PURE 44" black & white printer?

[danlindberg]

Is there a 44" (or any size) printer built solely for exhibition grade B&W printing? In other words leaving out all the colourinks...

I 'might' have an opportunity to produce/sell art series on canvas in B&W in large numbers and thinking such a machine would be sweet.

I do have a Canon IPF 8000, can I convert this somehow?

 

[jlm]

i would look into this guy:

Piezography Products | PiezoPress

 

[danlindberg]

Good link, thanks I will read that information carefully.

Any other ideas also appreciated...

 

[Don Libby]

Ken Doo converted his Epson 9800 shortly after he added a 9900 so he should be able to add to this when he wakes up.

 

[greygrad]

There's also the MIS Ultratone inkset.

 

[kdphotography]

Hi Dan,

For B&W inkjet printing, I think that a dedicated B&W printer offers the highest quality possible. In this regard, I chose Jon Cone's K7 Piezography MPS glossy inkset for my 9800. As good as the 9900 is printing B&W, the 9800 pizography printer is noticeably better for B&W. It offers extraordinary quality and something special enough that I want to incorporate into the next CI in Carmel/PIAB.

The caveats here on a conversion to a dedicated B&W piezography printer are that you're primarily limited to Epson printers and the printer needs to be either in excellent working order or new, or the patient won't make it off the operating table so to speak.

B&W Piezography prints on fine art baryta photographic papers and others like Canson Platine Rag are exceptional. But you've presented another limitation, and that's to print B&W on canvas. I haven't tried this (canvas) with piezography (and don't plan on it). You would need a custom canvas media curve for the RIP. The issue I'm unsure of is that the MPS system requires a "second printing" of the gloss optimizer, and I'm not sure how canvas would be receptive here, and maybe the other (matte) inksets would be a better choice. You also need to figure in hvlp coating and stretching the canvas.

I'd give Jon Cone a call or email. Customer service is responsive, and if anyone can develop a special inkset or address a special printing requirement, it'd be Jon Cone. From the website: Inkjetmall is located at 17 Powder Spring Road, East Topsham, Vermont 05076 USA. (888) 426-6323 and (802) 439-3127.

The inkjetmall website could use an updating. You can also find information at PiezoPress | The Piezography Website and Blog

ken

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Is it more expensive altogether to print B&W only with the special inks and stuff?

 

[danlindberg]

Thank you very much for excellent information!!

I see that both having a Canon AND wanting to print B&W canvas (client request) are factors that might make the idea difficult.

When I stated that I wanted exhibition grade prints, that was my own personal wish, the actual client is more than happy with the quality I have presented. In my on view only so-so, but they would sell in a series of interior decorating shops (no less than 120 shops) and not art galleries, thus, the clientel is not that picky.

But again, I wanted to look into the possibility for my own satisfaction delivering topnotch artwork.

I will continue to read and educate myself. Thanks again :thumbup:

 

[kdphotography]

Is it more expensive altogether to print B&W only with the special inks and stuff?

I can only speak as to my piezography B&W printer, but print for print---No, it's not more expensive. The initial conversion will cost more because it includes the chip resetter, ink tanks, funnels, etc. But if you compare the cost of a full set of Epson ink cartridges (220ml) versus a similar refill of the piezography inks and GO, the piezography inks are much cheaper. Compare about ~$900 for a full set of Epson 220ml Ultrachrome K3 for the Epson 9800 shipped from Tastar Supply versus ~$620 for piezography ink/GO refill, but add shipping fees.

But there are other minor costs to consider, such as the RIP not allowing tiling of prints (so more paper waste) at least on PC. There is a program for Mac allowing tiling. All factors taken into consideration, I think the difference in per print cost becomes negligable. And there are other plusses too, such as being able to use the MPS piezography printer. Very cool.

I think the big cost is the dedication of resources and space in the studio... Regardless, you're having to pay more to support the maintenance of yet another printer.... (I don't think it would be worthwhile to convert a printer back and forth between inksets).

ken

 

[Jan Brittenson]

I converted my 7600 to Neutral K7 but could never get it to make an acceptably neutral print. Flushed and reloaded twice which made no difference, everything printed looks magenta tinted. One of the carts was labeled Sepia, but on contacting the seller I was told it was simply mislabeled. I gave up on K7 eventually. If it were me I'd just stick with ABW; if a print doesn't look good with ABW, trust me - it's not the printer holding you back...

 

[takomaru]

I am new to this forum, and have been seeing some awesome photography. When I saw this thread, I thought on putting my 2 cents in.

Dan, I believe you started this thread. I print currently in different hybred analogue-digital systems, but also do use dedicated printers, among them an Epson 7699 with K7 Neutral system. Under GTI lamps, it is the most neutral grayscale printing possible, all my profiles from Dana Cecarelly at the InkjetMall, her curves are superb. I only print matte in soft papers for texture. No color bleds, metamerism of any type. All rag papers except for high grade Awagami Kozo Thin White and Natural, incredible surfaces for highend carbon printing.

You mention you have a Canon 8000, the Bowhaus IJC/OPM True B&W software, only supports Canon printers and does a fantastic job. You need a densitometer for profiling and creating your own curves, but for RGB B&W printing, it is a very good dedicated RIP, linearilizes your printer, set ink limits per channel, and fires any sequence. It is a non expensive solution, for using what you have available, and you can tweak exisating curves to any tonal range. I used it in the 7600, since it was the last Epson printer supported by Bowhaus. More complex, only Studioprint by Ergosoft with a full Jon Cone inkset, with solution for 12 channels, I suggest should you want something complex, you contact Jon Cone at [email protected] and they will design anything according to your needs. This is as good as it gets.

I hope that this was any help at all in your search for quality. Your photography is fantastic. I shoot and print, nobody prints for me, and I would never send any job to any bureau to do their own interpretation of my art either in wet or dry labs.

Takomaru

 

[takomaru]

Ken:

Thank you for the thumbs up, and do appreciate it. I understand you are using a Piezzography custom inkset with GO for glossy printing. The QTR does not offer layout possibilities, you'd have to expand to Studiprint, which is a full dedicated RIP, but very expensive compared to Rot Harrington's 50 buck solution. The GO works better in the Photographique, rather than the Platine from Canson, for some reason, also optimun in Cone Type # 5. The latest being the besr baryta paper I have ever used. There are aome good threads in some papers working well in the GO in the Piezzography forums, also some different inkset combinations. I am also running a 9800 but as a warmtone dedicated RGB printer. The Epson blacks are exchanged by the Cone WT blacks, calibrated and linearilized in QTR, then my own curves are made, giving me a warm tonal range from Pl/Pd to Nelson toned photography. I believe there is no other way to achieve this tonal range.

I do consider printing a very important part of my work, in digital, analogue continuous or haltone printing. After all, inkjet is just a bettered halftone, imagesetters still having the upper hand in quality, and though capable or very high quality, they do not compare to continuous tone printing.

Takomaru

Takomaru

 

[danlindberg]

Just a quick note that I really appreciate all the input. I am on a trip, but will read and look closely at the end of this week. Thank you