warmer tones.
> 
> It is sure a lot easier to switch a sheet of paper, then mix up a special ink batch, or change inks.  It is less expensive too!
> 
> Ben
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Fully agree with Ben. 

See my Lab A+B curves here [1]. I use two
inksets (Eb5: 5 diluted Eboni inks, and BO, black only) for those 3
papers and I get very differents tones. I will test Epson Hot Press
Bright as soon as I receive it. 

Have a nice day 

Sylvain. 

Le
2012-10-24 15:27, ben schneider a écrit : 

> Instead of changing the
ink, use a cooler, or more neutral Paper. I have been using Epson Hot
press papers. I use Bright when I want a cooler tone, and Natural when I
want a warm tone. I even use some other papers for even warmer tones.
>

> It is sure a lot easier to switch a sheet of paper, then mix up a
special ink batch, or change inks. It is less expensive too!
> 
> Ben



Links:
------
[1] http://i.minus.com/iDndFVJ33vrWx.png


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

Looking at the Epson website it appears that they do not make Hot Press papers for the Epson R2800.  Comments?

Thanks from Norm

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, ben schneider <benjschneider2@...> wrote:

>
> Instead of changing the ink, use a cooler, or more neutral Paper.  I have been using Epson Hot press papers.  I use Bright when I want a cooler tone, and Natural when I want a warm tone.  I even use some other papers for even warmer tones.
> 
> It is sure a lot easier to switch a sheet of paper, then mix up a special ink batch, or change inks.  It is less expensive too!
> 
> Ben
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>