Best "inexpensive" pigment-based printers for digital negatives in 2020?

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Originally Posted by Justin K

Just wanted to thank you all for the very helpful replies. Now I have a bunch more research to do. Someone on Facebook mentioned that they *are* able to create effective digital negatives with the Canon Pro-100 (with OEM ink), so it might not be the printer's (or the ink's) fault after all, but I've yet to verify that. Thanks again!

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I have a PRO-100 and I wouldn't use it for digital negatives. Perhaps you'll be able to coax it into submission! ;)

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Originally Posted by Alan9940

I have a PRO-100 and I wouldn't use it for digital negatives. Perhaps you'll be able to coax it into submission! ;)

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I'm in the process of trying to coax it into submission! If I come upon any epiphanies (of success or failure), I will report back here.

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Originally Posted by Christopher Barrett

I use a 3880 with Piezo inks and I think I'm ready to move up to a p7000 because of various headaches. I've tried making negs with my Canon Pro-1000 and it easily blocks 100%, but I haven't dialed in the tones yet. Overall, I think Quadtone Rip is the best way to go, so I'd stick with Epson. Maybe check with the Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/digitalnegatives for advice on specific printers.

-CB

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I have made digital negatives with several different Epson printers using QuadToneRIP and believe that overall this is the easiest approach, due both to the power of QTR, and to the fact that there is a very wide user base of knowledge of people use Epson printers to make digital negatives.

There is a new book about using QuadToneRIP for crafting digital negative scheduled for release some time this fall. You can read about it here.
ttps://www.amazon.com/Digital-Negatives-QuadToneRIP-Demystifying-Photographers-dp-0367862298/dp/0367862298/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=

Sandy

There's also: https://www.bwmastery.com/

Just to clarify, QuadToneRIP is a print driver (only works with Epson printers) that supports several different types of program solutions for making digital negatives. Many solutions are available, one being Richard Boutwell's QuadToneProfiler-QuickCurve-DN tools, another is the PiezoDN solution from Cone Editions, and many of us who use QuadToneRIP to craft digital negativess use our own personal approach. QuadToneRIP itself was created by Roy Harrington, the first person to use it for making digital negatives was Ron Reeder who introduced the methodology around 2005, and published a booklet on the subject called Digital Negatives for palladium and other alternative processes in 2010.

All of this, and a lot of other interesting information is covered in the soon to be published new book.

Sandy

I bought a reconditioned Epson P400, on the recommendation of Sandy King last year on the carbon transfer forum. 13 inch wide is plenty big for me. It's 1.5 drop size results in smooth tones. After the coloured inks ran out, I purchased refillable cartridges, and now run all blacks, except for one yellow, as it's a good UV blocker. I make carbon transfer, Kallitype, Cyanotype, Tri-colour gym negatives.