Just saying hello

[Hillmaster]

Hi everyone. It's been a week or so since I joined the forum as I'm so busy I haven't had much time to write.
First off, I have 3 Epson printers - a clunky 6 year old ET-2660 that still works well, providing my lady wife with a means of printing her verses for all the greetings cards she makes. She does quite a bit of crafting stuff.
Then I have 2 machines for myself - a Workfoce WF-7710 and a Stylus Photo 1500W, which has been lying in the garage for over 7 years with a clogged head. I eventually got time to bring it in from the cold last month and give it a really good strip down and service, which resulted in bringing it back to life!
I'm a printer by trade (now retired) and have had a passionate interest in photography since I was 8 years old, when my Aunt gave me my first camera - a grey plastic Kodak Brownie 127! I've progressed since then, and now, after many years of working in colour, I want to re-vitalise some of my images in black and white. I have been studying Paul Roark's website and am now on the verge of making a 6 part set of mono pigment inks. The only problem I'm having is with the surfactant side of things, and I wonder if anyone out there in the forum can help. Living in the UK I can't seem to source any Photo Flo and/or Edwal surfactants and have seen a few posts regarding the use of "Jet Dry" dishwasher rinse aid, or GLOP as a ready made base - I would prefer to make my own though, and have had plenty of experience making up developers, fixers etc, However, if anyone can help me in my quest for info on this I would most grateful. Sorry if I've gone on a bit, but I don't get out much! Pic of St Mary's Church, Whitby

 

[Hendrik]

Since the surface tension of the ink is an important parameter for the proper functioning of inkjet printers, it might be risky if you use a base fluid which has not been properly tested or characterized. With GLOP (check OctoInkjet) you are on a safer side.

Best
Hendrik

 

[Hillmaster]

Many thanks for noticing my post, Hendrik! If you don't mind me asking, are you saying that rather than start messing around with the multitude of ingredients such as Photo-flo, Tergitol et al, I would be better off initially by using GLOP as the clear base and then once I gain more confidence, and possibly manage to get hold of the other ingredients, branch out from there? If so, that would make life much simpler, initially, and I could get rolling and start printing some of my black and white conversions.

 

[Hendrik]

Many thanks for noticing my post, Hendrik! If you don't mind me asking, are you saying that rather than start messing around with the multitude of ingredients such as Photo-flo, Tergitol et al, I would be better off initially by using GLOP as the clear base and then once I gain more confidence, and possibly manage to get hold of the other ingredients, branch out from there? If so, that would make life much simpler, initially, and I could get rolling and start printing some of my black and white conversions.

I think Paul Roark has published various ink sets and the composition of different base fluids. I would stick to one of those approved formulations. Currently, I am using the GCVT ink set of Paul Roark with GLOP as the base fluid. It works for me in a R2880.