Digital BW, The Print

At 08:36 AM 1/18/2003 +0000, DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com wrote
 >You also do not always have to prep the surface. I do
 > some printing with an Encad Croma 24 using Ilford
 >archival dye inks straight onto Arches watercolour paper.

For paper I agree.  I've printed on Canson 140# cold
press watercolor paper, brown paper bags, etc, with
interesting results.    But the materials I have in mind are
artist's linen, artist's canvas, sheet metal, and plastic.
All of those things require priming or gesso for painting.

Does anyone know the answers to my questions about
surface preparation for inkjet printing?   If this isn't
the right forum for a question like this could someone
suggest one?  Thanks in advance.

At 08:36 AM 1/18/2003 +0000, you wrote:
>Try a product called Ink Aid.
>
>www.inkaid.com
>
>You can use it to prep a large variety of surfaces--the people at Digital
>Atelier have used it for a while and say good things.  I'm wanting to try it
>myself.


Does anyone know what this stuff is?  Inkaid's FAQ is
"under construction".

My question is more about what the properties of an
inkjet-receptive surface are, rather than what I can buy
to do it.    What are the physical and chemical properties
of the coatings used by inkjet paper that make them receptive
to inkjet inks?    As a film photographer, and an artist (painting,
sculpting, drawing), I feel that I can do a better job if I
understand my media.  I want to do the same with inkjet printing.
Surely I'm not the only one.

---peter