New Piezography User - Curves Questions

InkjetMall Customer Support Piezography Inks & Printing
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Dana, Jon, et al,

I am a soon-to-be new Piezography user - I’m excitedly awaiting my new inkset (the Warm Neutral MPS matte/glossy set) and refillable cartridges. I’ll be printing from a Mac (running Yosemite 10.10) to an Epson 3880 printer. Can’t wait!

While waiting for my new inks I’m getting everything set up - nozzle checks on my printer, downloading QTR and the QTR Print Tool, installing the K7 curves, and printing a number of prints out of ABW to later use for comparison.

The papers I currently use are:

Canson Baryta Photographique
Epson Exhibition Fiber
Epson Hot Press Natural
Epson Hot Press Bright
Epson Cold Press Natural
Epson Cold Press Bright

After installing QTR and the associated matte profiles; and then downloading and installing all the glossy curves from your library, this is what I see in my profiles folder (these same curves, less the two Install commands, are reflected in the Quad3880-K7 “printer” dialog):

Install3800-K7.command
Install3880-K7.command
3800-3880-30000GO.quad
3800-30000GO.quad
3800-3880-MPS-HANptoRagBaryta.quad
3800-MPS-HANptoRagBaryta.quad
3800-3880-MPS-IlfSmoothGloss.quad
3800-MPS-IlfSmoothGloss.quad
3880-CAR-MuseoSilverRag.quad
3800-SEL-WN-CANplatFibRag.quad
3880-CAR-HANptoRagBaryta.quad
3800-3880-MPS-HANBarytaFB.quad
3800-MPS-HANBarytaFB.quad
3880-CAR-CANplatFiberRag.quad
3800-SEL-CanPlatFibreRag.quad
3880-WN-SEL_HANfineArtBaryta.quad
3800-3880-MPS-FotospeedPlatGloss.quad
3800-MPS-FotospeedPlatGloss.quad
3800-SEL-IlfGoldFibSilk.quad
3800-SEL-CanBarytaPhoto.quad
3800-3880-MPS-HarmonGlossBarytaWarm.quad
3800-MPS-HarmonGlossBarytaWarm.quad
3880-CAR-CANbaryta.quad
3800-3880-MPS-EPluster.quad
3800-MPS-EPluster.quad
3800-3880-MPS-EPexFiber.quad
3800-MPS-EPexFiber.quad
3800-3880-MPS-Type5.quad
3800-MPS-Type5.quad
3800-3880-MPS-HarmonGlossFBAI.quad
3800-MPS-HarmonGlossFBAI.quad
3880-WN-SEL-NU-EPexFiber.quad
3800-3880-MPS-IlfGoldFibSilk.quad
3800-MPS-IlfGoldFibSilk.quad
3880-WN-SEL-HANptoRagBaryta.quad
3880-WN-SEL-NU-JCStype5.quad
K7-2880-MoabEntradaNat.quad
K7-2880-JonConeStudioType1.quad
K7-2880-MoabEntradaBrt.quad
K7-2880-InnovaSTNW100.quad
K7-2880-InnovaSCHW.quad
K7-2880-InnovaFibaPWM.quad
K7-2880-BergerPN62.quad
K7-2880-EpUltraPresMatte.quad
K7-2880-JonConeStudioType3.quad
K7-2880-BergerPN32.quad
K7-2880-HahnGermEtch.quad
K7-2880-InnovaSCN.quad
K7-2880-EpVelvFineArt.quad
K7-2880-MoabLasalPM.quad
K7-2880-BergerPN61.quad
K7-2880-BergerPN33.quad
K7-2880-HahnPhotoRag.quad
K7-2880-IlfordSmoothHWMatte.quad
K7-2880-HahnNatArtDuo.quad
K7-2880-JonConeStudioType2.quad
K7-2880-HahnWhiteVelvet.quad
K7-2880-HahnBamboo.quad
K7-2880-HahnWilliamTurner.quad
K7-2880-HahnMuseumEtch.quad
K7-2880-HahnPhotoRagBrtW.quad

Several questions regarding the curves:

  1. Despite having only executed the “Install3880-K7.command” (i.e. I did not execute the “Install3800-K7.command”) I see a mix of 3800 and 3880 labels. Can I assume that is simply because the two printers are very similar and that even 3800-labeled curves are appropriate to use in my 3880?

