Digital BW, The Print

> ... UT2 ... 1280 ... I wasn't happy with the prints I'd made 
>with the Carbon curves, ...
> http://www.charles.whitaker.name/CarbonTestResults.jpg. 
>... Epson "Archival" Matte, with paper type = "Photo", no color
> management, at 300 dpi.

There is definitely something wrong.  The usual causes are bad nozzles or
wrong settings.  Check the Color Settings.  Be sure you're using Gray Gamma
2.2 and Adobe RGB (1998).  Be sure there is no other profile embedded in the
file.  If you're using CS2, in Print Preview, use No Color Management.  In
older setups, use "Same as Source."

Do you get good results with a grayscale file and "Color Controls" checked
in the driver?

Printers are not all identical.  There is the usual bell curve of
performances, and if yours is out on the ends of that curve, the canned
profiles/curves just will not work acceptably.  If you use a 21-step file to
test with that might tell me more about where the problem is.  I have test
files at http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/Test-files.htm.  There are also test
files there that you can use to be sure the inkset is correct -- or at least
close.

When all else fails, there are still ways to get the system going, but try
all of the above first.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com