Digital BW, The Print

>All,

I've been following this group for...I think over a month now, and have 
been eating up digital BW information here and on the web voraciously for 
longer than that.  I'm getting increasingly frustrated with my options for 
printing in BW traditionally, since I have to go to the local college 
darkroom (which also means I have to sign up for a class), and am now 
firmly committed to getting a digital BW system after I move in 
December.  But..I'm a bit confused now as to what to do.  These questions 
are, in many ways, just more advanced versions of ones I asked when I first 
joined this board.

I was re-reading the Luminous Landscape review of the 2200, and noticed how 
a Piezography system was abandoned in favor of the 2200 with OEM inks, 
because of the clogging problelms on the old system but also because the 
quality was "that good."  Now there have been all these posts about 
horrific clogging experiences on all printers, ranging from 1160's to 2200's.

Now, I can't really afford to use ImagePrint, and Septones are out, too 
(not that they are nec. going to be less clog-prone, but they are a system 
designed for the 2200).  So I was going to go with a 1280 with Ultratones 
for BW only, and eventually upgrade to a 2200 for my color.  Is this now 
unwise?

Is it possible to use the 1280, with the UT inks, on a regular but not 
high-volume basis, and not have these horror-stories about clogging?  I was 
figuring that I probably would only print...5 prints a week.  I could space 
them out so that I printed 1 every day to day and a half, but that's about 
the highest volume I can get (between finding time to take pictures, to 
scanning them, to editing them and then printing, I just don't put out 
enough volume).  Am I sending myself up a creek without a paddle here?

sigh.
allan


---------------------
Technology Projects Manager
Academic Computing and the Office of Accessible Education
Stanford University
voice - 650-996-0546
fax  -   650-725-4685

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Allan Chen [mailto:kaiyen@...] 
<snip> 
> Is it possible to use the 1280, with the UT inks, on a 
> regular but not 
> high-volume basis, and not have these horror-stories about 
> clogging?
<snip>

I had problems with the UT inks in my 1280, but I think most people are
OK with them.  I use the VM inks, and I find that just turning on the
printer and printing a nozzle check once a day keeps me clog free and
uses very little ink.

Thanks,
Ed
http://lightandsilver.com

I've had my 1280 running MIS VM and lately FSN inks for just over a
year. I probably average printing once every 5 days or so although
sometimes it's been 2 weeks. I've never had any real major clogging
problems, except one CFS feed line which I simply replaced.

I don't do anything special and almost abuse the printer in lack of
maintenance. Some people seem to have horror stories while many others
of us just don't. And, I've never been able to figure out why. 

Bob Michaels

 --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Allan Chen
<kaiyen@s...> wrote:
> Is it possible to use the 1280, with the UT inks, on a regular but not 
> high-volume basis, and not have these horror-stories about clogging?
 I was  figuring that I probably would only print...5 prints a week. 
> allan
>

I tend to print in spurts... can leave the printer off for 3 weeks at 
a time and then print like a madman.  Clogs are a hit or miss thing, 
but for th most part have just meant cleaning cycles.  It seems to be 
very humidity dependant.  I live in Arizona which is very dry and 
when the the airconditioner or heater are running and the house is 
super dry the heads tend to clog up a bit but no real big deal.  When 
I am running the swap cooler and humidity gets to like 50% there are 
no problems, even after sitting a few weeks.

I'd go with the 1280 myself if I was buying right now and didn't have 
a load of money that I didn't know what to do with.

The 2200 isn't *that* good with only the Epson driver.

mark

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Allan Chen 
<kaiyen@s...> wrote:
> 
> >All,
> 
> I've been following this group for...I think over a month now, and 
have 
> been eating up digital BW information here and on the web 
voraciously for 
> longer than that.  I'm getting increasingly frustrated with my 
options for 
> printing in BW traditionally, since I have to go to the local 
college 
> darkroom (which also means I have to sign up for a class), and am 
now 
> firmly committed to getting a digital BW system after I move in 
> December.  But..I'm a bit confused now as to what to do.  These 
questions 
> are, in many ways, just more advanced versions of ones I asked when 
I first 
> joined this board.
> 
> I was re-reading the Luminous Landscape review of the 2200, and 
noticed how 
> a Piezography system was abandoned in favor of the 2200 with OEM 
inks, 
> because of the clogging problelms on the old system but also 
because the 
> quality was "that good."  Now there have been all these posts about 
> horrific clogging experiences on all printers, ranging from 1160's 
to 2200's.
> 
> Now, I can't really afford to use ImagePrint, and Septones are out, 
too 
> (not that they are nec. going to be less clog-prone, but they are a 
system 
> designed for the 2200).  So I was going to go with a 1280 with 
Ultratones 
> for BW only, and eventually upgrade to a 2200 for my color.  Is 
this now 
> unwise?
> 
> Is it possible to use the 1280, with the UT inks, on a regular but 
not 
> high-volume basis, and not have these horror-stories about 
clogging?  I was 
> figuring that I probably would only print...5 prints a week.  I 
could space 
> them out so that I printed 1 every day to day and a half, but 
that's about 
> the highest volume I can get (between finding time to take 
pictures, to 
> scanning them, to editing them and then printing, I just don't put 
out 
> enough volume).  Am I sending myself up a creek without a paddle 
here?

> 
> sigh.
> allan
> 
> 
> ---------------------
> Technology Projects Manager
> Academic Computing and the Office of Accessible Education
> Stanford University
> voice - 650-996-0546
> fax  -   650-725-4685

>Is it possible to use the 1280, with the UT inks, on a regular but not
>high-volume basis, and not have these horror-stories about clogging?

These inks do not necessarily clog.  Perhaps its a humidity issue, but I
can't really say I've been able to see any specific pattern to the problems.

Question -- Is the clogging mostly with the Eboni black?

If so, would it be worth using Epson UltraChrome Matte black instead?  If
that ink is purchased in 10K carts, it's not that expensive.  If there is a
market for such, I suspect MIS would do the re-packaging.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

Hi Allan,

Don't believe everything you read on the LL website...if you value fine B&W
prints at all I would be willing to bet that you'd be very unhappy in a
short amount of time using the Epson 2200 and UC inks--straight out of the
box--to print grayscale images. I would highly recommend the Epson 1280 with
UT inks and Paul Roark's curves.

Based on your anticipated print volume you shouldn't have too much trouble
with clogs; depending on where you live, of course. I had an Epson 1160 with
UT inks which I used about once a week; one or two cleanings following a
nozzle check before printing and I was good to go. I live in the desert.
However, if the printer sat for 2-3 weeks because I was busy with other
responsibilities...no good. That was a recipe for trouble. I spent the
better part of 3 hours a couple of weekends ago clearing a stubborn clog
because I hadn't run the printer for a few weeks. I finally decided to "bite
the bullet" and go with IP for my 2200.

I've never run an Epson 1280 with UT inks, but I would guess that if you
follow a regime of head cleanings with nozzle checks about once a week, and,
also do some printing you should be fine.

Alan Huntley

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allan Chen" <kaiyen@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 3:06 PM
Subject: [Digital BW] Kind of the 1280 vs 2200 question


>
> >All,
>
> I've been following this group for...I think over a month now, and have
> been eating up digital BW information here and on the web voraciously for
> longer than that.  I'm getting increasingly frustrated with my options for
> printing in BW traditionally, since I have to go to the local college
> darkroom (which also means I have to sign up for a class), and am now
> firmly committed to getting a digital BW system after I move in
> December.  But..I'm a bit confused now as to what to do.  These questions
> are, in many ways, just more advanced versions of ones I asked when I
first
> joined this board.
>
> I was re-reading the Luminous Landscape review of the 2200, and noticed
how
> a Piezography system was abandoned in favor of the 2200 with OEM inks,
> because of the clogging problelms on the old system but also because the
> quality was "that good."  Now there have been all these posts about
> horrific clogging experiences on all printers, ranging from 1160's to
2200's.
>
> Is it possible to use the 1280, with the UT inks, on a regular but not
> high-volume basis, and not have these horror-stories about clogging?  I
was
> figuring that I probably would only print...5 prints a week.  I could
space

> them out so that I printed 1 every day to day and a half, but that's about
> the highest volume I can get (between finding time to take pictures, to
> scanning them, to editing them and then printing, I just don't put out
> enough volume).  Am I sending myself up a creek without a paddle here?
>
> sigh.
> allan