R220 and Alternatives to MIS Inks?

**Michael Heald** · 10-Nov-2007, 06:27

Hello! I've had a great timem learning about B&W scanning and printing from 4x5, using a 4990 scanner and R220 with MIS inks.
It looks like MIS inks are gone for the R220.
I can always upgrade, but I don't do enough printing to justify that.
Are there any cartridge alternatives to MIS inks that print nice B&W with the R220?
Does anyone have experience with Epson proprietary inks and B&W printing? What is the difference in quality? Can I get profiles for the R220 and various papers that would maximize the quality of the R220 and B&W printing the way I got profiles for MIS inks and various papers? Best regards.

Michael A. Heald

**Marko** · 10-Nov-2007, 07:41

Michael,

I am using R260 at the moment, for exactly the same reason - I can't justify anything more substantial at this point. I've been having two problems with it: the prints are generally speaking too dark (I'm using an iMac callibrated with the older Spyder) and they also tend to have a color shift to them, even using Epson's own paper and corresponding profiles. I can't get satisfactory B&W because of it. I've been experimentning with curve adjustments and came pretty close recently, close enough that if I print toned B&W the difference becomes small enough, but that's just hacking.

The new Spyder 3 was just released and I'm hoping to acquire the Studio version (with a hardware colorimeter and software for profiling printers) relatively soon and see how the print profiles it creates will fare. Since I have my eye set on the R1400, which is basically the wide version of the R series, I see this printer as a good and affordable test bed.

**Jon Shiu** · 10-Nov-2007, 09:19

Hi, I had a R220 and tried to print black and white with it, but never got very good results with the Epson ink and paper. Problems with color casts and contrast/lack of good tonality. I sold it because the inks were too expensive ($80 a set, which yielded about 60 or so 8x10's). Yet it did fine with color and could print on cds/dvds.

Jon

**keith english** · 10-Nov-2007, 09:28

I don't know about the R220, but with the 2200 the only way to get good black-and-white with the epson ink was with the Harrington Quad-Tone RIP. Just google for it. It is free to try and $50 if you decide to keep it. I also have just gotten a Print-Fix pro from colorvision to go with my spyder. The first profile with color looks excellant and I am looking forward to trying defirent papers with the standard ink for B+W. Until then the Quad-Tone rip works well for Epson paper. You just save the image as a TIFFF and print from the RIP program. No color shifts at all, and you can adjjust how neutral, warm, or sepia you want.

**gari beet** · 10-Nov-2007, 11:38

I have an R200 which I plan to use for proofing etc once I have moved.
To this end I looked into CIS set ups and have decided that I shall get one by fotospeed.
Its from the UK and I know the Dollar is struggling against the Pound at the moment but that won't last forever and I think it would pay for itself quite quickly anyhow.

I have included the link below.

http://www.thedarkroom.co.uk/product...948&getBrand=8

Gari