Digital BW, The Print

Peter,

>Just ordered some more MIS ink and an extra cart to try this workflow.

Did you notice my 9/11 and 9/13 posts?  It looks like the MIS EZW Yellow is
the easiest and best way to go.  The C84-88 yellow chip even works in the
2400, and the results are smoother than with LLK in the Y spot.  So, it's
very easy to try this. Just buy an EZW-Y cart (with chip), and plug it into
the 2400 Yellow spot.

>Just curious but can you see any difference in the finished print or is 
>it just a question of longevity.

The longevity issue is rather clear and is important to me.  

I suspect there are also issues of differential fade with more color in the
image, as sell as artifacts like metamerism.  The lower metamerism with less
color inks in the image is hard to quantify.  Several who have tried this
method report that they see the difference.

When it comes to the visual impression of an image, it's probably going to
take some double-blind tests to get the subjective dislike for color dots
out of the picture (so to speak).  As with the question of how sensitive
people are to the smoothness of the tonal distribution curves, it's hard to
get data. 

> When I print a 100 stepwedge using 
>different ABW settings I find it difficult to see a totally neutral 
>print. ... Maybe its my eyes but I see some colour. 

I think you are not alone in this feeling.  See page 2 of
http://home1.gte.net/res09aij/3D-Comparison.pdf

The "ABW" mode prints do not have a particularly flat tonal response curve.
I think an RGB workflow with dedicated B&W inks are the only way to get to
the evenness the purists are going to demand.  On the other hand, I have no
doubt that the vast majority of B&W printers will use one of the easier
approaches that use color inks and OEM drivers.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com