QTR-Quadtone RIP

I have a R1800 I want to convert to black and white only. I saw the
option for UTBO at inksupply.com and it looks nice but to me it looks
like its just using 3 of the same black inks. Is this true?

Is there a option out there that you can buy that uses 7 or all 8
carts to get a really nice good black and white print? Maybe something
that uses Black, gray, light gray, dark gray, light light gray etc. I
know that Jon Cone makes a set but man its pricey (nothing against it,
I am sure its awesome!).

I have no need for color printing on this R1800 so I can use as many
of the carts needed, I just want really smooth black and whites.

>I have a R1800 I want to convert to black and white only. 
>I saw the option for UTBO at inksupply.com and it looks 
>nice but to me it looks like its just using 3 of the same 
>black inks. Is this true?

Yes, for a full write up see http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/R1800.htm

The point of that inkset was to obtain a relatively neutral 100% carbon
inkset.  The "blended" inksets (where color inks are mixed with carbon) are,
in my view, a compromise I'm no longer willing to make in my work.  The 1800
was the first printer with the 1.5 pl droplet that made reasonably smooth
prints.  There is a comparison of smoothness in my write-up.  Still, of
course, it's not going to be as smooth as an inkset that uses dilute inks. 

>Is there an option out there that you can buy that uses 
>7 or all 8 carts to get a really nice good black and white print? 

The problem with dilute 100% carbon is that it gets warm.  However, what I
found is that it's the base as much as the version of carbon used that makes
the image warm.  So, taking the most neutral carbon I could find -- MIS
Eboni -- I searched for a base that could keep it at least somewhat neutral.
The results of this search are the Eboni-6 and Carbon-6 inksets.  See
http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Eboni-6.pdf and
http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Ink-Mixing.pdf 

I've "moth-balled" my 1800 and now use these two inkset exclusively.  You
can see in my write-ups the tones that I'm achieving.  It's very dependent
on the paper used.  As a practical matter, while there is always an increase
in Lab B relative to the paper base, however, with a brightened paper the
Lab B can be held down to near 0 -- depending in part on the printer and
profile.  The smaller the droplet, and warmer carbon gets.  So, with an
1800, using the most "neutral" paper -- Premier Art Smooth BW -- the Lab B
can be held to about 1.  (On my 1400, which also has a 1.5 pl droplet size,
Lab B with Eboni-6 is 0.74 at 50% and peaks at 1.26 at 65%.)

The Carbon-6 wetting agent (Photo Flo) is not good enough for the 1.5 pl
printers, but the Eboni-6 wetting agent is.  Also, some have experimented
with other wetting agents that produce very smooth prints in an 1800.  See
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/message/9293
0 on the Yahoo B&W digital print forum: "...I tried a 50-50 mix of Ecover
Rinse Aid and Nature Clean Rinse Agent bought at local grocery store. ...
Banding is now gone. Zero. Nothing. Even under a magnifying glass."  This
was on an 1800.  I've used some strong Dow surfactants and obtained smooth
results also. (The author of the B&W Digital Print forum note might be
willing to share his profiles also.  I don't have any for the 1800 with
dilute carbon inks.) 

Bottom line, with QTR the 1800 can make very good 100% carbon prints -- if
Eboni-6 or a powerful enough wetting agent is used with the Carbon-6
home-brew approach.

Let us know what you end up doing and how it works.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Thanks for the information Paul. 

I am also looking at the GQ2 ink set and it looks pretty nice. It
looks like it uses pigment inks...my prints are mainly for weddings,
engagements/pregnancy shots and my own personal prints. Nothing else.
Would this ink set be a problem?

Thanks again for the info!
Shane

--- In QuadtoneRIP@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark" <paul.roark@...> wrote:
>
> 
> 
> >I have a R1800 I want to convert to black and white only. 
> >I saw the option for UTBO at inksupply.com and it looks 
> >nice but to me it looks like its just using 3 of the same 
> >black inks. Is this true?
> 
> Yes, for a full write up see http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/R1800.htm
> 
> The point of that inkset was to obtain a relatively neutral 100% carbon
> inkset.  The "blended" inksets (where color inks are mixed with
carbon) are,
> in my view, a compromise I'm no longer willing to make in my work. 
The 1800
> was the first printer with the 1.5 pl droplet that made reasonably
smooth
> prints.  There is a comparison of smoothness in my write-up.  Still, of
> course, it's not going to be as smooth as an inkset that uses dilute
inks. 
> 
> >Is there an option out there that you can buy that uses 
> >7 or all 8 carts to get a really nice good black and white print? 
> 
> The problem with dilute 100% carbon is that it gets warm.  However,
what I
> found is that it's the base as much as the version of carbon used
that makes
> the image warm.  So, taking the most neutral carbon I could find -- MIS
> Eboni -- I searched for a base that could keep it at least somewhat
neutral.
> The results of this search are the Eboni-6 and Carbon-6 inksets.  See
> http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Eboni-6.pdf and
> http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/Ink-Mixing.pdf 
> 
> I've "moth-balled" my 1800 and now use these two inkset exclusively.
 You
> can see in my write-ups the tones that I'm achieving.  It's very
dependent
> on the paper used.  As a practical matter, while there is always an
increase
> in Lab B relative to the paper base, however, with a brightened
paper the
> Lab B can be held down to near 0 -- depending in part on the printer and
> profile.  The smaller the droplet, and warmer carbon gets.  So, with an
> 1800, using the most "neutral" paper -- Premier Art Smooth BW -- the
Lab B
> can be held to about 1.  (On my 1400, which also has a 1.5 pl
droplet size,
> Lab B with Eboni-6 is 0.74 at 50% and peaks at 1.26 at 65%.)
> 
> The Carbon-6 wetting agent (Photo Flo) is not good enough for the 1.5 pl
> printers, but the Eboni-6 wetting agent is.  Also, some have
experimented
> with other wetting agents that produce very smooth prints in an
1800.  See
>
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint/message/9293
> 0 on the Yahoo B&W digital print forum: "...I tried a 50-50 mix of
Ecover
> Rinse Aid and Nature Clean Rinse Agent bought at local grocery
store. ...
> Banding is now gone. Zero. Nothing. Even under a magnifying glass."
 This
> was on an 1800.  I've used some strong Dow surfactants and obtained
smooth
> results also. (The author of the B&W Digital Print forum note might be
> willing to share his profiles also.  I don't have any for the 1800 with
> dilute carbon inks.) 
> 
> Bottom line, with QTR the 1800 can make very good 100% carbon prints
-- if

> Eboni-6 or a powerful enough wetting agent is used with the Carbon-6
> home-brew approach.
> 
> Let us know what you end up doing and how it works.
> 
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com
>