Digital BW, The Print

Rodolpho wrote:

>... I always believed ...that the 4-ink sets were done with
>1 black and 3 different additions of white ink onto black ink.
>If the 3 other inks are simply dilutions, why bother to buy
>the sets? Just dilute them yourself, with a
>little trial-and-error dilutions, to find the match
>that works fine for you - is this (me) too dumb?
>Or too much of work for a not-so-good result?

The MIS set is just different dilutions of the MIS archival black ink.  MIS
sells the base so that you can make your own dilutions.  Piezo is not that
simple.  The two lightest inks definitely have some additions; they are not
just diluted black.  Of course, those additions are where the trouble may
be, not just with a dye that separates, but also with the costs.  Cone is
probably not buying large quantities of black and mixing his own but,
rather, paying someone else to do it - for a substantial price.

The variable-tone inks, especially the MIS version, are all such that you
can mix them yourself.  It's just not worth the hassle.  Buying them
pre-mixed from MIS is a real service that is definitely worth the price.
MIS mixes large batches based on weight.  Even with syringes, mixing smaller
batches turns out to be a source of substantial inconsistencies.  The more
dilute inks are especially sensitive to tiny variations in the dilution.
The mixing is very non-linear, with the lighter inks having amazingly little
black ink in them.  As such, it's almost impossible to get consistent mixing
of small amounts with the tools most of us have and would use.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com