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Can you use "advanced B&W" printing on the Epson 3880 to print on "Fine Art" papers?


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<p>I resurrected my film scanner today and wanted to print some B&W on my Epson 3880, on some Epson Hot Press Bright paper. I discovered I could do it using the standard RGB settings, but couldn't figure out a way to do it using the "Advanced B&W" printer mode. After a lot of experimentation with the printer dialog settings, I discovered that the Advanced B&W mode didn't seem to be available for ANY paper fed through the rear feeder. Of course, the Epson driver requires all "Fine Art" paper (like Hot Press) to be fed through the rear feeder, so it would appear that the Advanced B&W mode isn't available for any "Fine Art" paper. This conclusion would seem to be supported by the following: If I chose the sheet feeder, then Advanced B&W mode was available for all the papers in the "Photo" paper group, but none of them in the "Fine Art" paper group (which, as I just mentioned, can't be fed through the sheet feeder anyway). I looked at the 3880 manual, and noticed that it said that Advanced B&W printing "is only available when printing on certain media types." They don't say which. <br>

Am I correct in deducing that Advanced B&W printing simply isn't available for the "Fine Art" papers? If so, would that be because you use Matte Black instead of Photo Black for those papers (and I suppose that would mess up the Advanced B&W process)?<br>

But if this is correct, then how is it that Eric Chan has a Advanced B&W profile for Hot Press Bright paper? (I realize it's for the Epson 3800, but can't imagine why there would be a difference.)<br>

Am I missing something?</p>

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<blockquote>

<p>I discovered that the Advanced B&W mode didn't seem to be available for ANY paper fed through the rear feeder<br>

Am I correct in deducing that Advanced B&W printing simply isn't available for the "Fine Art" papers?<br>

<br /></p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'm not sure what you are doing wrong but that is not correct. <br>

<br /></p>

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<p>Alan -- That was actually one of the first things I checked, and in fact I am using the latest Epson driver. The link you provided is interesting, though, particularly where they talk about maybe the ABW settings not actually providing a meaningful difference. That certainly seemed to be the case in two prints I did yesterday, not that that was what I was trying to determine.<br>

As far as I can tell, I've been otherwise doing all that the thread suggests. I've been using Lightroom (haven't tried it in Photoshop yet), and telling LR that the printer should be managing the colors. Once I do that, I end up with exactly what I described in my original post. ABW is available, but only for "Photo" papers, and only for the sheet feeder.</p>

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<p>there is a bit of chicken & egg w/ paper setup. On my setup, I have to go into Page Setup first to select the paper size. That is the place you define not only size but which feed input you want to use (and borderless yes/no too!). if you dont pick the right entry in that menu, you dont get fine art papers to be selectable in the driver (later).</p>
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<p>Howard M: Yeah; I discovered that too. "Fine Art" papers are only possible when fed through the rear feeder. But as far as I can make happen, ABW is not possible through the rear feeder, no matter what paper I choose (e.g., glossy, which I know can be printed with ABW). Don Bryant, above, says that isn't the case. I sure wish I could figure out why. </p>
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