Help about Epson R3000

[PaulDalex]

I just started using the Ilford Prestige Gallery Smooth Pearl.
I downloaded and installed the profile and made a few color prints.
Generraly I am satisfied.
However, one print appears stained in the dark areas if looked upon from a low angle.
Now here is my question:
With such paper should I use Matte Black (as I did) or Photo Black?
I would greatly appreciate your help. I already digged the web to no avail. Not even the Ilford read me seems to give an answer
Paolo

 

[SausalitoDog]

Paolo-

You want to use the photo black with any smooth or glossy coated paper.

I would use the epson premium lustre setting for the paper you mention.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[PaulDalex]

Tom,
thank you very much. Actually I had the matte installed I since pearl is a semigloss, I thought it could work fine.
Now I see I was totally wrong!
I will redo the prints right away
Thanks a lot
Cheers
Paolo

 

[PaulDalex]

To my shame,
there is a table in the appendix of the manual which clearly states that the right ink for semigloss is PK

 

[PaulDalex]

Alas! the print with the PK black turned out a total disaster.
Violets all over the places and blacks that turned white
Perhaps I better give up and stick with Matte black!

 

[PaulDalex]

A noticed a strange thing
If I check ink levels PK is almost full.
But If I perform a nozzle check PK is completely missing!

 

[Chris101]

A noticed a strange thing
If I check ink levels PK is almost full.
But If I perform a nozzle check PK is completely missing!

Run the clean procedure 3 or 4 times and see if it doesn't come back.

 

[PaulDalex]

(im)moral of the tale, which might be of general interest.
The printer says it has exchanged blacks. Right?
No it lies. You will need at least 3 cycles of nozzle cleaning before the new black shows up.
Something no review says.
After hundreds of models Epson is still in search of a technology that avoids print head clogging!
BTW which of the two prints is better? MK or PK? Hard to say. I am waiting the new print dries before emitting my own virdict

 

[froyd]

I wonder if you might have the MK <> PK swapping cycle set to ECONOMY, which does not fully purge the lines of the old ink before priming them with the new one.

Worth a dive into the menu (and manual) to check. Too bad the swap is so wasteful. I believe Canon offers separate lines for their blacks, avoiding the need to purge. Maybe they have a patent that Epson could not overcome?