Digital BW, The Print

From: "Bill Iverson" <wiverson@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2002 6:40 PM
Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Piezo Inks


> I think there may be a dirty little story here to go with the "blues"
> (on the seleniums) and the fading blacks, both of which I've
> experienced.

Bill,

You mention you experienced the fading black problem. Can you fill us in?

>  Using the prefilled carts for the 1280, with both the
> PT Selenium and the PT Warm Neutrals (which I reluctantly got when
> the Selenium cartridges proved hopeless), I've found that the very
> light yellow print lines in a nozzle check become even lighter after
> a few days (despite regular nozzle checks and at least a full pix
> print at least every day), and the stepwedge goes from showing a
> nice, linear progression of tone from 0 to 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 to
> almost just plain no ink being laid dowm from 0 to 20, and then a
> relatively normal wedge from 25 up.


This is unusual as my two 1280's tend to band in the lower tones 50-75%.
Sounds like a clogging yellow cartridge to me. Try it with Epson carts and
if everything is okay ask IJM for a replacement color cart.

>
> Something is going on with the light ink in the "yellow" position, at
> least for me.
>
> Anyone else finding this?

I can only say that once you have decided on an ink, get a CIS. Way less
trouble.

Martin Wesley

> trouble.
> 
> Martin Wesley

From: "Bill Iverson" <wiverson@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 6:16 AM
Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Piezo Inks


> Martin,
>    The fading black is subjective.  Initial PT Sel prints blew away
> FS-N prints from same negatives in the blacks; after several weeks,
> comparing the same prints was more of a standoff in the blacks.
> Bright room, no sun.

Bill,

That is what I am seeing. Once everything has settled on the prints the
differences seem to very small to invisible so given the problem with the
PT-K there seems no reason not to go with the FSN-K instead.
>
>    Maybe the very light nozzle check lines in the "yellow" postion
> and blanked out 0% to 20% in stepwedge is a clogging problem.  It did
> improve when I tried Jerry Olson's patent remedy of squirting a 1:9
> ammonia:water mix on the heads (after many cleaning cycles, etc., as
> recommended), but the same problem reappeared in two days.   Not an
> expert on clogging (I've been lucky), but this does seem ink related -
> - I thought most clogs turned up as gaps in nozzle check or no lines
> in nozzle check (neither here) or microbanding (ditto).

They vary a lot and it depends upon how severe they are.
>
>     As for going to a CIS, I'm persuaded.  Had been deterred by my
> relatively low volume and horror stories of the "greenies," etc.  Can
> you direct me to the best tutorial on setting up a CIS system and
> keeping it running?  Are the Niagara CIS systems as good as any?

Things are a little confusing in the CIS world these days. Media Street
originally sold the NoMoreCarts CIS under the name Niagara but since have
parted company with NoMoreCarts and are getting their CIS from someone else
but keeping the Niagara name. I would be inclined to get a NoMoreCarts CIS
from InkJetMall which comes with very good instructions or talk to
InkJetGoodies about their new CIS. The MIS CFS is also an option if money is
tight but their chip resetting method is not as nice as the systems that use
the "always full" chips.

I have let my CIS units sit for long periods unused and they start back up
fine for me. This was not true with the original Piezo inks but the MIS-VM
has never given me a problem. The PiezoTones seem to be pretty good in the
clog department. Not quite as good as MIS inks but very close.

Martin Wesley

(snip earlier)