Digital BW, The Print

I'm now expanding my search for B&W printers beyond Epson.  I may 
eventually decide to get 2 Epson 9600's (one w. OEM inks and one with a 
grayscale inkset), or one 9600 running ImagePrint.  Since I don't  anything 
about non-Epson printers, I thought I'd ask here: are there any manufacturers 
besides Epson you would look at for archival B&W output?  E.g., do the other 
wide-format printers offer anything like the ability to load color and grayscale 
inks at the same time?  

(I'm not including the HP 7960 in this query b/c it's too small.  It is, however, a 
brilliant solution.  Now, if it were only available in wide-format and would offer 
the same quality and longevity on non-HP fine-art papers...)

It probably goes w/out saying, but I should add that I obviously am looking for 
neutrality and little to no metamerism.

Hello Chip,

>I'm now expanding my search for B&W printers beyond Epson.  

I seem to recall you were one of the brave first ones to try the
Septone system.  Is that true?  And if so, what happened?


Regards,
Clayton


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

> 
> I seem to recall you were one of the brave first ones to try the
> Septone system.  Is that true?  And if so, what happened?
> 

Indeed I was.  I was therefore also one of the first to get the defective initial 
batch of cartridges, which malfunctioned, dripped ink, wouldn't print, etc.  So, I 
returned them and bailed out of the Septone system rather than taking the 
offered replacements.  I have heard, however, that this problem has been 
solved.  And the sample print I got from them looked great.  So, I would still 
consider Septone to be an option if I dedicate a 9600 to B&W inks.

BUT: anyone have thoughts about non-Epson wide format archival ink 
printers for B&W?  Before I decide to go the route of 3rd pty inks w. an Epson 
printer, I'd like to find out if any manufacturer has gotten B&W right w. OEM 
inks (again, other than HP, because the 7960 is too small for my purposes 
and you can only use HP paper with it for best results and archival 
properties).

I wonder if MIS has thought about making a "tri-gray" cartridge for Epson 
printers like the one HP makes for the 7960?