Digital BW, The Print

> In the meantime, I am wondering about ImagePrint.  In particular, I 
> have some questions.
> 
> 1.  Would ImagePrint help the blotchy black situation or is it more 
> likely due to printer limitations?

Never noticed any blotchy/posterized black/dark grey areas with IP 5.6 and my Epson 2200.

> 2. Can/does ImagePrint yield good results for both b&w and color with 
> color cartridges with an Epson 2200.

Yes.
 
> 3. If so, is there any reason to keep both a 1280 and a 2200? I have 
> both printers now and previously thought that I would use the 1280 
> for only b&w.  If I can use only one (the 2200) that would be great 
> in terms of making room in my limited space.

I went with IP and the Epson 2200 because I got tired of dealing with the hassles of maintaining more than one printer. A dedicated quadtone printing system certainly has a few advantages, but, IP produces a really nice looking B&W print. You could keep the 1280 for experimenting with quad techniques and new inksets as they become available.

> 
> OTOH are there workflow considerations that would dictate keeping one 
> printer for b&w and one for color.

Some folks maintain a dedicated quadtone printer and a separate color printer for many reasons. You'll need to decide for yourself which "fit" works for you. I would suggest downloading an IP demo--available through calumetphoto.com and, probably, others--and trying it for yourself. The demo plasters a large "DEMO" watermark all over the print, but it is possible to determine quality, etc.

Hope this helps.

Alan Huntley