Digital BW, The Print

Hi,

Lots of discussion in previous posts about the great B&W results from Ultrachrome 
inks (2200, 7600, & 9600 printers) with an ImagePrint RIP.  I was wondering if 
anyone has compared prints from this system to those printed using the quadtone 
PiezographyBW ink sets.  How do these systems compare in results and use?  
Thanks,

Tom Andrews
http://www.wildlandart.com

Hello Tom,

>I was wondering if anyone has compared prints from this system 
>to those printed using the quadtone PiezographyBW ink sets.  How 
>do these systems compare in results and use?  

Please see the article "Results Of Technical Print Exchange" at the
link below.  It has a description of all the current systems.

Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm

For: Tom Andrews

>  I was wondering if anyone has compared prints from this system to 
> those printed using the quadtone PiezographyBW ink sets.  How do these 
> systems compare in results and use?

I used to print B&W using Piezography on the 1160 and am now printing 
on the 7600 using ImagePrint. I find the results to be the same with 
the exception that my ImagePrint prints are "more neutral" in that they 
don't have the warm tone of the Piezography inks that I was using. With 
ImagePrint you also have the TintPicker facility that allows subtle 
"toning" of the print. The Piezography inks used to clog my printer 
frequently, although I understand the newer Piezography inks are better 
in this respect; I have had no clogs using the Epson Ultrachrome inks. 
As I am in Bangkok using the latter inks, which are easily available 
here, is a big plus as I had to import the Piezography inks from the 
States which was costly because of shipping and high import duty.

Also here's a quote from Jon Cone, the originator of Piezography:

> We see ImagePrint as every bit as good as PiezographyBW Pro24 which is 
> why it was going to be the engine in Piezography2.

--Mitch/Bangkok

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Mitch Alland
<malland@x> wrote:
snip...
> Also here's a quote from Jon Cone, the originator of Piezography:
> 
> > We see ImagePrint as every bit as good as PiezographyBW Pro24
which is 
> > why it was going to be the engine in Piezography2.

The misconception here is that Jon was refering to using the B&W mode
with Ultrchromes and comparing that to Piezography. He was not. For a
short time (and possibly still) IP had a quad mode and profiles for
using a few quad ink sets. During an interim period it was offered as
Piezography2. That's what he was comparing, one quad engine vrs
another. The Ultrachrome/ImagePrint B&W option came later.
Let's compare apples and apples folks. Monochrome solutions for color
ink sets and quad printing are entirely different. Everyone is
entitled to their preferences, but let's not mis-characterize Jon's
statements.
Tyler

Tyler:

>Monochrome solutions for color
> ink sets and quad printing are entirely different. Everyone is
> entitled to their preferences, but let's not mis-characterize Jon's
> statements.

Fair enough. I find that my ImagePrint B&W prints on the 7600 with UC inks are at least 
as good and often better than my Piezography prints on the 1160.

--Mitch/Bangkok

I agree.  I have sadly abandoned Piezography because it has become 
redundant with IP producing equally impressive results from my 7600, 
plus the obvious cost and workflow benefits from having to run only 
one system for colour and B&W.

Personally, I believe that the days of printers dedicated to just B&W 
using monochrome inks are numbered.

Quentin

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "alland20854" 
<malland@x> wrote:
> Tyler:
> 
> >Monochrome solutions for color
> > ink sets and quad printing are entirely different. Everyone is
> > entitled to their preferences, but let's not mis-characterize 
Jon's
> > statements.
> 
> Fair enough. I find that my ImagePrint B&W prints on the 7600 with 
UC inks are at least 

> as good and often better than my Piezography prints on the 1160.
> 
> --Mitch/Bangkok

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "alland20854"
<malland@x> wrote:
> >...but let's not mis-characterize Jon's
> > statements.
> 
> Fair enough. I find that my ImagePrint B&W prints on the 7600 with
UC inks are at least 
> as good and often better than my Piezography prints on the 1160.

Fair enough? I would say barely fair enough, and only because I
stopped by and saw your post. Otherwise it would certainly have become
"fair" and accepted as factual simply because no one corrected it.
Even I would have let it go but saw the quote used as IP ammunition
twice, erroneously.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "qdfb" <qdb@b...>
wrote:
> I agree.  I have sadly abandoned Piezography because it has become 
> redundant with IP producing equally impressive results from my 7600, 
> plus the obvious cost and workflow benefits from having to run only 
> one system for colour and B&W.
> 
> Personally, I believe that the days of printers dedicated to just B&W 
> using monochrome inks are numbered.

Astounding then, that when color papers came along B&W papers remained
on the market and used universally. After all, it's easy to dial in a
monochromatic look from a B&W neg on color paper.

Look guys, I'm not challenging you. I said before it's a good
solution. I haven't even stated my preference. I don't have time to go
out and campaign for the system I use on the internet because I have
prints to make. As I originally attempted to point out to Tom Baker,
your opinions are not universally held, but never suggested they were
not valid. As Clayton Jones pointed out, there is an attempt at an
objective comparison of various systems at-
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm
Even some of that info is losing relevance, since things are moving so
fast. Certainly helpful though.
It's hard to reach command-P from up on this soapbox, so I'll be off now.
Tyler