Digital BW, The Print

I tried coating some Silver Rag (I do hope that they change the name)
with Krystal Topkote in a second pass, The visible improvement was
quite dramatic – possibly the biggest improvement that I've seen
during the short period I've been testing Topkote. The D-Max increase
of around 0.13 was plainly visible, as was the reduction in glare. As
this is beta test paper, it may be that the surface properties of the
paper I'm looking at are not the same as those that everyone else is
looking at. 

Because I only got five sheets in total (hey, I'm grateful that they
sent even five sheets to an obscure nobody like me) I couldn't do a
full side-by-side coated/uncoated test to quantify the density change
at different original densities. As with Epson Premium Glossy Photo,
the only other paper that I have done any significant amount of
Topkote testing on, the coating improved the shadow separation. Coated
EPGP has a slightly higher D-Max than coated Silver Rag, but the
coating narrowed the gap, and these results are, of course, just for
my printer setup and they could change as I tweak the profiles to make
the most of the coating.

When the four Silver Rag postcards that I had sent out were received,
one postcard showed a little scratching/abrasion through to the paper
base. I suspect that the Topkote will protect against that to some
extent. Even uncoated, it is excellent postcard paper.

Original print: K3 PK, LK and LLK inks in a 2200, IJC/OPM
Overcoat: Epson driver, Watercolor Radiant White setting, 720 dpi,
High Speed

Best,
Helen

Hello Helen,

It's been so great reading everyone's impressions of this paper (I, too, hope they change 
the name...!), and your comments have been especially thorough and interesting.

One question, and this is probably a really obvious one, but I am just getting started with 
an Epson 2200 (bye bye Canon) that a friend who bought the R2400 gave me. When you 
mentioned at the bottom of this post that you were using K3 inks in your 2200, it threw 
me. Did I read that right? 


Sarah



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "helen_bach2003" 
<helenbach@h...> wrote:

>
> I tried coating some Silver Rag (I do hope that they change the name)
> with Krystal Topkote in a second pass, The visible improvement was
> quite dramatic – possibly the biggest improvement that I've seen
> during the short period I've been testing Topkote. The D-Max increase
> of around 0.13 was plainly visible, as was the reduction in glare. As
> this is beta test paper, it may be that the surface properties of the
> paper I'm looking at are not the same as those that everyone else is
> looking at. 
> 
> Because I only got five sheets in total (hey, I'm grateful that they
> sent even five sheets to an obscure nobody like me) I couldn't do a
> full side-by-side coated/uncoated test to quantify the density change
> at different original densities. As with Epson Premium Glossy Photo,
> the only other paper that I have done any significant amount of
> Topkote testing on, the coating improved the shadow separation. Coated
> EPGP has a slightly higher D-Max than coated Silver Rag, but the
> coating narrowed the gap, and these results are, of course, just for
> my printer setup and they could change as I tweak the profiles to make
> the most of the coating.
> 
> When the four Silver Rag postcards that I had sent out were received,
> one postcard showed a little scratching/abrasion through to the paper
> base. I suspect that the Topkote will protect against that to some
> extent. Even uncoated, it is excellent postcard paper.
> 
> Original print: K3 PK, LK and LLK inks in a 2200, IJC/OPM
> Overcoat: Epson driver, Watercolor Radiant White setting, 720 dpi,
> High Speed
> 
> Best,
> Helen
>

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "sagaface" 
<sagaface@y...> wrote:
>
> 
> Hello Helen,
> 
> 
> One question, and this is probably a really obvious one, but I am 
just getting started with 
> an Epson 2200 (bye bye Canon) that a friend who bought the R2400 
gave me. When you 
> mentioned at the bottom of this post that you were using K3 inks in 
your 2200, it threw 
> me. Did I read that right? 
> 
> 
> Sarah
> 
> 


Yes, you read it right, she claified that in one other post. As a 3 
black system with a RIP set up for only black and white prints, there 
is no reason you couldn't use those inks. If you run a color RIP, 
there is again no reason you couldn't use part of the K3 set in 
you "regular" Ultrachrome printer.

Officially, Epson will tell you that the pigment to base ratio of the 
newer inks is far to high to be used in older printers. But the third 
party inks that I use, which are also a high pigment to base ratio, 
work very well in my ancient 9500. I do need to use a RIP since the 
density of each color hits maximum far before the OEM inks.

Hi Sarah,

Greg has already given an excellent answer, but I'd just like to add
that I'm using the inks in refillable cartridges. The R2400 carts
don't fit in the 2200. After my initial tests, for which I emptied
R2400 cartridges, I used the 110 ml cartridges from the 4800 series.
The 4000 and the 4800 use the same matte black cartridge, by the way.

Best,
Helen 

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "sagaface"
<sagaface@y...> wrote:
>
> 
> Hello Helen,
> 
> It's been so great reading everyone's impressions of this paper (I,
too, hope they change 
> the name...!), and your comments have been especially thorough and
interesting.
> 
> One question, and this is probably a really obvious one, but I am
just getting started with 
> an Epson 2200 (bye bye Canon) that a friend who bought the R2400
gave me. When you 
> mentioned at the bottom of this post that you were using K3 inks in
your 2200, it threw 

> me. Did I read that right? 
> 
> 
> Sarah

> When the four Silver Rag postcards that I had sent out were received,
> one postcard showed a little scratching/abrasion through to the paper
> base. I suspect that the Topkote will protect against that to some
> extent. Even uncoated, it is excellent postcard paper.

Helen,

Any chance of a DIY abrasion test with for example an electric 
toothbrush on several papers coated/uncoated ?

Ernst

                    --
           Ernst Dinkla


www.pigment-print.com
(         unvollendet         )

That's an idea. I'll work on the design of a sufficiently repeatable
test that is within my capability and that mimics typical damage.

Best,
Helen

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Ernst Dinkla
<E.Dinkla@c...> wrote:

> Helen,
> 
> Any chance of a DIY abrasion test with for example an electric 
> toothbrush on several papers coated/uncoated ?
> 
> Ernst