Ink for bw

[ann]

Have a student who wants to play around with printing some bw images

Years ago when I started to print I used an epson c88 and at that time people used all gray/black inks but I can't remember whose. Anyone recall the manufacture?

 

[Richard Boutwell]

What printer are you going to be putting the inks in?

The best option are the Piezography inks from inkjetmall.com

The second best option are the Eboni inks from inksupply.com. The Eboni inks will require some special profiling denpending on the set and the printer your student is using).

 

[ann]

Epson c88

 

[Richard Boutwell]

the inksupply.com site for the Eboni inks is pretty terrible but I think you want to go with the this set here : https://www.inksupply.com/product-details/pn/EZEKW4-4-SET.html?printerID=0

If your student, or the school has a spectra photometer, you might want to look at my QuadToneProfiler system. It allows for easy curve creation with these kinds of ink sets. Here is a link: Dead Link Removed

 

[ann]

Thanks. I will pass the info along

 

[jeffreyg]

This may not be of any help. Your student may be able to use the Epson inks designed for that printer by experimenting with photo editing software. I was previously using an Epson 2200 and now with an Epson 3880. I found that with both scanned b&w negatives and digital capture adjusting to a gray scale image on my monitor and reconverting to RGB then with PhotoKit software (and with probably similar software) adding a layer of their sepia tone 2 @ 60% fill and a layer of brown tone @ 30% fill over it then merging all the layers so the bottom layer the original b&w next was the sepia and the last the brown tone, I am getting beautiful neutral VERY slightly warm b&w prints. Printing on Ilford Gold Fibre Silk and for exhibition quality prints on Hahnemuehle Photo Rag Baryta 100% cotton glossy ( which is really more of a sllght luster and has the look of air dried silver gelatin fiber) paper.

Easy for me because I already had all the software, standard inks and paper. It took very little trial and pretty well matches the image on my uncalibrated moniter , scanner and printer.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[jeffreyg]

This may not be of any help. Your student may be able to use the Epson inks designed for that printer by experimenting with photo editing software. I was previously using an Epson 2200 and now with an Epson 3880. I found that with both scanned b&w negatives and digital capture adjusting to a gray scale image on my monitor and reconverting to RGB then with PhotoKit software (and with probably similar software) adding a layer of their sepia tone 2 @ 60% fill and a layer of brown tone @ 30% fill over it then merging all the layers so the bottom layer the original b&w next was the sepia and the last the brown tone, I am getting beautiful neutral VERY slightly warm b&w prints. Printing on Ilford Gold Fibre Silk and for exhibition quality prints on Hahnemuehle Photo Rag Baryta 100% cotton glossy ( which is really more of a sllght luster and has the look of air dried silver gelatin fiber) paper.

Easy for me because I already had all the software, standard inks and paper. It took very little trial and pretty well matches the image on my uncalibrated moniter , scanner and printer.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/