Digital BW, The Print

I have an Espon C82 I've been using for rarely everyday type stuff, but I was 
thinking of trying it for B&W prints using the EZ inks throug MIS. I was just 
curious if anyone has tried this set-up and how they like it? Is there 
someplace that describes or shows the differance in the prints you can 
achieve by using various Nuetral and Warm combinations? Is there a way to 
achieve prints more on the cool side as well? I know that Photo Rag is 
recommended for paper, are there any other papers that yield good results? 
I'm thinking more along the lines of a canvas or something that resembles a 
canvas, if the c82 will even take those papers.

I believe I've read that the c84 produces slighly better results, but since the 
c82 is what I have, that's what I'm gong to stick with, for now.

Thanks for any info and help.

Keith

Keith,

>I have an Espon C82 ... I was 
>thinking of trying it for B&W prints using the EZ inks throug MIS. 
>...
>Is there someplace that describes or shows the differance in the prints 
>you can achieve by using various Nuetral and Warm combinations?

See the "Tones-Preview" page and file I have for the UT7 inkset.  It's at
http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Tones-Preview.htm  

The above URL has a downloadable .psd file that has layers on it that you
can drag to an RGB version of a B&W file to preview the tones.  The C82 EZ
inks are "neutral/selenium" (may be just a bit cooler than dead neutral on
EEM) and carbon tones.  They are the same tones that the UT7 inkset prints
with curves that are similarly labeled.  So, the preview file at the above
URL will give you an idea of what you'll be able to print with the C82.

> Is there a way to achieve prints more on the cool side as well?

Moab Entrada Bright White paper or others that print cool will be quite cold
with the "neutral" inks.

(I have not tried any canvas type papers in the printer.)
 
>I believe I've read that the c84 produces slighly better results, ...

These machines under print the black ink with color position inks -- at
least with most paper type settings in the driver.  This lowers the dmax
somewhat.  The C84 does not underprint the black ink with "Plain paper"
selected.  I just don't know if that is also true for the C82.  Other than
this, I don't think the C84 is better.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Paul Roark wrote:
> >Is there someplace that describes or shows the differance in the prints
> >you can achieve by using various Nuetral and Warm combinations?
>
>See the "Tones-Preview" page and file I have for the UT7 inkset.  It's at
>http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Tones-Preview.htm
>
>The above URL has a downloadable .psd file that has layers on it that you
>can drag to an RGB version of a B&W file to preview the tones.  The C82 EZ
>inks are "neutral/selenium" (may be just a bit cooler than dead neutral on
>EEM) and carbon tones.  They are the same tones that the UT7 inkset prints
>with curves that are similarly labeled.  So, the preview file at the above
>URL will give you an idea of what you'll be able to print with the C82.


Pardon my newbie enthusiasm, but that is NEAT!

This is copied from your EZ notes:
"Of course, the neat trick of putting a warm cart in the Y spot for 
slightly warm and M spot for medium warm tones is a neat trick that should 
be promoted. Unfortunately, it burns up some ink with the cleaning cycle."

Just wanted to make sure your description there (warm in M spot) is the 
same medium warm shown in the layers example?

Also, can you briefly explain the "it burns up some ink with the cleaning 
cycle" comment?  Why does the cleaning cycle care whether some inks are 
warm or not?

Thanks!!!

-Don M

Don,
 
>Paul Roark wrote:
>> >Is there someplace that describes or shows the differance in the prints
>> >you can achieve by using various Nuetral and Warm combinations?
>>
>>See the "Tones-Preview" page and file I have for the UT7 inkset.  It's at
>>http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Tones-Preview.htm
>>
>>The above URL has a downloadable .psd file that has layers on it that you
>>can drag to an RGB version of a B&W file to preview the tones.  The C82 EZ
>>inks are "neutral/selenium" (may be just a bit cooler than dead neutral on
>>EEM) and carbon tones.  They are the same tones that the UT7 inkset prints
>>with curves that are similarly labeled.  So, the preview file at the above
>>URL will give you an idea of what you'll be able to print with the C82.


