Digital BW, The Print

Tom,

Thanks for contributing your new software tool for editing curves.  If we
all just do what we can, there will be an open, free B&W printing system out
there that will really be great for all us B&W shooters.

I'm currently working on neutral inks for the sepia-to-neutral variable-tone
and an FS-Neutral inkset.  I'm also working on non-warming inks.  (Well, one
unit out of 256 after 1000 hours in the fader is close.)  Did you notice MIS
has just released the corrected FS density inks?  The neutral-to-sepia VM
might be released tomorrow for quad printers.

So, let's just keep pushing the envelope.


Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

Paul

Just curious, what hue do you expect your non fading inks will turn out?
Might there be a VM version?

Todd

> Tom,
> 
> Thanks for contributing your new software tool for editing curves.  If we
> all just do what we can, there will be an open, free B&W printing system out
> there that will really be great for all us B&W shooters.
> 
> I'm currently working on neutral inks for the sepia-to-neutral variable-tone
> and an FS-Neutral inkset.  I'm also working on non-warming inks.  (Well, one
> unit out of 256 after 1000 hours in the fader is close.)  Did you notice MIS
> has just released the corrected FS density inks?  The neutral-to-sepia VM
> might be released tomorrow for quad printers.
> 
> So, let's just keep pushing the envelope.
> 
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com

Todd,

>...what hue do you expect your non fading inks will turn out?
>Might there be a VM version?

What I'm doing today is making the additive match the neutral base of the
FS-N and VM-sepia.  So, it will be an additive that will not change the
color or density of the neutral cyan ink.  All the other gray inks are
dilutions of this basic cyan -- both for the VM-sepia grays and the FS-N.

The neutral base is my target both because it is incredibly tough as it is
(fades less than any 3rd-party ink I've tested and warm-shifts about half as
fast -- we're in the Epson pigs class now), and because the warming is
primarily a problem with the neutral prints.  As a user goes into the warm
area with the sepia toner, the print will start to warm shift more.
However, it'll be much less of a problem because warm is what the printer
wanted anyway.

I'm also using EAM as the testing paper.  I've found on some papers there is
more warming.  Luckily, what I have not found is any surprises as the
testing has gone further than I've ever tested any other ink.  1000 hours in
my fader is a lot of light, and the test is still going.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com

Paul, is the enhanced black ink from media street still the blackest
black you've found?

Jerry

Jerry,

You wrote:

>Paul, is the enhanced black ink from media street
>still the blackest black you've found?

I haven't done any more testing of black inks.  However, I think it is the
darkest of the commonly used "pigmented" inks -- because it has a
substantial amount of dye added.  Epson and some of the other dye inks are
blacker, I'd guess.  Of the more "pure" pigmented inks, I think MIS VM/FS
and Piezo quad black are the best.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com