custom b&w ink set for epson

[stump4545]

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getting beautiful b&w prints from my epson 4900 in advanced b&w mode.

 

just was wondering if there was a big benefit in using 3rd party ink sets for b&w?

 

is there a vast improvement in using 11 shades of black?

 

which 3rd party b&w ink sets should i look at for best b&w tones?

 

 

thank you.

[stump4545]

anyone here using Piezography all black ink sets?

 

or just stick with the epson inks?

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[wattsie]

Yes. I am using them in an epson 3800. They are very nice, with smooth tonality and the gloss overlay solution removes any bronzing or metamerism problems and gives the look of the print sitting in the paper. Matt printing is equally impressive. The piezography folks are very good in term so of support and once you are up and running the system is very easy to use. They'll send you sample prints if you are interested.

[stump4545]

anyone else here using piezography for b&w printing over epson inks?

 

looks real tempting for b&w.

[Guest WPalank]

I use the HDR Color standard set with an Epson 7900. I also use the ImagePrint RIP (just google).

I would love to send a PPed file to the Peizo people and then print the same file myself and compare.

 

What often comes up in these discussions is the fact the the Peizo uses only Black and Grey inks so the prints HAVE TO BE BETTER. What?????

 

I have brought up the following argument every-time this hypothesis is made and none of the Peizo fans (nothing wrong about that) has cared to address it (something wrong about that).

 

I run a nozzle check for every print I do to make sure there are no clogs that I then run a clean for (hopefully only a pair if only one is clogged). Here is a picture for quick reference middle of the page:

Epson 7900 – cleaning color pairs in service mode | Visual art by Jacob Mann

 

It's even clearer when I have my own in hand. There are two black inks in that test do you see any? Nope, because Epson uses BROWN INK and then uses proprietary algorithms that mix all the inks to create black. I know two US people that are Epson's Creators of Light or whatever they call it and THEY don't get why it isn't just Black Ink. Preservatives??? Epson is a Japanese Company and they do not discuss why they do things out of Company Offices or Japan. My friends have never gotten an answer even having visited their main offices in Japan. Just a cursory bow and polite we'll get back to you on that.

 

My point is that I am getting great blacks and grey transitions on my B&W prints with no colorcast issues (thank you IP) by mixing every color except black through the nozzle engines.

[Hug]

I use Piezography selenium inks on Epson Exhibition fiber paper with my Epson 3880 printer . Closest to silver gelatin prints of any inkjet media I have seen. Creamy smooth grayscale with great separation in highlights and shadows.

[esquire53]

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I use Piezography selenium inks on Epson Exhibition fiber paper with my Epson 3880 printer .

 

Hi Hug,

 

what driver do you use? I haven't switched yet, but be very interested to know your workflow.

 

Thanks

Uwe

[Hug]

Uwe,

I use Quad tone RIP. Very simple once set up.

Hug

[250swb]

It's even clearer when I have my own in hand. There are two black inks in that test do you see any? Nope, because Epson uses BROWN INK and then uses proprietary algorithms that mix all the inks to create black. I know two US people that are Epson's Creators of Light or whatever they call it and THEY don't get why it isn't just Black Ink. Preservatives???

 

The page you link to is no longer available.

 

On the one hand you have the superb tonal range of dedicated B&W inksets, and the other is whether or not these match a silver gelatin print. And the reason they don't often match a silver gelatin print, despite a superb tonal range, is because photographic print emulsion is rarely neutral in tone. Perhaps this is why Epson don't use pure black, because pure black is a digital phenomenon when comparing silver gelatin prints with inkjet prints, just as greyscale is a digital artifact of B&W photography. Just because pure black is possible, and just because eleven neutral shades of grey can be got from it, it doesn't mean it is the right thing to do, or at least not something to realistically compare with a silver gelatin print.

 

Steve

[Jeff S]

...And the reason they don't often match a silver gelatin print, despite a superb tonal range, is because photographic print emulsion is rarely neutral in tone....

 

But many of the currently available inkjet papers are wonderfully varied in tone and texture. And prints using Piezo inks on them can be amazing. I say this as a long time user, and collector, of b/w silver prints. Digital printing has come a long way, with myriad print possibilities, and lots of ways to get there.

 

Jeff

[Jeff S]

I would love to send a PPed file to the Peizo people and then print the same file myself and compare.

 

I encourage you to do so. And speak with them about the many alternatives...ink and paper... available.

 

Jeff

[esquire53]

getting beautiful b&w prints from my epson 4900 in advanced b&w mode.

is there a vast improvement in using 11 shades of black?

 

can you get 11 shades of gray?

I only know about the 7 ink sets

 

with the purchase of the Monchrom, I got a free print from Digitalsilverimage and I sent a high key gray picture from the luna new year

very nice print returned after a few days, but just a minor difference between the "out of the box" print from the 4900.

still not convinced to switch (yet)

I recently used a sample set of the Moab paper and I find them really nice