Digital BW, The Print

I have just purchased a digital slr kit and I am wanting to make the 
transition from b&w film to digital.
I have an epson c86 printer that I understand I can install a 
dedicated set of black inks to make digital b&w prints.
As I am a novice in this domain, I would appreciate any suggestions 
that anyone could offer in regard to ink systems, software, papers, 
etc.
If the c86 is not a good starting place, please let me know.

Thank You

I started with a couple of C84s and now have two C88s dedicated to B&W.  
Both use MIS pigment inks, one with a continuous feed system and one 
with cartridges.  I have been quite pleased with the output on matte 
paper - have not had the time to tweak a glossy work flow.  (That's why 
one printer uses carts, so I could swap glossy and matte ink easily.  I 
use the second print as additional output during my heavy printing 
sessions.)

The MIS setup for these printers is to have Eboni black in the black 
position, and the same (lighter) ink in the other 3 positions.  These 
lighter inks come in neutral and warm flavors, and you can control the 
print's place on the neutral-warm spectrum by which flavor you put in 
the C, M and Y positions.  (As I recall, neutral in C and M with warm in 
Y is the first step warmer from pure neutral ink - somewhere in the 
archives there may be a chart of how it all works.)

My only question would be whether you can still get third party 
cartridges/CIS systems?  For a while these disappeared after Epson won a 
lawsuit.  I'm still using the original CIS, and bought some spare 
cartridges when the lawsuit was ending, but I have the impression that 
they became hard to find, at least for a while.  Haven't had to look, so 
don't know the current situation.

Be aware that these are not the most robust machines.  I have worn out 
two of them, but I print 1000+ 8x8 prints each Christmas as gifts, plus 
other printing throughout the year.  The printers have been cheap enough 
that even if they wear out after a couple of thousand prints you're only 
talking a few cents/print of cost.

Cheers,
Kip

Steve wrote:
>
> I have just purchased a digital slr kit and I am wanting to make the
> transition from b&w film to digital.
> I have an epson c86 printer that I understand I can install a
> dedicated set of black inks to make digital b&w prints.
> As I am a novice in this domain, I would appreciate any suggestions
> that anyone could offer in regard to ink systems, software, papers,
> etc.
> If the c86 is not a good starting place, please let me know.
>
> Thank You
>
>  


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kip:

Thank you for your prompt response and all the useful information.

Steve