RE: Quality of prints from digital files on photo paper

[Ernst Dinkla <ernst@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In <URL:news:lokaal.panorama> on Mon 23 Oct, Xiong, Zonghou wrote:

> I thought of getting myself a 2000P printer. However, prints by
> 2000P did not seem to shine enough to me,  plus paper and ink costs
> per print are still higher than, say the Fuji lab. For small prints 
> longevity of the pigment ink doesn't seem to be as important as the 
> shining attraction of a gloss photo.

It is more a technological problem. For the Epson range of printers
before the 870/1270 chipped cartridge models you can get third party
inks, media and continuous ink supply systems. To get a fade proof
quality you have to select a system for gloss;

Ilford Archiva dye ink clones like Xtreme Gamut and Wide Spectrum
inks on gelatine/PVA coated papers like the range of Ilford plus
some special papers for Xtreme Gamut plus a paper from Oce US.
See Wilhelm for the fade proof quality of Archiva on Ilford paper.
Those inks will fade on any other paper than the gelatine coated
stuff that also means it will be hard to find an appropriate matt
paper.

or for matt;
Generations pigment inks, MIS pigment hybrid and print them on the
matt papers that are suited for those inks. The gamut of pigment
inks will be less than that of the dye inks but still be acceptable,
they are however far more fade proof. They should be fade proof on
gloss paper but often suffer of 'bronzing' when the ink stays on
top of the coating or they give a kind of metamerisme. Epson solved
the first problem by encapsulating the pigment in a resin/wax but
metamerisme is even more severe with that ink.

Development is going on to keep the fade proof quality with both
types of ink and make them usable for both surfaces. So are the
attempts to overcome the chip secured carts obstacle.
B&W printing can be done with quad or hexatone inks from several
suppliers or with low gamut inks from Lyson that make a kind of
colour toning possible as well. Most third party solutions and
the continuous ink supply make it far cheaper than the OEM solutions.
Check the Epson Leben list for what is going on. There's also a FAQ
site now that works.

http://www.leben.com/lists  faq at  http://welcome.to/epson-inkjet     

Ernst
-- 
Ernst Dinkla  Serigrafie,Zeefdruk            The point will never be metric