Epson K3- 4800 – How to get the best B&W print?

[steve_782]

Try a test with Hahnemuhle Rag Satin paper. Overspray the final print with either Premier ECO satin, gloss or matte; or Glamour 2 varnish. Use the ECO satin straight, or mix the Eco gloss and matte, or Glamour 2 gloss and matte at 60/40 or 50/50 gloss to matte. Thin either of them with about 20% water and spray on the print. This will give you a nearly "F" surface matte dried look (semi-gloss). The more gloss you add the closer it gets to the "F" surface glossy look. The overspray definitely helps as it deepens the shadows (higher gloss factor) as well as protecting the print from UV.

Another option for sprays is the ClearShield LL gloss, semi-gloss, or matte from Clearstar Coatings Corporation (www.clearstar.com). I've used the semi-gloss and like the look, it's just hard to get where I'm located as there is no distributor.

QTR may give you slightly better results if they have a profile for the paper you want to use; or if you have a profiling system and can take advantage of the QTR "QTR-Create-ICC." Otherwise, the Epson B&W controls in the printer driver give you pretty much the same amount of control features as QTR.

[tim atherton]

Forget the Hahnemuhle Rag Satin - horrible stuff!. I know Kirk isn't so keen on it, but having seen the Crane Silver Rag with K3 inks, hold off until you can try a few sheets. It will give you "a nearly "F" surface matte dried look (semi-gloss)" look off the bat - no sprays no nothing. 2.4+ DMax, no bronzing, very little gloss differential. And using QTR (in fact also using EpsonABW) no detectable metamerism.

I get similar results to Kirk with the K2 inks (but again, I find QTR superior to, if slightly more limited than Colorbyte) - though don't find it quite as objectionable as Kirk. But the K3 inks are a big difference.

[Jack Flesher]

My workflow is similar but different But I'll share it simply for posterity and I do not make any claims it is superior to anything different, just that it works for me -- on glossy paper. The only other disclaimer is I have moved up from the 4800 to the 7800 for its larger capacity, though the results of the prints off the two printers have been identical other than maximum size.

1) I set print resolution to 240, 300 or 360 PPI depending on final print size. I have never seen any conclusive evidence that sending a 720 PPI image to a large-format Epson printer generates a better print.

2) I use my own custom COLOR profiles to print B&W images on surfaced papers, and print them directly from CS2, letting CS2 manage the "color". I use Relative Colorimetric or depending on the print sometimes Perceptual, and most always with black point compensation. My prints are neutral-toned (unless I have toned them in CS2) when they come off the printer. The new K3 inks are singularly impressive in this ability.

3) I print at 1440 DPI, high-speed off. I have found that all 2880 DPI buys me is using more ink and taking longer to print -- though I can see a tiny difference when I put a loupe to the prints.

4) FWIW, I did recently dedicate a 7600 to Mk ink for the purpose of printing on matte fine art papers. (The cost of swapping Pk and Mk inks in the 4800/7800/9800 is significant and prevented me from exploring matte papers.) With the UC inks of the 7600 -- and the Mk ink for the 4800/7800/9800 is the SAME Mk ink used for the 4000/7600/9600 -- my own color profiles are not perfectly neutral, so I am now experimenting with Roy's RIP for the Mk/UC inks in that printer. The initial results are very promising.

[robc]

I guess you guys must be measuring the Dmax of these papers with a densitometer. I'm wondering whether that extra stop or so of Dmax is actually visible to the eye. We don't see like a densitometer which only reads light from one angle which is reflected at another specific angle. We see more like a light meter.i.e. we see all the diffused light from the print. Can someone test one of these high Dmax inkjet papers by reading the contrast range with a spot meter in normal room lighting and tell me how many stops it reads from paper base to deepest black. I could be wrong but I don't think you'll get more than 4 stops. 5 at the most in very bright light.

[Jack Brady]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your comments so far.

I've been surprised that no mention has been made of the ErgoSoft Studio Print, Color GPS Photo used with the X-Rite DPP20 spectrophotometer.

Has anyone tried this RIP/Profile generator product?
Sure is expensive - package for all 3 of the elements runs a chap $3445.00!

If it's worth it, I'll spend my money but I'm need to be convinced.

I'm also looking into the Crane Silver Rag to see if I can hold of some to try out. I just got in samples of the Photorico Premium Photo Glossy, Photo Gallery Glossy and their Photo Gallery Hi-Gloss White Film (PGHG White Film). Curious to see how these papers print out - will do over the weekend.

From reading the posts to date, I definately need to start examining the matt papers. My Epson 4800 did not come with a Matt Black cartridge - assume I'll have to special order that.

Jack

[Bruce Watson]

Jack,

I use StudioPrint to drive my 7600 and Cone PiezoTones. I normally print to Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308gsm paper - a fine matte surface that does an excellent job with pigment inks. I haven't seen anything any better in the last couple of years, so I guess you could say that I'm happy with what I'm using.

Before you spend $3500 on anything, consider spending considerably less on a plane ticket. You would seem to be a good candidate to attend the upcoming PMA show in Orlando at the end of February. Take a CDROM (more than one so you can leave one if you need to) with you containing a couple of images you want to use to compare with. Some of the vendors will print your image with their booth setup and you can walk away with a print, and know what your image can look like with the various products. Be sure to hit the Epson booth, ColorByte (ImagePrint), Ergosoft (StudioPrint), and find someone using MIS grayscale inks and Cone's PiezoTone inks. Also, be sure to look for the PrintVillage booth and see if you can score a print with the new NanoChrome inks (it's supposed to do good B&W as well as excellent color). You can do all that in a day, and maybe have your answers.