Printing high quality monochrome images using a normal color ink set on an ink jet printer has always been a difficult task. The standard CMYK color process that most models employ is very difficult to balance throughout the levels of black in a monochrome image and color defects are normally present within the gray scale. Basically, if a neutral black is achieved for shadow detail then magenta or cyan creeps into the mid tones etc. Around five years ago, Lyson addressed this problem with the introduction of the first ink jet inks specifically designed for black and white printing, the Quad Black ink range. This consists of ink sets that contain four or six dilutions of the same black ink and, by using ICC profiles and Photoshop settings, true monochrome images can be produced using the standard OEM print driver software.

The Lyson Quad Black ink sets are renowned for their quality and Longevity. Independent testing of these inks carried out by Wilhelm Imaging research indicates an estimated display life of in excess of 100 years in average indoor display conditions. The Daylight Darkroom system uses a new seven ink combination of the Quad Black ink set that enables users to produce images in a variety of tonal effects from warm through neutral to cool. The Lyson Daylight Darkroom inks are dye based which runs against the recent trend towards pigments in photographic ink jet printing. However, with the proven longevity of Lyson’s exclusive black dye technology rivaling most pigment ink sets, the benefits of using dye inks in monochrome printing can be fully exploited – deep, rich blacks with a D-max of over 3 (the best pigment blacks can only achieve around 1.8) and the ability to print on gloss media without bronzing. Basically, the Lyson Daylight Darkroom inks are the only product available that can mimic traditional silver halide processes on the surfaces that photographers want to use.