Image Print and Pictorico

[wparsonsgisnet]

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I have recently received a new, Epson 2400 printer. Using the Ilford profiles and some Ilford Glossy paper, I find the colors rather magenta.

 

So, on the recommendation of several of you, I am preparing to get the Image Print software and am looking at the Pictorico PGHG (Hi Gloss White Film) media.

 

Naturally, I was totally blown away by Peter Myers review of the K3-Image Print-PGHG combo. Nice pix he takes.

 

I desire permanence (100 years for this media, by Wilhelm), good color and b/w stuff (that's a technical term), and consistency.

 

Who's using this combination, please?

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[larry]

Bill,

 

I haven't used the 2400/Pictorico combination, but I have used both the high-gloss film and paper with a Canon Pro 9000. This material produces an almost three-dimensional appearance with the dye printer. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the results with a pigment printer.

 

Larry

[wparsonsgisnet]

Ok, I bot Image Print for the Epson 2400 today, the lite version. I have some things to print this weekend on Ilford museum board, for a commission, but will start working with the Pictorico white film after that.

 

I'll report back with some pix of the pix.

[billh]

Bill,

 

I haven't used the 2400/Pictorico combination, but I have used both the high-gloss film and paper with a Canon Pro 9000. This material produces an almost three-dimensional appearance with the dye printer. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the results with a pigment printer.

 

Larry

 

Hi Larry,

 

Have you made or seen a comparison of the prints from your printer and an Epson 4800 (or 2400). How permanent are the inks in the canon printer?

 

I noticed there are large discounts on the Epson printers, which makes me wonder if something new will be forthcoming soon.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[larry]

Hi Bill,

 

I have done some comparison between the Pro 9000 and the Epson 4800 (we have three of them here at work for color proofing). The Canon produces prints with what appears to be a wider gamut and they're more vibrant looking. That's not to say the prints from the 4800 look drab -- they're quite good. The 4800 easily wins in a B&W comparison, though. When using Canon ink and paper, the company claims a print life 10 years unprotected, 30 years behind glass and 100 years in an archival album. Time will tell. If I were selling prints, I'd still have to bet on a pigment printer for longevity. But I'm not, and a 30 year display print life more than satisfies my personal needs.

 

We occasionally have printhead clogging issues with the 4800s, which is a little troubling because they're in constant use. My understanding is that some pigment printers tend to be a little more prone to clog than dye printers. I think there's a lot of discussion and controversy about this topic. I'm not an expert and won't pretend to know the "truth."

 

Larry

[billh]

Thanks Larry. I have the clogging issues with the 4800 fairly frequently - usually when I am in a hurry and don’t have time to go through the cleaning cycles. I was curious about the appearance of the Canon prints, but because of the permanence issue, I had better stick with the pigmented printer. I don’t understand the 10/30/100 year life estimate. Maybe it is an issue with light degrading the dyes? It could also be a vulnerability to pollutants.

 

Bill

[larry]

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Bill,

 

My understanding is that both light and gases take their toll on dyes and pigments -- only faster on dyes. I went with the Canon because I've experienced excellent reliability with their printers, they're easy to clean, they're relatively affordable to operate and the output is excellent. If I were in the market for a pigment printer, I think I'd go for one of the Epsons.

 

Larry

[AlanJW]

I use the Pictorico HG film paper for my best prints. No image ready. Just coming out of PS. Its go deeper whites and blacks than anything else I've used and is unmatched for B&W. You do need to be careful when framing as it is not paper but plastic film and needs someone who knows the difference for mounting, etc. I'd be very interested to hear how image ready works and whether it presents some visible advantages over native PS (now using CS3).

[wparsonsgisnet]

Alan, I plan to post my results.

 

I had magenta tones with the brand new 2400 using Ilford's profile on their gloss paper, so I am opting to use Image Print (which has been recommended to me by a whole lot of people who make great images).

 

This weekend I will be using Ilford museum board to make some prints that need the board (also to test since I only have Ilford paper handy).

 

Following this project, I plan to use the Pictorico "paper." I expect to like it a lot. When I find how wonderful it is, great dynamic range for example, I also plan to use the Premier Art Print Shield spray on the prints.

 

Watch this space.

[billh]

Larry,

 

Have you seen this printer? It is supposed to begin shipping soon. It has 12 pigment inks, and is, I suppose, why the Epsons are now being steeply discounted.

 

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=180&modelid=15274

 

Bill

[larry]

Bill,

 

I've heard about it, seems like the pro printer bar keeps getting ratcheted up. I'm not convinced that a 12-ink system is going to improve output that much, though. The extra inks are primarily to improve gray scale without swapping cartridges. It seems that Canon is becoming the 800-pound gorilla -- once it decides to dominate a market, nothing gets in its way. On the other hand, Epson has a loyal following and some pretty impressive after-market products available.

 

Larry

[dhsimmonds]

Bill

 

Sorry to hear about your disappointment with the Ilford papers/profiles.

 

I use Ilford A3plus Smooth Pearl paper with my R2400 with the correct Ilford ICC profile "IGSPP9_E2400PSPPn_0705v04.icc", properly installed and with the printer settings exactly as per Ilford's instructions and get fantastic results! Monochrome is really good with this profile/paper.

 

Ilford's Classic Pearl paper is definitely NOT compatible with the R2400 though. I do not use their Gloss papers so cannot comment on those.

[AlanJW]

Alan, I plan to post my results.

 

I had magenta tones with the brand new 2400 using Ilford's profile on their gloss paper, so I am opting to use Image Print (which has been recommended to me by a whole lot of people who make great images).

 

This weekend I will be using Ilford museum board to make some prints that need the board (also to test since I only have Ilford paper handy).

 

Following this project, I plan to use the Pictorico "paper." I expect to like it a lot. When I find how wonderful it is, great dynamic range for example, I also plan to use the Premier Art Print Shield spray on the prints.

 

Watch this space.

 

 

Thanks. I believe that there are R2400 profiles posted by Pictorico on their site -- and I have also found that the native Epson premium gloss profile works as well. The printing epiphany for me was finaly learning to let PS manage the colors as opposed to the printer. But I will be very interested to hear how Image Print works. A comparison between with and without Image Print ought to tell the story. Always looking for something that could be better -- as long as its also simple.