Epson 1400 with pigment inks - suggestions needed

[twinkle]

I decided (mostly just because I like to tinker) to switch to pigment inks on my Epson 1400. I print only about 20-30 photos/month. I like to use Kirkland glossy paper for messing about because it is great value, so performance on glossy paper is important. I play with a variety of matte papers too, but Kirkland glossy is the workhorse.

I realize this screams "use dye", but I'm very pigment-curious.

I think from extensive reading on internet that best 3rd party ink for glossy printing at the moment is inkjetfly's IMA24/36 V3. While this ink is intended for 3880 and the like, is there any reason it shouldn't work well in a 1400? I have SpyderPRINT, and I assume profiling would be necessary.

I also plan on using RATF carts from inkjetcarts.us.

If anyone wants to tell me this is a dumb idea, I'd like to hear it before I click on buy. Thanks!

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

I would really recommend saving up for an R2000 instead. It has a Gloss Optimizer tank that coats pigment prints to maintain the highest gloss on photo papers. I have Image Specialists inks and it's just a mess on glossy paper, especially on prints with a lot of light/white areas with minimal ink coverage that are super glossy compared to the pigment areas. I have not tried those specific inks, but I think you will still notice it (and probably end up with "bronzing" issues) on very high gloss papers.

 

[Andrew1937]

I have the R3000 and now using Inkjet Fly Pigments inks and I haven't encountered any bronzing on 2 - 7x10 photos I just printed out using Epson Glossy paper.

Andrew

 

[twinkle]

I have the R3000 and now using Inkjet Fly Pigments inks and I haven't encountered any bronzing on 2 - 7x10 photos I just printed out using Epson Glossy paper.

Andrew

Are you using V3 pigment inks (they list both V1 and V3 for R3000)?

By no bronzing, do you mean just black ink not looking bronze colored when viewed from an angle, or do you mean there is no significant difference in gloss between ink and paper?

Thanks.

 

[twinkle]

To add a small bit of info...

Inkjetfly suggests IMA6 inkset on 6-color Epsons.

Looking at inkjetfly profiles on Kirkland glossy using IMA6 w/ V3 PK, volume of gamut is 716649 colorspace units, and with IMA24/36 V3 there is 630044. Visually eyeballing the graphs, most of the difference is that IMA6 is capable of higher saturation in darker shades of all hues. I imagine that side-by-side IMA24/36 v3 would look "more muddy" than IMA6, at least on some images.

I can find next to no info on IMA6 inkset except one complaint that there is visible bronzing (but supposedly nothing like Image Specialists, which is awful on glossy). Does anyone have any experience with IMA6? After experimenting with IS ink in R280 on glossy last year, I'm wary of trying another ink with similar issues, and Kirkland is my goto paper because of cost/quality.

edit: I had gamut size reversed, corrected now. IMA6 has larger gamut.