>Pardon my newbie enthusiasm, but that is NEAT!

I think a Preview file might be useful.

>This is copied from your EZ notes:
>"Of course, the neat trick of putting a warm cart in the Y spot for 
>slightly warm and M spot for medium warm tones is a neat trick that should 
>be promoted. Unfortunately, it burns up some ink with the cleaning cycle."

>Just wanted to make sure your description there (warm in M spot) is the 
>same medium warm shown in the layers example?

That file is really aimed at the UT7 inkset.  I think if you have 2 neutral
carts installed and a warm one in the Y spot, you'll have tones that are a
bit less warm than the the medium warm tone on the Preview file.  A warm
cart in the M spot is, I believe, slightly warmer than the medium warm
preview.  If all the spots are warm ink, you'll have the carbon tone.

You have a lot of flexibility with the ink positions.  Also, different
papers produce slightly different degrees of warmth or coolness.  The
Preview file was matched to scans of Epson Enhanced Matte ("EEM").

>Also, can you briefly explain the "it burns up some ink with the cleaning 
>cycle" comment?  Why does the cleaning cycle care whether some inks are 
>warm or not?


Every time you change an ink cartridge the printer automatically does a
cleaning cycles to be sure the ink is flowing and get any bubbles out.

Hope it works for you.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

I picked up a C82 when Paul first made the EZ ink set. My plan then was to
use it for the occasional glossy print using the photo K ink. I'd been using
UT in my 1280 for matte prints, my primary need, for a while. Paul then
reported he'd gotten nice prints in the C82 using the EZ color inks along
with the original Epson 'durabrite' black ink. These prints would be less
archival, of course (vs. the full EZ set), but I had no intention of selling
prints off this machine, so I was intrigued. (And in truth the durabrite
inks should be a big step up from regular dyes anyway -- I'd expect these
prints to last a while under proper circumstances.) I figured it wouldn't
cost anything to try this combo and -- if it worked -- I'd have a nifty
little printer that could print on both glossy and matte. (Of course, this
has all been superceded by UT2 and Paul's curves which permit printing on
both surfaces with the Eboni black anyway...thus, my C82 is almost never
used anymore). However, I gotta say -- that combination in the C82 produces
mind-bogglingly good prints. To think Epson claimed the 2200 would make B&W
prints out of the box...the C82 with that ink combination kicks it to the
curb, calls it names, and pours hot coffee over its head. In fact, I can
only just barely see the difference between it and the 1280, at least with
the durabrite K in there. All for about $125, including the EZ ink purchase.
And with zero experimentation on my part.

I've thought about trying the media setting changes to see if I can detect
any dmax difference on the C82 (re: under printing w/color) but have not
done so. I'll try it today. Of course, I am still using the durabrite K in
there, so I dunno how my results are skewed anyway. If I recall the
conversations back then correctly, I'm getting a little better dmax from the
durabrite black as it is.

As for other papers, the only things I've run through it are EEM, photo rag,
Epson Premium semigloss, and Ilford pearl. All have fed and printed
perfectly. And even though it sits literally for two or three weeks without
use it never clogs.

IMHO, this should absolutely be the break-in way to digital B&W for almost
everyone. For lots and lots of people they'll never need anything more. It's
painfully easy and the results are amazing -- no qualifications, either --
just plain first-rate.

And I must once again thank Paul Roark for his tireless work and astonishing
generosity. The joy of photography has returned for me because the digital
workflow actually works now...I shoot film, process it, scan it, and print
using UT inks. Step four had been the obstacle for a long time. No longer is
A&I siphoning off my son's college fund...

Matthew Born

> Subject: EZ inks...
> 
> I have an Espon C82 I've been using for rarely everyday type stuff, but I was
> thinking of trying it for B&W prints using the EZ inks throug MIS.