Digital BW, The Print

What is the optimum humidity level for the 1280 using FSN ink? I live 
in the South (Atlanta GA) and humidity levels swing wildly. Anyone 
else had clogging issues attributed to humidity? What did you do.

Barry Gilliand

>What is the optimum humidity level for the 1280 using FSN ink? I live
>in the South (Atlanta GA) and humidity levels swing wildly. Anyone
>else had clogging issues attributed to humidity? What did you do.
>
>Barry Gilliand

I haven't, Barry, and the ones I have seen reported by others have 
been attributed to _low_ humidity resulting from the climate in the 
Southwest or to air conditioning or heating.

My humidity in Northern California typically swings within roughly 35 
- 65 on the inexpensive gauge I got from Light Impressions. My 1160s 
seem not to mind. I'm not sure the same can be said about the coated 
on one side only papers (EAM & Museo), which I think might be more 
sensitive to humidity regardless of the ink set (VM Sepia). I store 
the paper in a large closet which also accommodates a water heater 
because I think it moderates the changes in humidity, at least on the 
high side. I worry about it's fumes too but haven't seen any ill 
effects from them either.

Sam McCandless              samcc@...

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Sam A. McCandless" 
<samcc@v...> wrote:
> >What is the optimum humidity level for the 1280 using FSN ink? I 
live
> >in the South (Atlanta GA) and humidity levels swing wildly. Anyone
> >else had clogging issues attributed to humidity? What did you do.
> >
> >Barry Gilliand
> 
> I haven't, Barry, and the ones I have seen reported by others have 
> been attributed to _low_ humidity resulting from the climate in the 
> Southwest or to air conditioning or heating.
> 

I'm the guy that reported on low humidity levels in Colorado. 
Generally the humidity drops low in the winter and then rises somewhat 
in the spring/summer. Except this year we have no rain at all. I use 
two temp/ hygrometers in different areas of the room. I've been 
turning the 1280 with VM inks on twice a day for over six months now 
and running a quick draft sheet followed by a nozzle check. I haven't 
written anything down, but it pretty well falls out that humidity 
levels below 35% clog me up. 40% is better. The lowest I've had it at 
was 20%, and that is bad. The highest it's been is about 60%, and that 
is okay, although for traditional photo storage, Kodak recommmends 
under 50% I think, so I aim for 40-45%RH.

Lately when the air conditioner can't keep up (we've been having 
drought conditions here,  and sometimes the temperatures have reached 
100 degrees f) even if I can keep enough humidity in the room, it 
seems as though I get more clogs above 77 degrees f in the room, it 
likes 68-73 degrees better. I'm really not sure about this last since 
there's not many days that it got like this, up to 82 degrees say with 
the air conditioner going into thermal cutoff. And sometimes it worked 
even at this temp.

I haven't needed  it too often it June and July, but I use a 
humidifier with a covered UV chamber, which is supposed to be somewhat 
germ free. AFAIK only a company called Slant/Fin makes it.

I consider the most important thing in avoiding tough clogs now to be 
to run the printer often, not nessecarily humidity within normal 
limits for most of the US (deserts excluded<g>). Leaving the printer 
off for days/ weeks at a time is asking for damage.
Jim H.