Hello,
I am an amateur B&W photographer with a little experience in wet darkroom printing (RC only, never tried FB, never toned a print).
I would like to print neutral A4 B&W photos with a quality similar to my darkroom prints.
I am not interested in color prints.
Could you suggest a good combination of printer and inks? (I live in Europe, BTW)
I am good with computers and am not scared by complex workflows; however I don't own a densitometer.
Since I am interested in small formats, should I look for a 1.5pl drop size?
My volumes would be quite low; the printer shouldn't clog too often if left unused.
Printer size is quite important. An A4-only printer is fine if this allows a smaller footprint.
I found a second-hand Epson R800. It should be compatible with Eboni - 3MK inks and QuadToneRip. Is this good enough? Are inksets with more inks to be preferred?
Thanks,
Federico
Message
Re: [Digital BW] Recommendation for an A4 B&W-only printer
2017-02-03 by Paul Roark
If it's within reason, I'd be inclined to recommend the European version of the US 1400/1430. I think it's called the 1500.
The R800 with 3MK is good, but it9;s getting old, the MK only is not as smooth as the inksets with dilute inks (though it'll be more neutral, as it's the dilute carbon inks that are warm).
Whether one wants to print on glossy paper is a significant initial question. Eboni is matte paper only. The glossy carbons can print on either, though the Eboni-6 inkset is less expensive if you mix it, and it can be bought pre-mixed from MIS. On the flip side, the STS Ink inputs for the glossy carbons are available in Europe, I believe.
If you want to control tone with these inks, the MIS toner or the one I've formulated made from Canon pigments is what I9;d use.
Good luck in your search.
Paul
On Fri, Feb 3, 2017 at 2:25 AM, f.cozzi@... [DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint] <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com> wrote: