B/W on Epson 1400 printer? (Page 2): I have the 1400 for many years. When it was recommended to me, I was told that the color prints would be really good, but B\W would be...

alkaye Loc: North Myrtle Beach, SC

I have the 1400 for many years. When it was recommended to me, I was told that the color prints would be really good, but B\W would be unsatisfactory, as you described. True to the recommendation, the color prints are good to my eyes; but, I use a canon 9500 for B\W. Never even tried to print B\W on the 1400.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

bcrawf wrote:

I've obtained a used Epson Photo Stylus 1400 printer, but have not discovered a way to print black-and-white images without ending up with a color cast. This is with an image converted to grayscale (in Photoshop) and designating B-W in the printer dialogue window. I normally work in color, but want to solve this issue. Any experience with this out there?

Hi, I have this printer. It simply is not designed to print out BW prints, not enough inks I would guess. I bought a second printer, this is several years ago, and it prints out beautiful BW and color prints, also an Epson but no longer made, the R3000. Maybe someone has found a work-a-round so I cannot say it can't be done, I just was not able to do it nor has anyone else I know who has the 1400, it is a fairly low-grade printer although the color prints look pretty good. Just my experience.

Clapperboard

bcrawf With the Epson Photo Stylus 1400 printer if you use the 'Black and White setting in the printer setup you get a white/creamy colour cast. Convert your image to black and white in your editing software and print using the standard Color setting. You will get a black and white print that is better quality.

Kuzano

In the Epson printers that I have seen that are truly designed for printing B/W, the printers are designed to actually swap out a different black cartridge to do pro quality black. My Epson R2200 Pigment Ink printer uses a totally different cartridge (and number) for higher quality blacks.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Kuzano wrote:

In the Epson printers that I have seen that are truly designed for printing B/W, the printers are designed to actually swap out a different black cartridge to do pro quality black. My Epson R2200 Pigment Ink printer uses a totally different cartridge (and number) for higher quality blacks.

I believe the different black cartridges on Epson printers are for either glossy or matte paper, not different print quality.

Ron Dial Loc: Cuenca, Ecuador

The issue is not your computer or profile. Color printers using profiles designed for color, have difficulty with B&W images. The easiest way to fix this is to download the Quadtone RIP. A RIP is a Raster Image Processor. It takes over the image print processing from what ever program you are using. Quadtone is free and is designed to print B&W images. Basically you work on your image, then save it (usually as a tiff), then open Quadtone and tell it where the image is and where the printer is. You can set all kinds of adjustments, but when you print, it will not use any color inks. I have used it for years on even some very large prints and it is great. I think this will solve your problem.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Ron Dial wrote:

The issue is not your computer or profile. Color ... (show quote)

But the quality of B&W prints will always be better with a printer with multiple shades of black ink.

bcrawf

Ron Dial wrote:

The issue is not your computer or profile. Color ... (show quote)

Ron, thanks! I'll give it a try.

The Watcher

I’ve scanned, processed in Photoshop and printed dozens of old black and white photos with my two Epson R280 printers and haven’t had to deal with a color cast. These printers are the smaller version of the Epson 1400 and use the same Claria dye based inks. I wonder if the color cast is a bi-product of converting from color. Guess I’ll have to test that possibility. I should also note that I use a calibrated monitor, let Photoshop manage the colors, use Epson matte paper and judge the prints at a viewing station that has 5000k lighting.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

bcrawf wrote:

My 1400 is newer than that, but thanks -- and please clarify what you mean abut color management setting, since I thought the selection was either-or, so choosing one option, such as "PShop manages color," means the printer does not (and vice-versa).

Yes that would make sense, but most printers sadly don't work that way, if you choose "let Photoshop manage colors" the printers own color management (the default) is not automatically turned off, so it too tries to manage colors at the same time Photoshop is working on it! So both are interfering each other, resulting in falls/strange colors. One has to set the drivers (printer) color management to "OFF" by hand!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

alkaye wrote:

I have the 1400 for many years. When it was recommended to me, I was told that the color prints would be really good, but B\W would be unsatisfactory, as you described. True to the recommendation, the color prints are good to my eyes; but, I use a canon 9500 for B\W. Never even tried to print B\W on the 1400.

Here is a solution that a friend of mine with the same printer uses.

http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRpiezobw.html

And She prints her work on baryta type papers. Long grey scale, and very deep blacks. These are available from the major fine art paper mfgrs.

The Watcher

The OP might find this interesting.

http://www.photosnowdonia.co.uk/ZPS/epson1400-B&W.htm