Digital BW, The Print

Clayton,

>Yes.  My experience is that the Photo Black gives the smoothest tones.
>Matte Black is a bit more grainy looking, and Eboni is even a bit
>more than MK.  I'm not sure why that is, perhaps particle size...

Hm this makes me hesitate. And how would you describe the UT7 results (all
grey tones - in case that you use it)? So far I only have the OEM Epson inks
(Matte black) in my 2100 and I find the BO results encouraging. They look
rather smooth even at 1440 dpi.

I am thinking now of replacing my 1290/ UT2 (which I use for b&w printing)
with the 2100 UT7. However I want to be sure that in the end the results are
at least on par with the 1290. BO printing and with the OEM Epson inks and
with UT2/ Eboni on the 1290 doesn't give the same quality as the 2100 with
Epson matte black - thats why I have been thinking about switching to the
2100.

Paul sent me a scan of a 2200 printed 21 step wedge and it looked smoother
on semigloss paper than the same printed with a 1290 / UT2. In the end, I
want to keep only one printer, I don t really need 2 because I dont do color
anyway....

regards, Bernie

Hello Bernie,

>Hm this makes me hesitate. 

I think you would be doing yourself a disservice to dismiss Eboni
based on this report.  The only way to really know if you will like it
is to try it and see.  It is inexpensive and easy, why not?.  I
personally wouldn't use anything but Eboni because of its cooler
color, great Dmax and all-around beauty on various papers.


>And how would you describe the UT7 results (all
> grey tones - in case that you use it)? 

I haven't tried it yet, but I do have some samples on the way to me.


>So far I only have the OEM Epson inks (Matte black) in my 2100 and 
>I find the BO results encouraging. They look rather smooth even at
>1440 dpi.

Yes, it is very nice, the 21/2200 does a good job.

It is easy to obsess on something to the point of irrationality. 
Sometimes I get too sensitized to subtle nuances and stay up all night
working out some little something in a print down to the 99th degree,
only to get up the next day and not be able to tell the difference
among the final work prints.  

I suggest making some Eboni BO prints and then hang them on the wall
and live with them for awhile.  See how you respond to them 2 weeks
later, and whether a slight microscopic difference in smoothness
lessens the over all impact of the print.  That's the only way to know
for sure.


Regards,
Clayton


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

Clayton: excellent point about people obsessing over a print or
sometimes, even one particular aspect of the print process. Plus,
there are so many preconcieved notions that "X is good" and "Y is
bad". How often do we hear that one can't make good prints with that
printer, that ink, that paper, or that methodology; then see a print
that knocks your socks off. 

And don't get me started on people obsessing over print quality when
the nicest thing you can say about their image capture is that it's in
focus and properly exposed. 

Bob Michaels

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Clayton Jones"
<cj@c...> wrote:

> Hello Bernie,
> 
> >Hm this makes me hesitate. 
> 
> I think you would be doing yourself a disservice to dismiss Eboni
> based on this report.  The only way to really know if you will like it
> is to try it and see.  It is inexpensive and easy, why not?.  I
> personally wouldn't use anything but Eboni because of its cooler
> color, great Dmax and all-around beauty on various papers.
> 
> 
> >And how would you describe the UT7 results (all
> > grey tones - in case that you use it)? 
> 
> I haven't tried it yet, but I do have some samples on the way to me.
> 
> 
> >So far I only have the OEM Epson inks (Matte black) in my 2100 and 
> >I find the BO results encouraging. They look rather smooth even at
> >1440 dpi.
> 
> Yes, it is very nice, the 21/2200 does a good job.
> 
> It is easy to obsess on something to the point of irrationality. 
> Sometimes I get too sensitized to subtle nuances and stay up all night
> working out some little something in a print down to the 99th degree,
> only to get up the next day and not be able to tell the difference
> among the final work prints.  
> 
> I suggest making some Eboni BO prints and then hang them on the wall
> and live with them for awhile.  See how you respond to them 2 weeks
> later, and whether a slight microscopic difference in smoothness
> lessens the over all impact of the print.  That's the only way to know
> for sure.
> 
> 
> Regards,
> Clayton
> 
> 
> Info on black and white digital printing at    
> http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm