Digital BW, The Print

After a one year hiatus, I am going to try B&W printing again with 
my old stock of FS inks.  A long time ago Paul Roark recommended the 
following alternative ink to cartridge positions.  My question 
is "Has this system ever been validated?" or am I better off with 
the normal cartridge ?illing.

Thanks in advance

Jim

If you want to use FS inks with a hextone machine, you have three 
choices.
First, buy a Piezo driver. Second, buy a ColorByte ImagePrint 4 RIP 
(check
with that company first). Third, change the ink positions and 
(maybe) write
some simple curves. (Since I do not have a hextone machine, I have 
not been
able to test this and have not been able to write the curves -- 
which may
not even be necessary.)

Here is the alternative FS-Hextone-Epson-driver ink positions I 
recommend.
It is based on the following observations. First, the light inks 
tend to be
about 60% of the density of the full strength inks. Happily, the 
FS/Piezo
magenta is almost exactly 60% the density of the cyan ink. Second, 
the
current Piezo/FS ink mix is actually too light, being designed for 
the old
quad machines. As such, radical curves are needed to control it. 
These
curves leave artifacts and destroy grayscale. Thus, a darker ink mix 
should
be better.

So, the alternative FS ink mix for the Epson driver is as follows:

Black -- Use the MIS FS (or VM) black;

Cyan position -- Use FS cyan-position ink;

Light cyan position -- Use FS magenta-position ink;

Magenta position -- Use FS cyan-position ink;

Light magenta -- Use FS magenta-position ink;

Yellow -- Use FS yellow-position ink. (The FS magenta-position ink 
may work
here also. I'd test both of them.)

This proposed FS-Epson-Driver inkset can probably be controlled 
either by
mild partitioning inks or just a simple grayscale workflow. It might 
print
rather well with no workflow at all.

I think there is a very good chance that the FS inks in the above 
positions
in a 1280 or 1290 will produce the best B&W print possible, beating 
all
current workflows -- Piezo software included. I hope someone will 
give it a
try and let us know how it works.

Jim,

I have been using this method for over a year now.  Even though I 
have the Piezo Plug-In, I prefer the method outlined by Paul.  
Indeed, it requires just a mild curve to linearize when printing from 
a grayscale file.  I have found that for the Eclipse Satine papers 
(if they are still available), there is no curve required at all.  
Please note:  I use the FS yellow postion ink for the yellow position.

If you look at Clayton Jones' recent evaluation of a technical 
exchange prints, my print was #9.

Many forum memebers have seen my prints using this method, and are 
free to chime-in about the prints (good or bad).

Good luck.  

Shilesh


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "jim21tet" 
<jimtetlow@n...> wrote:
> After a one year hiatus, I am going to try B&W printing again with 
> my old stock of FS inks.  A long time ago Paul Roark recommended 
the 
> following alternative ink to cartridge positions.  My question 
> is "Has this system ever been validated?" or am I better off with 
> the normal cartridge ?illing.
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> Jim
> 
> If you want to use FS inks with a hextone machine, you have three 
> choices.
> First, buy a Piezo driver. Second, buy a ColorByte ImagePrint 4 RIP 
> (check
> with that company first). Third, change the ink positions and 
> (maybe) write
> some simple curves. (Since I do not have a hextone machine, I have 
> not been
> able to test this and have not been able to write the curves -- 
> which may
> not even be necessary.)
> 
> Here is the alternative FS-Hextone-Epson-driver ink positions I 
> recommend.
> It is based on the following observations. First, the light inks 
> tend to be
> about 60% of the density of the full strength inks. Happily, the 
> FS/Piezo
> magenta is almost exactly 60% the density of the cyan ink. Second, 
> the
> current Piezo/FS ink mix is actually too light, being designed for 
> the old
> quad machines. As such, radical curves are needed to control it. 
> These
> curves leave artifacts and destroy grayscale. Thus, a darker ink 
mix 
> should
> be better.
> 
> So, the alternative FS ink mix for the Epson driver is as follows:
> 
> Black -- Use the MIS FS (or VM) black;
> 
> Cyan position -- Use FS cyan-position ink;
> 
> Light cyan position -- Use FS magenta-position ink;
> 
> Magenta position -- Use FS cyan-position ink;
> 
> Light magenta -- Use FS magenta-position ink;
> 
> Yellow -- Use FS yellow-position ink. (The FS magenta-position ink 
> may work
> here also. I'd test both of them.)
> 
> This proposed FS-Epson-Driver inkset can probably be controlled 
> either by
> mild partitioning inks or just a simple grayscale workflow. It 
might 

> print
> rather well with no workflow at all.
> 
> I think there is a very good chance that the FS inks in the above 
> positions
> in a 1280 or 1290 will produce the best B&W print possible, beating 
> all
> current workflows -- Piezo software included. I hope someone will 
> give it a
> try and let us know how it works.

Jim,

I have a couple of curves in an "FS-Hex" folder that might work with that
proposed FS-hextone ink position.  I think some one tried the ink position I
recommended, but I don't recall the details.

Frankly, I'd recommend you just go to the Ultra Tone inkset if you have a
1280 and want to do B&W.  The UT inks are more lightfast than the FS inks.
But, if you want to use up your old inks, I'd be happy to send the curves I
have.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com
_________________________________

-----Original Message-----
From: jim21tet [mailto:jimtetlow@...]
Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 8:38 AM
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Digital BW] Epson 1280 and FS inks


After a one year hiatus, I am going to try B&W printing again with
my old stock of FS inks.  A long time ago Paul Roark recommended the
following alternative ink to cartridge positions.  My question
is "Has this system ever been validated?" or am I better off with
the normal cartridge ?illing.

Thanks in advance

Jim

If you want to use FS inks with a hextone machine, you have three
choices.
First, buy a Piezo driver. Second, buy a ColorByte ImagePrint 4 RIP
(check
with that company first). Third, change the ink positions and
(maybe) write
some simple curves. (Since I do not have a hextone machine, I have
not been
able to test this and have not been able to write the curves --
which may
not even be necessary.)

Here is the alternative FS-Hextone-Epson-driver ink positions I
recommend.
It is based on the following observations. First, the light inks
tend to be
about 60% of the density of the full strength inks. Happily, the
FS/Piezo
magenta is almost exactly 60% the density of the cyan ink. Second,
the
current Piezo/FS ink mix is actually too light, being designed for
the old
quad machines. As such, radical curves are needed to control it.
These
curves leave artifacts and destroy grayscale. Thus, a darker ink mix
should
be better.

So, the alternative FS ink mix for the Epson driver is as follows:

Black -- Use the MIS FS (or VM) black;

Cyan position -- Use FS cyan-position ink;

Light cyan position -- Use FS magenta-position ink;

Magenta position -- Use FS cyan-position ink;

Light magenta -- Use FS magenta-position ink;

Yellow -- Use FS yellow-position ink. (The FS magenta-position ink
may work
here also. I'd test both of them.)

This proposed FS-Epson-Driver inkset can probably be controlled
either by
mild partitioning inks or just a simple grayscale workflow. It might
print
rather well with no workflow at all.

I think there is a very good chance that the FS inks in the above
positions
in a 1280 or 1290 will produce the best B&W print possible, beating
all
current workflows -- Piezo software included. I hope someone will
give it a
try and let us know how it works.





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