How to make a dedicated 3880 BW ink jet...is it even worth it?

[invisibleflash]

Can the 3880 Epson be turned into a dedicated BW printer that does not use the rest of the color ink in the lineup?

If so, would I see a big difference to the positive by the all BW ink switch?

Thanks

[David R Munson]

I haven't used it so can't comment on whether or not it would be worth it, but you could always go for the Piezo inks. (see http://www.piezography.com/PiezoPress/)

[Ken Lee]

You can use the Quadtone RIP (http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRoverview.html) to get what you want using Epson inks.

You might also find this article (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/carbon) helpful: it shows a way to use the QTR to make Carbon pigment prints which exceed the image quality and archival longevity obtainable with standard Epson drivers and inks.

Alternately, this article (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/bronze.php) might prove helpful. It tells how to use standard Epson inks to make toned monochrome images.

[mdm]

The native epson blacks are greenish on their own, but it can be done very easily with QTR.

[karl french]

I think the Advanced Black and White software that comes with the Epson does a fine job as well with the standard ink set.

[invisibleflash]

Thanks, will check out the links.

[Lenny Eiger]

Cone ink is magic. Wonderful stuff.

Lenny

[GG12]

Have used Imageprint for many years, with Epsons, now with 4900. With (a) RIP, you can get good quality BW, better than the Epson settings. More precise, more balanced. They are credible BW prints.

With Cone Piezography, its a whole other ball game - and you can get exceptional prints. Not good, but jaw dropping. Depends how far you want to go.

[Ian David]

The Piezography inks are very good.

[paulr]

If you use QTR it doesn't have to be a dedicated bw printer. That's what's so great about that system. You'll get even better quality from the piezo inks, it will have to be a dedicated piezography printer, and you won't have the flexibility of toning that you get with qtr. If you want the best quality possible, and want a specific, unchanging print color, piezo makes sense.

[GG12]

Cone ink is magic. Wonderful stuff.

Lenny

Are you referring to their color ink sets or piezography? Always love the pz, but scared of clogging from infrequent use.

[sanking]

Are you referring to their color ink sets or piezography? Always love the pz, but scared of clogging from infrequent use.

I have a large format carriage Epson printer set up with the Cone K7 Piezography inks. The K7 inks are no more/no less prone to clogging than the Epson K3 ink set. With both types of inks you have to be aware of humidity, run a routine nozzle check from time to time and a cleaning cycle if necessary, and do other routine cleaning maintenance.

My opinion is that yes, an Epson photo printer set up with six or more gray inks will give better B&W prints (higher resolution in the higlights, and smoother tones with less grain) than when B&W prints are made with the Epson driver using AWB or with QTR. I have not compared results with Canon and HP photo printers because I am not interested in this equipment since it can not be used with QTR, which is pretty much essential to my work flow.

Sandy

[mdm]

Its worth it. You can make pretty spectacular prints. I love printing with my 2880 and Piezography K7 inks, matte and glossy, selenium and carbon. Even silver or alt prints from digital negatives. I think if you are scanning 4x5 or 5x7 B&W then inkjet is the way to go for prints larger than contacts made with the original negative.

[Ron McElroy]

I have a large format carriage Epson printer set up with the Cone K7 Piezography inks.
Sandy

Sandy are you using this setup for digital negatives as well as prints?

[sanking]

Sandy are you using this setup for digital negatives as well as prints?


I use the printer with the Cone K7 Piezography ink set primarily for digital inkjet prints. The K7 ink set works fine for digital negatives but to use it you will either have to, 1) write your own QTR profile for the ink set, or 2) install a modified Methodology 3 ink set, or 3) install a K6 ink set.

The advantage of creating your own profiles with the K7 inks is that you have complete control of the profile and can modify it. The Cone digital profiles for Methodology 3 and the K6 give very good results, but the profiles can not be user modified, though you can adjust the image itself with an .acv curvd.

Sandy

[sanking]

To clarify, the Cone system that allows printing both prints and digital negatives with the same ink set, via different profiles, is called Piezography 2.

It is described in his new Piezography manual.

Sandy