Next to gamut there are other factors that could be improved by more pigment hues in an inkset. For example the fade resistance, the gloss behaviour, "metamerism". Any inkset is a compromise on several aspects and the HP and Canon inksets show better fade resistance while the gamut is still good. .
To expand upon Ernst's comment, and for those LL forum participants with an interest in print permanence, consider this paired-comparison light fastness experiment with Epson HDR inks printed with two different Driver/RIPs using the same printer and the same batches of paper.
Using same batch of Epson Hot Press Natural:
AaI&A ID#164: Epson Stylus Pro 9900, Epson OEM UltraChrome HDR™,
RIP = ImagePrint , Paper=Epson Hot Press Natural 330gsm, AaI&A Conservation Display rating =
90-100+ Megalux hours, i.e., sample still passing upper limit criterion at 100 megalux hours total light exposure.
ID# 166: Epson Stylus Pro 9900, Epson OEM UltraChrome HDR™,
Driver = Epson OEM, Paper = Epson Hot Press Natural 330gsm, AaI&A Conservation Display rating =
53-89 Megalux hours.
Using same batch of Epson Hot Press Bright White:
ID# 168: Epson Stylus Pro 9900, Epson OEM UltraChrome HDR™,
RIP = ImagePrint, Paper = Epson Hot Press Bright White 330gsm, AaI&A Conservation Display rating =
still passing both lower and upper criteria at 100 megalux hours.
ID#170: Epson Stylus Pro 9900, Epson OEM UltraChrome HDR™,
Driver = Epson OEM, Paper= Epson Hot Press Bright White 330gsm, AaI&A Conservation Display rating =
69-97 Megalux hours.
So, how can a driver or RIP make a difference in print longevity with a mult-colorant ink set like HDR, and why can the HDR ink set outperform the Epson K3 and K3VM ink sets on light fastness? It's got to do with skillful exploitation of the additional colorants... in the case of the HDR ink set, the orange and green inks. The most likely reason for these test results is that the Image print RIP is blending HDR orange and green inks more liberally than the Epson driver, using more orange in the skin tone colors that are part of the AaI&A standard color test target, and also using more green ink when blending colors that would otherwise make green by requiring more yellow added to cyan ink. Because the Epson yellow pigment is the most fade prone and is therefore the common limiting light fastness factor in the Epson K3, K3VM, and HDR ink sets, any RIP or driver that can successfully make a more liberal substitution of the HDR orange and green inks wherever more yellow would otherwise be required while simultaneously delivering great color fidelity is going to have the potential to win on both counts.
Pretty cool results, right?
FYI: I have no commercial interests in any of these products. Like most of my members at AaI&A, I'm just interested in how inkjet printer/ink/paper/driver/coating combinations perform with regard to both image quality and image permanence from the perspective of the end-user.
cheers,
Mark
http://www.aardenburg-imaging.com