Re: new to list - luminos inks

[Tony Karp <tkarp@tlc-systems.com>]

Phil wrote:
> I'm new to the list, so my apologies if this has been covered before.

> I'm using an Epson Photo EX and have just run some tests with Luminos
> Platinum inks.  The results are positive with one exception:  When printing
> grayscale images with black ink, the print tones are a cyan-blue and not
> black.  When I "tone" my black-and-white prints in RGB mode, I get a
> combination of cyan-blue in the darkest areas, plus whatever color I've used
> for toning --sort of a split-toned effect, which most often is not too
> attractive.

> Any ideas on how to correct these things.

I used the Luminos Silver on an EX and had similar problems.

The cause in my case was that the darker magenta was a little too
strong and the light magenta was okay.

Correcting one of the magentas threw the other one off. I finally
cured it by going to the green layer and fooling with the green black
point, which boosted the green just in the shadows. By trial and
error, I was able to get a continuous gray scale.

But it was a pain, so I switched to the generations inks, which can be
corrected with the sliders in the Epson print driver. In the end I got
better results, plus the benefits of a pigment-based inkset.

You may be able to correct the Luminos inkset with a custom profile,
but I saved myself the trouble and expense. I can get great grayscale
prints with no hassle. An added benefit is being able to print from
any program -- not just Photoshop.

Note: I believe it's much easier to correct for variations in a
4-color inkset than in a 6-color inkset. In a 4-color set, you have
only one of each color, but in the 6-color sets, you have two magentas
and two cyans. Even with a profile, you may still have crossover
problems when working with grayscale, as the tonal range shifts
between the darker and lighter versions of the same color.

So, as to your request on how to correct this:

Dump the Luminos inks and get the Generations. I have heard that the
MIS inks are also pretty close to the Epson inks, but I have no
experience with them.

I am still using the Epson OEM black ink. I just use the color
Generations inks.

Also, experiment with the different paper settings in the Epson
driver. I found that some of my images look better with the Plain
Paper setting (720 dpi) and some look better with the Photo Quality
Inkjet Paper setting.

Don't be afraid to waste some paper and ink while experimenting. The
more prints you make, the more you will learn.

There is no substitute for experience.

 
Tony Karp, TLC Systems Corp    tkarp@tlc-systems.com
                       
Visit our web sites:
 Techno-Impressionist Museum:  http://www.techno-impressionist.com
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