Digital BW, The Print

I've just run initial tests with the MIS VM inka on some samples of 
Oriental Graphica FB..

I'm going to wait for full drydown before making final statements..

However, I ran a 21 step wedge with the inkset and printed it with three 
different paper settings in  a 1270 using the standard EPSON driver:  
Heavyweight Matte, Premium Glossy Photo Paper, &
Photo Quality Glossy Film.  The driver was run at 1440 dpi with "high 
speed" printing turned off - just as one would for standard VM prints on 
EEM.

Surprisingly (at least to me), on initial inspection, there is no 
visible difference in the resulting step wedges.. That would indicate a 
high threshold for potential inkload on the paper.. Whether that has 
resulted in a higher dMax on any of the wedges is still out with the jury..

There is also no visible bronzing in these wedges... However, there is 
some ruboff of pigment in the darkest parts of the wedge.. I'll see if 
drydown affects the latter..

I am impressed that the surface of the paper seems relatively (not 
perfectly though) consistent between areas of high ink load and areas of 
low ink load.. It does look like very much like a ferrotyped FB print to 
me.. (although as others have noted, the tactile suppleness one expects 
from a traditional FB print isn't there)

Once the wedges dry down fully, I'll likely have more to say on this..

-- 

 
Keith Krebs

"Just some guy," and caretaker of the Multiverse's largest EPSON printer 
User Community (highly recommended by Vogon Poets and MegaDodo 
Publications), at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSON_Printers/
 
"For the rest of you out there, the secret is to bang the rocks together 
guys"

 

****************************************************************
CONFIDENTIALITY & COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
This e-mail message, including attachments and contents, is \ufffd Copyright, 
Keith Krebs, 2001-2002, All Rights Reserved. It is expressly for the 
sole use of the intended recipient and may contain confidential and 
privileged information. Absent the express written authorization of the 
author, any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, transfer, or 
distribution is explicitly prohibited and taken at your own risk. If you 
are not, or are unsure whether you are, the intended recipient, please 
contact the sender immediately and destroy all copies of the original 
message. Violations will be prosecuted to the FULL extent allowed under 
applicable civil and criminal law. Imagery published or distributed in 
violation of these conditions shall be subject to a $1500/image 
liquidated damages charge, in addition to any applicable Copyright 
violation penalties.


****************************************************************
{ The P.O.V. Image Service Website is still at http://www.p-o-v-image.com/ }

On Tuesday, December 2, 2003, at 05:47 PM, 
DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com wrote:

> Message: 25
>    Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 20:47:31 -0500
>    From: "Editor P.O.V. Image Service" <editor@...>
> Subject: Initial test results with Oriental FB Glossy  and MIS VM Inks
>
> I've just run initial tests with the MIS VM inka on some samples of
> Oriental Graphica FB..
>
> I'm going to wait for full drydown before making final statements..

Keith,

Which black ink are you using with this paper?

-bruce

bruce greene wrote:

>Which black ink are you using with this paper?
>
>  
>
The standard MIS VM-S black cartridge.. Paul would be a better source on 
what exactly that black is..  If I remember correctly it IS different in 
tone than the MIS  VM black position. I know Carl had some "slight 
bronzing" with the 2200 and UC inks on it..

I plan on trying it with the UT v2 inkset as soon as they are available...

I'm also planning on testing this paper with the MIS GP blacks (both the 
matte and the photo K) as well as the MediaStreet Generations G-Chrome 
(again both the matte and photo K versions).. I have most of the inks 
already (excluding the UT v2 set of course). If the black in the UT v2 
set is going to be the same as that in the current UT set, I could test 
that black as well (I have a bunch of UT v1 ink)..

However, testing is going to be a bit slower than it might normally be.. 
My car was rear-ended last week, and I'm on a bunch of meds for pain, 
joint damage, and soft tissue damage.. When I'm on them, my attention 
span is limited, when I'm not, the pain is generally too much to allow 
me to focus for any significant length of time..

One strange thing.. The insert sheet with the paper says it actually 
recommends "laminating prints or using (a) commercially available 
surface processing agent." It also specifically says the paper can be 
hot laminated..

Apparently, the paper has a VERY delicate surface structure, to quote 
"Surfaces of FB Glossy Paper employs very soft structure... Be sure to 
handle the paper very softly" It also warns against lamination or even 
placing the print in a sleeve before dry down and says that prints are 
"not sticky or dry when you touch it immediately after printing."



 
Keith Krebs

"Just some guy," and caretaker of the Multiverse's largest EPSON printer 
User Community (highly recommended by Vogon Poets and MegaDodo 
Publications), at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSON_Printers/
 
"For the rest of you out there, the secret is to bang the rocks together 
guys"

Ok, and the results are in... for the first round with the MIS VM-s set.

The blacks show very little ruboff.. Best I have seen from an RC paper 
with the black from this inkset... OTOH, the re is something VERY 
strange that perhaps Paul can explain..  When running this test I ran 
the file to the printer in 16 bit grayscale and let the inks default to 
positions along the wedge without any curves..

 From 100%-90% we have Black of a single density in all three ramps... 
Very minor ruboff.. That could make this paper and the black great for 
trying out Clayton's BO process..  I may actually, therefore, finally 
give that process a shot on this media..

However, at 90-80% on the ramps we have something VERY weird...  There 
were dark blacks there with a lot of brownish tinge to them.. I say WERE 
because, when I checked them for ruboff they lost the vast majority of 
their pigment and are now actually about as light in tone as the 35% 
position..  I'm guessing that the combination of high black load and 
high "brown/sepia load" there actually may have clogged the micropores 
somehow BEFORE the ink actually ended up below the microporous surface 
layer..

Once we get down below say 70% the ramp proceeds in a nice normal 
(brownish toned as one would expect) pattern all the way down to 0 with 
negligible ruboff...

So, what now?

I'm thinking that I'm going to run the same three ramps with a no black 
set of curves, as well as a no sepia (i.e. COLD curve) and see what 
happens... Does that make sense?

Obviously, I'll run similar tests with the MIS-VM set. But hoped someone 
else could point out if I might be missing something here?

-- 

 
Keith Krebs

"Just some guy," and caretaker of the Multiverse's largest EPSON printer 
User Community (highly recommended by Vogon Poets and MegaDodo 
Publications), at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSON_Printers/
 
"For the rest of you out there, the secret is to bang the rocks together 
guys"

Round 2 and it looks like this paper is a very good candidate for BO..;

Of the three ramps, the only one with any real promise is the BO one,,,

So, I've moved ahead to printing a BO sample (combination ramp and 
print) and found.. ugh.. bronzing at about 93-95%..

However, I ran a second print and ramp combination sheet where I used a 
curve to limit output at 100% input to 95% and VOILA! (of course that 
also means tweaking the curve a bit to return some POP to the image...

We'll see how it all fairs after drydown...

I've got both prints.  Potentially, the bronzed areas on the first combo 
print could be fine after drydown (and yes, sadly, they are darker than 
the unbronzed areas).. but I doubt it..

I'll probably go with trying the MIS GP Photo K in BO mode on this paper 
next.. as well as the Photo K from the MediaStreet  Generations G Chromes..

I'll also be doing Color pigment inkset tests, but won't be reporting 
those here, obviously.


 
Keith Krebs

"Just some guy," and caretaker of the Multiverse's largest EPSON printer 
User Community (highly recommended by Vogon Poets and MegaDodo 
Publications), at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSON_Printers/
 
"For the rest of you out there, the secret is to bang the rocks together 
guys"