Digital BW, The Print

I recently (a couple days ago) switched from MIS VM inks to UT2 inks 
using a 1280 printer with EEM paper and the Roark neutral UT2 curve 
for that paper. Instead of obtaining netural black and white tones 
similar to a BO print, I get slightly pinkish or slightly warm tones, 
which I assume is because the "netural" curve is really a curve 
designed to produce a selenium toned look. However, I don't want an 
obvious "this print was selenium toned" look, which I never liked in 
a darkroom and which I don't like here. I just want good netural 
blacks, whites, and midtones similar to what I can get with BO prints 
and similar to what I can get in a darkroom. 

FWIW, in addition to using the neutral curve I've played around with 
the Epson sliders, generally increasing cyan and reducing magenta, 
and while that certainly changed the look of the print it still left 
me with slightly pinkish looking tones. I have run cleaning cycles, 
which MIS tech support said was all that was needed when switching 
from VM to UT2 (and, if it matters, I've properly aligned the heads 
and I get good nozzle checks).

Could someone either (a) point me to a dowloadable curve that will 
produce neutral black and whites with UT2 inks and this printer and 
paper, or (b) provide me with slider settings in the Epson driver 
that will produce that result, (c) tell me what changes need to be 
made to the Roark neutral EEM UT2 curve to obtain netural blacks and 
whites, or (d) provide any other suggestions for accomplishing what 
I'm trying to accomplish? Thanks.

My experience and desires are the same as yours. Tone is a function of
paper choice as well as ink. Read Clayton Jones paper comparison
tests. http://www.cjcom.net/articles/digiprn5.htm Personally, I really
like the Hawk Mountain Condor BW for the images I shoot. That's
neutral with Eboni to my eye. 

Bob Michaels

  --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "bellis33624"
<bellis60@v...> wrote:

> 
> I recently (a couple days ago) switched from MIS VM inks to UT2 inks 
> using a 1280 printer with EEM paper and the Roark neutral UT2 curve 
> for that paper. Instead of obtaining netural black and white tones 
> similar to a BO print, I get slightly pinkish or slightly warm tones, 
> which I assume is because the "netural" curve is really a curve 
> designed to produce a selenium toned look. However, I don't want an 
> obvious "this print was selenium toned" look, which I never liked in 
> a darkroom and which I don't like here. I just want good netural 
> blacks, whites, and midtones similar to what I can get with BO prints 
> and similar to what I can get in a darkroom. 
> 
> FWIW, in addition to using the neutral curve I've played around with 
> the Epson sliders, generally increasing cyan and reducing magenta, 
> and while that certainly changed the look of the print it still left 
> me with slightly pinkish looking tones. I have run cleaning cycles, 
> which MIS tech support said was all that was needed when switching 
> from VM to UT2 (and, if it matters, I've properly aligned the heads 
> and I get good nozzle checks).
> 
> Could someone either (a) point me to a dowloadable curve that will 
> produce neutral black and whites with UT2 inks and this printer and 
> paper, or (b) provide me with slider settings in the Epson driver 
> that will produce that result, (c) tell me what changes need to be 
> made to the Roark neutral EEM UT2 curve to obtain netural blacks and 
> whites, or (d) provide any other suggestions for accomplishing what 
> I'm trying to accomplish? Thanks.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "bellis33624"
<bellis60@v...> wrote:
> 
> I recently (a couple days ago) switched from MIS VM inks to UT2 inks 
> using a 1280 printer with EEM paper and the Roark neutral UT2 curve 
> for that paper. Instead of obtaining netural black and white tones 
> similar to a BO print, I get slightly pinkish or slightly warm tones, 
> which I assume is because the "netural" curve is really a curve 
> designed to produce a selenium toned look. However, I don't want an 
> obvious "this print was selenium toned" look, which I never liked in 
> a darkroom and which I don't like here. I just want good netural 
> blacks, whites, and midtones similar to what I can get with BO prints 
> and similar to what I can get in a darkroom. 
> 
> FWIW, in addition to using the neutral curve I've played around with 
> the Epson sliders, generally increasing cyan and reducing magenta, 
> and while that certainly changed the look of the print it still left 
> me with slightly pinkish looking tones. I have run cleaning cycles, 
> which MIS tech support said was all that was needed when switching 
> from VM to UT2 (and, if it matters, I've properly aligned the heads 
> and I get good nozzle checks).
> 
> Could someone either (a) point me to a dowloadable curve that will 
> produce neutral black and whites with UT2 inks and this printer and 
> paper, or (b) provide me with slider settings in the Epson driver 
> that will produce that result, (c) tell me what changes need to be 
> made to the Roark neutral EEM UT2 curve to obtain netural blacks and 
> whites, or (d) provide any other suggestions for accomplishing what 
> I'm trying to accomplish? Thanks.

Hello, I use slider of Epson driver with this setting:
Mode Vivid
L -7
Contrast +4
C +10
M -10
Y -4

Namastè

Stefano