Digital BW, The Print

Joost,
I would say you'd be safer with Distilled Water for sure.. The issue with demineralized water that is available is that all resin bed filter systems are not all created equal. Their are good ones and bad ones. Resin bed processing will remove ionic products, but will let though some dissolved materials which are uncharged - like many organic compounds. Living microorganisms can also get through because the resin cannot "stop" them unless it mechanically traps them. A good resin system does pretty good job however.. Personally I doubt  that on most commercially available drinking water that is what they are using.

I guess you'd need to know how much contamination the ink making  process will allow. A few thoughts on your getting distilled water: You should be able to order it thru a Pharmacy or Chemical supply house. A few gallons of it will go along way with a 4800 as that's about 18lbs or 8 k of water. Another thought is if your going to be doing this on an on going basis .. make a simple still. It's not as difficult as you would think... easy actually.. If you want to try demineralized water that would be at the best level.. Locate a serious tropical fish breeder... of say Discus.. or water used in the manufacture of other products..not drinking water..  if their a larger operation they will have a good resin system and could supply the water for you. You could even get your own smaller system and run the water thru a few times... but that is an expense.. Even distilled water has contaminates in it.. That's why for some uses it is used double distilled... Maybe ask Paul.. he'd know ..this is a bit outside my area.

Good Luck.. 

jimbo
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: horstenj 
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 2:16 AM
  Subject: [Digital BW] Demineralised water for clear base?


    
  Much slower than I hoped I'm prgressing with transforming my 4800 to a HP-C6 setup. I now run into the unanticipated issue that I have trouble to find the most mundane ingredient: water. Or more precise, distilled water. I've plenty of sources of demineralised water: DIY stores, drugstores, gas stations. All try to sell me it as being the same as distilled water, which is not true.

  Would demineralised water be equally well as distilled water or should I take no risk and search further?

  Joost



  

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