Which Pigment Ink for Epson 1500W?

[Apostolos]

Thanks!
I didn't know that!

 

[cls]

do you guys have a source for a 6 and 8 color empty ciss for pigmented inks?=

 

[The Hat]

do you guys have a source for a 6 and 8 color empty ciss for pigmented inks?=

You can make up your own CISS for pigment ink yourself as this one was..

or just convert any standard CISS over by drilling holes in the plugs and inserting the tubing in from the top, like this but don't forget a vent hole also.

 

[pharmacist]

I don't think you need to install a vent hole: there is already on on top of each color compartment (with an air filter). Maybe you should push the tubing by a self made hole in the silicon plug over the ink refill hole.

 

[pharmacist]

Anyhow: I found a company (Cobraink.com), who installed their CISS in a very ingenious way, by guiding the CISS tubing internally, so no jamming and banging occurs, so the print head can move freely when printing and printer lid can be closed firmly as usual. I might be planning to install it this way, so the lid can be closed. It really looks very neat.

https://www.cobraink.com/Printers/epson1430.htm#

 

[martin0reg]

After I got a small amount of this ink from pharmacist with some really nice test samples (thank you once more for sending the package) I was curious to see how this ink performs compared to the "klaria", which I used at first in my R285.

The printer is a 6 channel model like the 1400/1500 and at first look I paid attantion particularly on the gloss performance.
Pharmacist recommends this ink for his quality regarding gloss..
http://www.printerknowledge.com/thr...-gloss-differential-properly.9164/#post-71957
..but he also pointed out, that LK and LLK is important for the less gloss differential of this ink set..

My first impression printing on glossy paper: the over all gloss is better, more shiny than the Klaria, but at the same time there is "bronzing" or metallic shine of black areas.
Probably this is due to the missing LK and LLK.
So while it is a high quality ink set, in 6 channel printers one should not expect the same gloss performance as in 3K printers (inkluding LK and LLK) I think after this very short test with only one sort of glossy paper (non expensive TPI cast coated)

Further testing with other papers should be done..but IMO the best ink for glossy (!) paper is dye ink. But on the other hand there is longevity ... all types of ink and paper has its pro's and con's...



BTW for profiling both klaria and powerchrome I used a software which I first tested years ago..
http://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/making-a-printer-profile-by-using-your-digital-camera.7426/
..the more I am using it, the more I like it ...

After I made my first attempts with pigment ink in a epson 6-channel dye printer I am a bit disappointed by the muted colors, especially missing d-max of the blacks.
This might be due to my setup - 8 channel ink for 6 channel printer...paper choice...profiling or whatever more - but even when I print "black only" (choose plain paper, grey, photo) the B&W print comes out with missing deep blacks. On glossy AND on matte paper. Compared to the same settings and using dye.
So I decided to forget about pigment on glossy paper and try out printing pigment on matte paper - with matte black ink. I had some matte black (from IS and OCP) - and as exptected the d-max / deep blacks are indeed much better.
To compare the two inks (matte black and photo black, both pigment) "by itself" I made my "dilution test": put one drop of ink in a glass of water and compare the visible tone of color.

- Now one thing I noticed: in the diluted matte black I can see the particles with the naked eye! Very fine particles but definitely visible, different from the photo black(also pigment!) in which I could not see particles...(a "clear" gray tone similar to dye ink)
Questions arise:
- Is matte black really so "grainy" compared to photo black?
- could matte black be used at all in a native dye printer which has no precaution to stir the ink or appropiate cartridges? While the carts are sitting on the printhead they will be moved and shaked a little...but will it be enough for matte (!) black??

 

[pharmacist]

Hi Martin,

This is the reason why even Epson is going to update their R3000 in the SC-600 with improved blackness. Unfortunately matte black cannot be used on photo paper. How are your prints compared to ones made with Epson Pro 3880?

 

[martin0reg]

Hi pharmacist, I would like to have a 3880, yet I don't have the space...and the need for A2 (for bigger prints I go to fapfab.de)

"..matte black cannot be used on photo paper.."??
I am now using the matte black ink on matte photo (!) paper .. looks good so far regarding the deeep blacks and gradation.
For "baryt" style / fine art paper it would depend, perhaps these are not matte enough to come out without gloss differential or bronzening. Besides I like to play with art paper like for water color paintings and I am curious to compare pigment with dye on such non-inkjet papers .

 

[pharmacist]

Hi Martin,

Slip of the pen: I mean matte black on GLOSSY photo paper .

 

[anazoolik]

For CISS: how you get the ink from top of the bottle, if the bottle is only half full? Tubings will end short before the bottom of the bottle, right?
So i believe not every "bottom feed ciss" makes trouble with pigment inks. There are some ciss which have a covered ink hole and sits behind a embankment. So pigments can't drop directly in hole and dropped pigments at bottom will not flushed in ink hole.
Attached a picture of such a ciss tank.