Digital BW, The Print

Finally I am hoping to retire from the darkroom. I bought an Epson 4800.
I want to print images that  resemble fibre darkroom prints.  Any
suggestions as to whether I should use the Photo black or matte black
cartridges, and/or paper suggestions? Any and all suggestions appreciated!

Perry

For the look you say you want, I would suggest the photo black ink on Epson premium 
semi matte paper (although matte is in the title, you can't print on it with matte black). The 
paper has very pleasing weight (though not quite as heavy as I would like) and color. There 
is very nice mild satin sheen. In both a recent gallery review of my prints and at a very high 
end photographic lab here in the Boston area where I get my negatives developed, I have 
had very positive respones to this paper. The gallery , which deals in both darkroom and 
digital prints had trouble telling the difference. I have aimed at matching my fibre prints 
on Agfa Classic warm tone paper, and in a mat or behind glass, I can't tell the difference. 
Here are some settings to experiment with in the Advanced Black and White (ABW) driver:

                                                         V         H          Shadow         Highlight
Agfa Classic warm                             4         4             -15                 10
more Neutral                                     3         3                0                    0
Greg Gorman settings                       20        4                0                    0

LensWork Magazine  Neutral              10       10            -15                 10
                                Medium Warm   15        15            -15                  10
                                warmer              20       20            -15                  10

Every thing here is on the warm side.
Good luck.

Almost forgot: in the ABW dialog set the "tone" (not "color toning") to darker.

hmmmmm...what is the greg gorman setting? Is he known for preferring  
a certain tone, or does it refer to a famous set of prints by greg  
gorman?

4/4, -15/+10 is a very nice setting for ABW. (your "agfa classic"  
setting) It is the same setting that I use for basically all my  
prints. Works for a wide range of images, and looks good in all kinds  
of light.
thanks for posting those numbers, Doug M

Actually, it was your post last July about the LensWork tones that helped me get oriented 
with ABW. Thanks very much!
The Greg Gorman reference comes from an interview he did in PhotoshopNews.com last 
spring pumping up the 2400. Those were the settings he said he used for most of his 
portraits.