  2. I see two “GO” curves:
    3800-30000GO
    3800-3880-30000GO
    I assume I should use the latter one? Is there a difference?

  3. For Epson Exhibition Fiber I see three curves:
    3800-3880-MPS-EPexFiber
    3800-MPS-EpexFiber
    3880-WN-SEL-NU-EpexFiber

Which should I use?

This raises a larger question… my understanding of the ‘MPS’ system is that it simply is an inkset which includes both matte and glossy inks; and that the two options currently for ‘MPS’ are Selenium or Warm Neutral. Why, then, are there curves that in some cases use the generic label ‘MPS’ while others dictate a particular ink family?

Perhaps the answer to that is germane to my fourth question…

  1. I see two curves for Canson Baryta Photographique:
    3800-SEL-CanBarytaPhoto
    3880-CAR-CANbaryta

I assume the first is for the Selenium inkset and the second is for the Carbon inkset. I don’t see a curve specific to the ‘MPS (Warm Neutral)’ inkset I’ve ordered. Do you have a recommendation?

  1. Finally, I don’t see any curves for Epson’s Hot/Cold Press papers. Do you have a recommendation?

Thanks in advance for your help in educating me. I’m very excited about trying your product!

All the best,

Jeff Hughes

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Hi Jeff~

Welcome to Piezography, I am happy to help you get set up and happily printing!

  1. The 3800 and 3880 use the same curves. The variety of 3800 and 3880 glossy curves downloaded from our forum are custom curves made for different customers over the years, which we have checked and feel to be good for others to use. These curves are names with the printer model, ink tone and paper, whereas standard K7 curves only list the paper (K7 indicated seven ink shades, and 2880 indicates 2880dpi resolution).

  2. yes, both GO curves are identical. I checked the download files, and believe you probably got some MPS curves and one GO curve from our Piezography website, and other glossy curves with the second GO curve from our forum articles page.

  3. Again about downloading glossy curves from two sources, the “3800-3880-MPS-EPexFiber” curve is the same (just with a slightly different name, to indicate it works with both printer models) as the “3800-MPS-EPexFiber” curve. The third “WN-SEL-NU” was made for a customer using a custom split-tone system using three K7 ink tones. Both curves are very similar, though differ slightly due to slight differences in printer and inks (and possibly paper as well). I have attached an image showing the two different curves for you to see.

“MPS” curves were made for either Selenium or Warm-Neutral inks (which were originally the only glossy K7 ink tones), but now all K7 ink tones are glossy compatible.


  1. Similar to 3 above, yes- both curves are for the same paper, but one was made for a customer using Carbon inks, and the other was made for a customer using Selenium inks. I except the SEL curve to work best with your Warm-Neutral inks.

  2. We don’t have pre-made curves for Epson’s Hot Press or Cold Press papers, but I have attached custom curves I’ve made for customers using the 3800/3880 and these papers. You can also try the curve for HANptoRag or CANragPto, they might give good results on the Hot/Cold Press papers.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have further questions of there’s anything else I can help you with.
Best regards and happy printing~ Dana :slight_smile:

3880-SEL-EPcoldPressNat.quad.zip (2.79 KB)3880-SEL-EPhotPressNat.quad.zip (2.8 KB)

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Thanks, Dana! You’ve been very helpful. I’m really looking forward to printing with your inks and process…

Jeff

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You’re very welcome, we’re here to help!

Best~ Dana :slight_smile: