Digital BW, The Print

I have started reading about B&W and BO printing recently and found 
that is a HUGE area that I don't really have time to master right now 
as I currently struggle with a million other technical issues and 
digital printing is not my main business.  However I would like to 
produce some "ok" quality B&W photo prints with the Epson 1280 using 
the Epson inks that we currently have.  So far, everything I do looks 
terrible, but am sure it is a problem with my expertise. BO is awful, 
almost like the head is clogged and is out of ink, grainy beyond 
belief, but there is still black ink left, and we have run the 
cleaning routine repeatedly. FI is better but still has banding, the 
ink still seems to spatter and crap out around any text like with BO, 
and is still just really BAD quality. Printing from Photoshop 7, no 
profile (at this point I don't even care about levels or tone, jsut 
want it to print without banding or spatter) I Have tried grayscale, 
RGB and CMYK modes, and nothing seems to help. Tried printing at 720 
and 1440, 1440 is a little better but still unacceptable. I am also 
wondering if this printer can handle different kinds of elements on 
the page such as flat color areas/graphics, logos and text, or if 
this printer is strictly for photos only?

Everything I have read says we ultimately have to buy the Eboni inks 
for BO and/or others for FI, but I want to get at least a passable 
quality from the standard inks with this printer or I don't think I 
am going to have much luck with better inks. I have a need to print 
just 2 photos in the next two days of passable quality and don't have 
a lot of time to learn or order special/expensive inks.  Later I 
would like to learn and get better inks, but right now we just need 
to get something done. I had assumed that this printer was capable of 
basic printing with the standard inks, perhaps I am on the wrong 
track and my problem is somwhere in a software setting or I have a 
bad cartridge?

Is there a way to get the best possible quality out of the 
1280/Photoshop 7 with the Epson inks?

Windows Xp
Photoshop 7
Epson 1280 Photo

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

You can print black only and achieve good prints using Epson OEM 
inks for the 1280.  The problem with longevity remains with dye 
inks.  This link to Clayton Jones articles will get you started in 
no time.
Paul

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "dhappi2" 
<dhappi@h...> wrote:
> I have started reading about B&W and BO printing recently and 
found 
> that is a HUGE area that I don't really have time to master right 
now 
> as I currently struggle with a million other technical issues and 
> digital printing is not my main business.  However I would like to 
> produce some "ok" quality B&W photo prints with the Epson 1280 
using 
> the Epson inks that we currently have.  So far, everything I do 
looks 
> terrible, but am sure it is a problem with my expertise. BO is 
awful, 
> almost like the head is clogged and is out of ink, grainy beyond 
> belief, but there is still black ink left, and we have run the 
> cleaning routine repeatedly. FI is better but still has banding, 
the 
> ink still seems to spatter and crap out around any text like with 
BO, 
> and is still just really BAD quality. Printing from Photoshop 7, 
no 
> profile (at this point I don't even care about levels or tone, 
jsut 
> want it to print without banding or spatter) I Have tried 
grayscale, 
> RGB and CMYK modes, and nothing seems to help. Tried printing at 
720 
> and 1440, 1440 is a little better but still unacceptable. I am 
also 
> wondering if this printer can handle different kinds of elements 
on 
> the page such as flat color areas/graphics, logos and text, or if 
> this printer is strictly for photos only?
> 
> Everything I have read says we ultimately have to buy the Eboni 
inks 
> for BO and/or others for FI, but I want to get at least a passable 
> quality from the standard inks with this printer or I don't think 
I 
> am going to have much luck with better inks. I have a need to 
print 
> just 2 photos in the next two days of passable quality and don't 
have 
> a lot of time to learn or order special/expensive inks.  Later I 
> would like to learn and get better inks, but right now we just 
need 
> to get something done. I had assumed that this printer was capable 
of 

> basic printing with the standard inks, perhaps I am on the wrong 
> track and my problem is somwhere in a software setting or I have a 
> bad cartridge?
> 
> Is there a way to get the best possible quality out of the 
> 1280/Photoshop 7 with the Epson inks?
> 
> Windows Xp
> Photoshop 7
> Epson 1280 Photo
> 
> Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

Sorry, the link was http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm for the 
black only instructions.
Paul

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "dhappi2" 
<dhappi@h...> wrote:
> I have started reading about B&W and BO printing recently and 
found 
> that is a HUGE area that I don't really have time to master right 
now 
> as I currently struggle with a million other technical issues and 
> digital printing is not my main business.  However I would like to 
> produce some "ok" quality B&W photo prints with the Epson 1280 
using 
> the Epson inks that we currently have.  So far, everything I do 
looks 
> terrible, but am sure it is a problem with my expertise. BO is 
awful, 
> almost like the head is clogged and is out of ink, grainy beyond 
> belief, but there is still black ink left, and we have run the 
> cleaning routine repeatedly. FI is better but still has banding, 
the 
> ink still seems to spatter and crap out around any text like with 
BO, 
> and is still just really BAD quality. Printing from Photoshop 7, 
no 
> profile (at this point I don't even care about levels or tone, 
jsut 
> want it to print without banding or spatter) I Have tried 
grayscale, 
> RGB and CMYK modes, and nothing seems to help. Tried printing at 
720 
> and 1440, 1440 is a little better but still unacceptable. I am 
also 
> wondering if this printer can handle different kinds of elements 
on 
> the page such as flat color areas/graphics, logos and text, or if 
> this printer is strictly for photos only?
> 
> Everything I have read says we ultimately have to buy the Eboni 
inks 
> for BO and/or others for FI, but I want to get at least a passable 
> quality from the standard inks with this printer or I don't think 
I 
> am going to have much luck with better inks. I have a need to 
print 
> just 2 photos in the next two days of passable quality and don't 
have 
> a lot of time to learn or order special/expensive inks.  Later I 
> would like to learn and get better inks, but right now we just 
need 
> to get something done. I had assumed that this printer was capable 
of 

> basic printing with the standard inks, perhaps I am on the wrong 
> track and my problem is somwhere in a software setting or I have a 
> bad cartridge?
> 
> Is there a way to get the best possible quality out of the 
> 1280/Photoshop 7 with the Epson inks?
> 
> Windows Xp
> Photoshop 7
> Epson 1280 Photo
> 
> Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

Thanks so much,

I did read these articles, and I think he was using the specialty 
inks and a 2200 (I have a 1280.)  Do these steps still apply?


--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "bwinkjet" 
<bwinkjet@y...> wrote:

> Sorry, the link was http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm for the 
> black only instructions.
> Paul
>

Yes he was.  But the same instructions work well with a 1280 and 
Epson dye inks.  I have a number of prints made this way and other 
than longevity issues they are great.  If your printers nozzles are 
clear and you get good patterns on checks, BO using Clayton's 
suggested settings will be a very good place to start before you 
tweak the image to achieve your personal vision.  Hope it works for 
you.
Paul

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "dhappi2" 
<dhappi@h...> wrote:

> Thanks so much,
> 
> I did read these articles, and I think he was using the specialty 
> inks and a 2200 (I have a 1280.)  Do these steps still apply?
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "bwinkjet" 
> <bwinkjet@y...> wrote:
> > Sorry, the link was http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm for the 
> > black only instructions.
> > Paul
> >

At 04:30 PM 12/2/03 +0000, you wrote:
>I have started reading about B&W and BO printing recently and found
>that is a HUGE area that I don't really have time to master right now
>as I currently struggle with a million other technical issues and
>digital printing is not my main business.  However I would like to
>produce some "ok" quality B&W photo prints with the Epson 1280 using
>the Epson inks that we currently have.  So far, everything I do looks
>terrible, but am sure it is a problem with my expertise. BO is awful,
>almost like the head is clogged and is out of ink, grainy beyond
>belief, but there is still black ink left, and we have run the
>cleaning routine repeatedly. FI is better but still has banding, the
>ink still seems to spatter and crap out around any text like with BO,
>and is still just really BAD quality. Printing from Photoshop 7, no
>profile (at this point I don't even care about levels or tone, jsut
>want it to print without banding or spatter) I Have tried grayscale,
>RGB and CMYK modes, and nothing seems to help. Tried printing at 720
>and 1440, 1440 is a little better but still unacceptable. I am also
>wondering if this printer can handle different kinds of elements on
>the page such as flat color areas/graphics, logos and text, or if
>this printer is strictly for photos only?
>
>Everything I have read says we ultimately have to buy the Eboni inks
>for BO and/or others for FI, but I want to get at least a passable
>quality from the standard inks with this printer or I don't think I
>am going to have much luck with better inks. I have a need to print
>just 2 photos in the next two days of passable quality and don't have
>a lot of time to learn or order special/expensive inks.  Later I
>would like to learn and get better inks, but right now we just need
>to get something done. I had assumed that this printer was capable of
>basic printing with the standard inks, perhaps I am on the wrong
>track and my problem is somwhere in a software setting or I have a
>bad cartridge?
>
>Is there a way to get the best possible quality out of the
>1280/Photoshop 7 with the Epson inks?
>
>Windows Xp
>Photoshop 7
>Epson 1280 Photo
>
>Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
>


You shouldn't be having so many problems getting a very good B/O print. If 
it looks good on the screen it should also print well.  I use the 1280 with 
plain Epson or MIS dye inks. My images from 35mm panorama negs are around 4 
to 6 in. high by whatever length at 360-700 DPI, scanned with a Epson 3200 
scanner at 3200 DPI.  I print the grey scale image 1440 on EAM.  with no 
other adjusting. Behind glass they are easily mistaken for silver prints.

You have looked at this haven't you?: http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm

AZ

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