[alt-photo] Re: Epson 3800 Ink Expiration Date and Epson Driver

[Jeremy Moore]

Half the ink in my Epson 7800 is out of date by over a year and I've never
had any issues either way with it. I find it's cheaper to buy "expired" inks
on eBay than it is to pay retail for new when they work just fine for me.

-Jeremy-

On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 4:51 PM, Amy Holmes George
<amyhgeorge at hotmail.com>wrote:

>
> Hello alt list,
> I have two queries, and I would certainly appreciate any feedback anyone
> can offer . . .
> First of all, I am curious to know if anyone else is using the Epson 3800
> (with the Epson driver) to produce digital negatives (using Epson color
> inks) on Pictorico transparency film (particularly with pt/pd printing) and
> rendering consistently good results AND no "venetian blinds" effect.
> If so, this is my question: Are any or all of your Epson inks past their
> "expiration" date?
> Epson tells me that, like most things these days, their inks are stamped
> with a "freshness" date as a recommendation to use it within two years of
> its production. However, they (Epson) actually use expired inks all the time
> with no ill effect. Currently, I am printing with several expired inks—some
> of which expired last fall. So, now I'm wondering if there is any
> correlation between ink freshness and venetian blinds or even UV
> sensitivity. Epson could not address this issue, especially since I'm
> printing on Pictorico and not an Epson media.
> Second issue: I am still struggling with the occasional recurrence of
> venetian blinds in large fields of flat, (typically) high print values. And,
> when I tweak the settings under Advanced Media Controls in the Epson driver
> (as originally recommended by Epson and several folks on this list), it
> appeared to eliminate the venetian blinds, but then I experience other
> issues like the shadows blocking up. Recently I decided to print 1 PDN Color
> Density Range Palette with those same Advanced Media Control settings used
> to combat venetian blinds and then printed 1 PDN Color Density Range Palette
> withOUT the Advanced Media Control settings applied. Both were coated,
> exposed and developed according to my standardized time for pt/pd BUT the
> final print results are drastically different (BTW, each CDRP was printed
> with a Stouffers 31 step-tablet which reproduced the same in each). The CDRP
> printed with the Advanced Media Control settings reveals no paper white
> (looks way over exposed) and there is micro-banding; these differences are
> not detectable in the negatives themselves.
> You can view the results here:
> http://picasaweb.google.com/103360756612857524693/VerticalBandingInSky#5475693643166130162
> Does anyone have an explanation for this?
> Sorry for my lengthy message . . .
> Many thanks,Amy Holmes George
>
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