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Thread: Piezography Printing

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    Spokane, WA
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    Piezography Printing

    Has anyone on here converted a printer to the Piezography inks?

    I came upon this when I had WCI print an exhibition print using their selenium-toned Piezography printer, and it's like nothing I've ever seen before.

    I'd be very interested to hear from people who've successfully done this with a printer they own/operate.

    Ben

  2. #2
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    Mar 2004
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    Albuquerque, Nuevo Mexico
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    Re: Piezography Printing

    My good friend and former assitant, Alan Labb a professor of digital phtography at the Art Institute of Chicago, is an avid piezography printer. Some of his prints of the human form are extraordinay. last year at the VC conference, Cone had a display with examples that were quite beautiful.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 1997
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    Baraboo, Wisconsin
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    7,697

    Re: Piezography Printing

    Many people who actively participate in the Yahoo black and white printing group forum (Google for "digitalblackandwhite:theprint") use the piezography inks. If you have any questions I'd suggest asking them there, there is a wealth of digital black and white printing expertise among the participants on that forum. I first saw prints made by George deWolfe using the original piezography inks about six years ago. The prints were so stunning that I promptly abandonded the darkroom and started learning to print digitally in the hope of some day making prints like that.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  4. #4
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Aug 2004
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    brooklyn, nyc
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    5,796

    Re: Piezography Printing

    I've been using them for about 2 years. Totally floored by them. It was a steep learning curve in the beginning, and it took them about four tries to get my custom profile right, but now I'm using it to make some of the best prints I've ever made.

    I'm using them with an Epson 1280 printer, which probably isn't the best idea. The print quality is astonishing, but the printer quality is not. If it dies, it's going to take a lot of my investment with it (the profile, the CIS made for the printer, etc.). If you can afford it, I'd recommend setting up a more professional printer, to protect your investment and to avoid as much agravation as possible.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Calgary, Alberta
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    Re: Piezography Printing

    My images are produced with the latest ink set, and the image quality is outstanding, where I currently print on Hahnemuhle 308. I will try the Split Tone ink set in January to compare with Jon Cone's latest neutral set. You can purchase a Quad tone ink set which generates either a selenium tone or a warm neutral tonal value depending which set of inks are chosen by the user, there is also a neutral set with seven inks, there also is a sepia set with seven inks, and there will be a new blend of neutral and sepia inks for the split tone shortly, if not already.

    Correctly produced profiles, an excellent RIP, and a caring technician such as yourself, will generate images that radiate a wondrous three dimensional quality.

    jim k

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Olalla, WA
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    Re: Piezography Printing

    I use the K7 ink set with excellent results. That is the neutral tone set Jim refered to. With the K7 inks the paper used determines how warm or cool the print is. I lean towards Hahanemuhle Photo Rag 308 and Moab Entrada Fine Art Natural. I also use the Quad Tone RIP.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    160

    Re: Piezography Printing

    I'm another happy user of the Piezography inks. I am currently using the Neutral and Split Tone K7 inksets in an Epson R1800. They use the good but very cheap Quadtone RIP which comes with a number of preset paper profiles for these inks created by the ink supplier. Quality is amazing although you are sadly limited to matt papers.

    In the past I used the earlier Piezography inks in an Epson 3000. These needed a more expensive RIP but again the quality was amazing, especially for the time. Sadly the 3000 wasn't really robust enough for "art papers" and suffered constant paper feed problems or I would still be running it today.

    David Whistance

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jun 2002
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    9,487

    Re: Piezography Printing

    I haven't seen a late-era Coneograph but be forwarned, once you get hooked on Jon Cone's brand of crack it is an expensive religion... errr, hobby... unto itself.

    It takes a little suspension of disbelielf to be buying your expensive, high-end artist supplies from an outfit called "inkjetmall" anyway, so that must be how he prequalifies the disciples.

    Personally, I am more than happy with the Quadtone RIP, matte paper, and Epson 2200 soon to be replaced with a 3800 (and probably the stock Epson B&W driver if it is as nice as the 4800 as it should be.)

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Apr 2006
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    Hell's Kitchen, New York
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    Re: Piezography Printing

    "I haven't seen a late-era Coneograph but be forwarned, once you get hooked on Jon Cone's brand of crack it is an expensive religion... errr, hobby... unto itself."

    Well I came off it, though I guess that I was never hooked. I started with an Epson 3000 and his system about six years ago, then switched to Septones (reputed to have been developed for Cone, then cast off) in a 2200 and now I'm using Epson K3 inks in a 2200, with a gloss overcoat. I came off Cone because I like prints with a large density range - it's just personal preference. So far, K7 hasn't lured me back because I actually prefer the K3 prints.

    Best,
    Helen

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    2,955

    Re: Piezography Printing

    I have been using the Cone NK7 (Neutral) inks for eight months and I am completely satisfied by the quality of the output. The Epson 2200 has done well also, only five head cleanings over that period.

    I print on Hahanemuhle Photo Rag 190 and 308. The RIP has those paper and ink profiles, so my first print was good right out of the box.

    I bought a factory refurbished 2200 from Epson for $450 and Quadtone RIP for $50.

    When I have more time for printing I will set-up a continuous inking system. The Niagara IV is $125. Bulk inks from Cone, 4 oz, are $44, about one quarter the price of the ink carts.

    I was very sceptical of piezograpy, because of what I had seen from other inksets. But the seven dilutions of the Cone NK7 inks, properly applied by the RIP, deliver very fine gradations of tonality.

    I want to eventually give the warm toned inkset a try.

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