Josh-
VFA is a considerably whiter and cooler paper than USFA. The VFA
contains OBAs. I have never compared the two with the same driver
paper setting because I just use the "correct" setting in the
driver. I do, however, print USFA routinely at -12 -16 in the
driver, which makes the ink color more neutral. Without this
adjustment to tone (and with the "correct") paper settings, the USFA
print in considerably warmer. With the color adjustment I use, the
USFA is actually more neutral. Relatively, the VFA inks look
creamier.
On the dmax figures you give, this is all relative to the Innova
paper. So I'd have to call it a paper/ink test, not an ink test.
With the K3 inks, the VFA has consistently measured in the 1.75 to
1.77 range, the USFA 1.64 to 1.66 (the color adjustments reduce the
dmax slightly). Both of these figures better your K7/Innova/1.64,
the USFA by a hair and probably not meaningfully (I think .3 or .4 is
about what I can actually see as a significant difference on the
paper). The K3/VFA seems to be in a class by itself for a matte
paper and you can *see* it.
Inks and matte papers are highly interactive. As a matter of
practice, I think we have to settle on an ink and find the paper for
it, or settle on a paper and find the ink for it. We can't really
endorse these two materials separately, at least not with matte
papers. And we cannot draw conclusions about an ink by testing it on
one paper (or about one paper by testing it with one ink).
For someone interested in a smooth-surfaced, OBA free heavy cotton
paper, I'd at least look at the USFA. I've found it quite remarkable
on the balance (over a few hundred prints) and the quality control
and packaging are truly excellent. It is also coated two sides. I
think the quality control and dual coating more or less ofset its
high cost.
Walt
--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "joshhackney"
<joshhackney@g...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Set-up #1. 7800, K3, Epson Matte Black, ABW, Neutral, Light,
Innova Photo Smooth
> Cotton, QTR create ICC with i1.
> Set-up #2. 2200, K7, K7 Black, QTR, IJM's QTR curve for Innova
Photo Smooth Cotton,
> Innova Photo Smooth Cotton, QTR create ICC with i1.
>
> My first observation is that the media type selection in ABW mode
effects hue. Perhaps
> that fact has already been posted, but I must have missed it. The
Ultrasmooth FA media
> selection produces a warmer print on the above Innova paper than
does the VFA media
> setting - both were printed with neutral and light selected within
ABW. Walt, since I know
> you are actively using both of these papers, is VFA a warmer paper
than Ultrasmooth FA? I
> haven't used USFA yet. I assume ABW is trying to compensate for
the paper as it tries to
> produce "neutral" prints.
>
> Jon Cone has taken it on the chin a bit for not having great dmax
with the new K7 inks,
> but I am finding that they measure significantly better than
Epson's Matte black. On the
> same Innova paper, the best dmax I have achieved with K3 is 1.598,
while with K7 I have
> achieved dmax of 1.638. That's a significant difference. From my
observations, I see no
> reason not to wholehearted embrace the K6/K7 inks. For now, I
believe that I am stuck,
> since I have not seen any third party inks in the new pressurized
carts for the 7800/9800.
> Nice work Jon. I'm waiting patiently for the day I can run K7 in
pressurized carts!
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