I have not tried one of these, but I think there are potentially important and excellent platforms.
I still have a WorkForce 1100 that I use in everyday printing. It's been a great workhorse. I might set it up with what I'd call the "EZ Variable Tone" quad (4-ink) approach -- PK, 2 LKs (C & M both 30% PK [need to standardize this]), and Y toner (MIS's). It might be that these quads are close enough that driver settings and PS curves I generate will work in almost all of these Epson quads.
The "best for the least" is going to be the MK based system, but I use the MIS glossy carbons in my 1100 and it never clogs.
There will be no generic glossy base from me. Image Specialists, MIS and I spent a long time working up the current inks that STS now supplies via MIS (only the "WJ" old IS inks, not what is on the STS website), and I'm not going to re-do that effort, nor take the responsibility of clogging machines due to the binder that is needed for glossy. If such inks are not done right, they are a mess. On the other hand, for snapshots and other non-glazed prints (including my gallery brochures), glossy is highly prized. Since the glossy can do it all, I think it's worth the price to go that route for these. I just keep the PK in my 1100 all the time. It's not quite as black on plain paper, but it's good enough.
I have yet to see an Epson not be able to handle the pigments I put in them (MIS carbon -- Eboni and PK -- as well as the generic base [version c6b -- forget version c6a for modern printers] with Canon or HP pigments). The piezo head is very tolerant of viscosity and other variables (unlike the thermal heads of HP and Canon).
Paul
On Thu, Oct 6, 2016 at 5:35 AM, seanmpuckett@... [DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint] <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
So.
I'm considering buying an Epson Ecotank and using the MIS carbon pigments in it. Honestly I'm fed up with chips and resetters and don't mind paying a reasonable up-front cost for a no-hassle process. I can't think of a reason why this wouldn't work, except maybe the factory ink for the CMY positions is dye-based and the printhead might clog with the pigment, but on the other hand the K position takes pigment so who knows.
Has anyone tried this?
-s