Digital BW, The Print

I just bought UT2 refills for my printer (CIS) and the colors are way
different from the previous one (bought less then a year ago). The
previous refill was slightly different from the one before but not as
much as this time.
The culprit is cyan and light cyan which were blue before and now are
a slightly cold gray. I had to adjust my QTR profiles once before to
match the new ink but now there is no way to obtain the tones I want. 
(IncSupply is not very fast with email support so I don't have their
opinion)
I noticed lately people complaining about blotchy colors and assumed
they were doing something wrong, maybe not, maybe the problem is the same.
Did anyone else experienced with UT2 notice the change in colors or is
it possible I just got a "bad" set?

Andu

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "px3n120x" 
<px3n120x@y...> wrote:
> 
> I just bought UT2 refills for my printer (CIS) and the colors are 
way
> different from the previous one (bought less then a year ago). 

Andu.  I recently had the same experiance with UT2 cartridges for my 
1280 printer.  I noted a marked tone shift after replacing a 
cartridge. This was plainly evident when comparing several prints 
with all other variables being unchanged.  I did several nozel 
checks all of which were fine.  I contacted MIS to inform them about 
the problem.  I gave them the batch numbers and they apparently 
verified that the ink tone was unchanged.  However my eyes tell me 
otherwise.
Marc

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "peterzakos"
<peterzakos@y...> wrote:
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "px3n120x" 
> <px3n120x@y...> wrote:
> > 
> > I just bought UT2 refills for my printer (CIS) and the colors are 
> way
> > different from the previous one (bought less then a year ago). 
> 
> Andu.  I recently had the same experiance with UT2 cartridges for my 
> 1280 printer.  I noted a marked tone shift after replacing a 
> cartridge. This was plainly evident when comparing several prints 
> with all other variables being unchanged.  I did several nozel 
> checks all of which were fine.  I contacted MIS to inform them about 
> the problem.  I gave them the batch numbers and they apparently 
> verified that the ink tone was unchanged.  However my eyes tell me 
> otherwise.
> Marc

Thanks for confirming. They are not telling the truth, maybe they are
unaware of the problem. I still have the leftovers from my previous
set of inks so I can prove it.
I believe, in an atempt to get the best compromise output using Epson
drivers they kept adjusting the tones of the inks. I noticed on their
website they give 2 different descriptions of UT2, an older one, "It
can produce tones from full sepia to full cool" and a more recent, "It
can print sepia tones, where the original Ultratone ink could not. It
also can be used with just the Epson sliders to produce warm to
neutral tone prints".
I personally hate sepia at least with the kind of images I print but I
like to have some wormth in the highlights.
Maybe Paul Roark who actually figures out these mixes could shed some
light on this. I have yet to hear from MIS which are on vacation.
Trouble is, if I get new inks I would have to get new carts too.

>...I believe, in an atempt to get the best compromise output using Epson
>drivers they kept adjusting the tones of the inks.

No, all the experimenting is done before an ink is released.  There may be
"silent upgrades" when superior pigments are found, but the upgraded inks
are the same density and tone.  If you see a major difference in an ink,
it's a mistake and will be rectified.  MIS is on its holiday break now, but
I'm sure they'll take care of the problem when they're back.

> ... UT2 ... "It
>can print sepia tones, where the original Ultratone ink could not. It
>also can be used with just the Epson sliders to produce warm to
>neutral tone prints".

This was just a comparison of the UT2 to the UT1 (known as just the "UT"
inkset before the UT2 came out).  There are, of course, different inksets in
the UT family of inks.  Some of these issues come down to people mistakenly
ordering the wrong inks.

On the other hand, there does seem to have been an increase in these
problems recently.  I think this is due to the confluence of several
factors.  The wife of the principal retired.  New employees are being
trained.  Most importantly, the principal, who is an engineer, has made a
machine to load carts efficiently in-house.  This has been a major
undertaking and will be a major advantage when completed.  Ink sellers like
MIS typically contract with other companies to load the carts.  This is the
source of lots of problems.

At any rate, if there was a mistake, I'm sure it'll be taken care of after
the holidays.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark"
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:

If you see a major difference in an ink,
> it's a mistake and will be rectified.  MIS is on its holiday break
now, but
> I'm sure they'll take care of the problem when they're back.

Yes, in about 5 years that I've been dealing with them, they were very
nice.

> 
> > ... UT2 ... "It
> >can print sepia tones, where the original Ultratone ink could not. It
> >also can be used with just the Epson sliders to produce warm to
> >neutral tone prints".
> 
> This was just a comparison of the UT2 to the UT1 (known as just the "UT"
> inkset before the UT2 came out).  There are, of course, different
inksets in
> the UT family of inks.  Some of these issues come down to people
mistakenly
> ordering the wrong inks.

True, it's hard to put order in all the info they have on their site.

> 
> On the other hand, there does seem to have been an increase in these
> problems recently.  I think this is due to the confluence of several
> factors.  The wife of the principal retired. New employees are being
> trained.  Most importantly, the principal, who is an engineer, has
made a
> machine to load carts efficiently in-house.  This has been a major
> undertaking and will be a major advantage when completed.  Ink
sellers like
> MIS typically contract with other companies to load the carts.  This
is the
> source of lots of problems.

I've been using CFS almost from the beginning so in my case it's not a
cartrige issue.

Andu

> 
> At any rate, if there was a mistake, I'm sure it'll be taken care of
after

> the holidays.
> 
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com