B&W printing options

[Some Guy]

i've been happily printing with K7 Neutral for a while now and enjoying the results so I am a happy and converted Piezography user. There was a fair bit of discussion around the options in this thread so I thought that this was worth mentioning. InkjetMall has posted a 'Proof of Piezography' file for validation of Piezography setups. I would really like to hear how this looks with Imageprint or ABW. On HPR on my 3880 I can see it all. http://www.inkjetmall.com/tech/content.php?172-Proof-of-Piezography-Test-Image

That's an interesting chart for piezography and to play with.

For fun, I ran a sheet of glossy RC through a Epson with pigment ink and nothing special in setup other that using Qimage, and the other through same model with the K7 ink and QTR.

My results were not much difference in the whites or the large white tone circle on the left, but the blacks is where it got interesting.

The K7 showed more concentric black circles, but the pigment printer's print was mostly black with a faint grey/black for the center.

As I use Qimage for the pigment printer, I altered the black in the "Curves" part of Qimage's Editor window to apply less black ink coming off Dmax.  The curve LOC(ation) 0 is Dmax black.  LOC 1 is first hint of less black, etc.  LOC 1 is 16 by default for the straight line, so I bumped it up to 35 and LOC 2 up to 55 (Default was 32 there.) which pulls the shadows up without affect LOC 0 (Dmax black).  Pretty much a match for the K7 print now too by doing that little tweak.

Looking at the two now I can see the transisition of the pigment printer from the 95% to 100% and it's very clean with an even gloss (Second tone scale from top.).  So I'm okay there, for now with the "modified bump" in black end the curve for the pigment printer.  Probably could make a filter and use it from now on in Qimage too for all B&Ws.

However, the K7 has some issue in that the 95% is dark, but the 100% square takes on a dull matte finish and not quite as black in appearance as the 95% one next to it that appears glossier (This is on a glossy RC paper as I was doing it cheap and hoping the Photo Black K7 gloss would work!).  This has been a nightmare for me as to why the Dmax in the K7 has that dull matte back ink appearance (Yes, ink carts are in the right spot.  Been there over multiple fillings.).  More over, if I try and apply layers of gloss optimizer to those areas of max black, they don't seem that affected by it.  The Dmax black sort of shines through with its dullness for whatever reason.  Looking at it at an angle shows the differences no matter if I apply 3 layers of GO.

SG

[Jeff-Grant]

Thank Heavens, someone answered at last! I was a bit disappointed that no-one seemed interested enough to waste a piece of paper and a little time to see how their method performed. On the subject of gloss and K7, I recently tried and failed to get it working on EEF on a 3880. I kept on getting mottling in the 100% patch. Anything from 95% up was seriously mottled and the mottling continued quite a way back down the scale. In the end, I decided that EEF just wouldn't work on my 3880. I'm now back on IGFS and HPR Baryta which print flawlessly.

[Jeff-Grant]

Interesting article: http://www.bwvision.com/better-digital-black-white-photography-printing/

[glm]

Wanted to drop a note here that I just put a 3880 set up with Cone piezo in the "for sale" section.  Not a sales pitch, just letting those interested in B&W printing know.

That aside, I will say I love and loved using the Cone piezo inks.  Especially in the 3880, which was a way easier printer to work with than the 9880 I'd set up before in all ways.  But with these inks and the the prints, well, once you get a feel for them and how to set the files up to push the inkset to it's limits, are unlike anything else.

There weren't any real downsides for me other than the set up time and fiddling with problematic printers in the conversion of inksets.  I'd also say for people interested in it, to not over think the hues.  I'd just get some ink to get started, and start blending as you go while taking notes.  The inks blend really beautifully, and the hue changes are more subtle than you'd think (I actually found changing the paper effected the hue more than my different ink blends)

Anyway, I still think it's the best black and white digital option, even over digital fiber.

[Jeff-Grant]

Having been using Piezography for a while now, I've put a post on my site about my experiences so far. Hopefully, it may help someone just getting started: http://www.jeff-grant.com/progress-along-the-path-to

[Jeff-Grant]

My 3880 will be up for sale soon. I have two, one with K7 and the other with colour. I'm hoping that someone interested in K7will come along and save me the pain of Ebay.