Testimonials for Symphonic Inkjet Digital Printing Technology

Harald Johnson - VA: Author, Mastering Digital Printing. Tested Symphonic Pigment Inks before including it in his book. “Had David Tobie make a custom profile on Museo with Symphonic Ink. Results: FABULOUS!!! Colors are rich, tones are smooth.”

Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth of FLAAR Dr. Hellmuth wrote in another article, " The 8-color ink set we know the best is Symphonic Ink. You can obtain this special ink from Scott Saltman, American Imaging Corp, 201 263-99177. Scott Saltman is a highly regarded ink chemist and RIP software person who has dedicated his life to achieving the ultimate ink-software combination."
For those of you that do not know , FLAAR Digital Imaging Technology Center concentrates its experience on the evaluation and testing of high quality digital technology. You can find FLAAR at www.fineartgicleeprinters.org

Giles Prett of Crane Paper Company Scott and I have worked together for over three years pushing the envelope in paper and ink. Printing on Museo Max with Symphonic UltraMax II produced the deepest, richest color of any ink. The prints are vibrant and alive. We have also worked together with Steve Greaves of Digifab perfecting Symphonic Evolution. The combination of Symphonic Evolution and Symphonic Ink is as good as it gets. Most of all, American Imaging who created the system is relentless on seeking perfection. Tel: 1413 684-6843

                                  
                                    Hi Scott,

                                    I just wanted to let you know, I am running you 5 color inkset and new bulk ink cartridges in my 9800, I let the machine sit for 2 weeks, it was in a room at 60 degrees and only 25% humidity.

                                    I ran a nozzle check before I started printing, not a single nozzle was missing, the machine was perfect! better than when I had the Epson ink in the machine!

                                    Thanks!!!!

                                    Giles
                                  
                                    Steve Strickland, Genesis Arts Ltd. www art2.com–WA.
                                  
                                  “ This is the best printing package there is! I went from various pigment inks to dye inks and finally to Symphonic Pigment Ink. The ink produces vibrantly saturated colors. I have spent a fortune trying numerous inks and software. With the Symphonic Bulk Ink Cartridges I’ve been saving a great deal of money and I can compete more effectively. I always know how much ink is in my system and refilling is a breeze. The printing software package is so comfortable to use that I can concentrate on the printing itself. I am very impressed with Scott’s entire package and I am looking forward to getting the new Mimaki Printer.”

Peter Treiber: Sometimes you need to slow down and take a second look at new stuff. Much of what we see at the photo shows is over priced, underdeveloped, or just not really practical to our photographic needs. But sometimes you find a jewel hidden beneath the hype. American Imaging Corp. is just such a jewel. Last year I discovered them while looking for a viable bulk ink system for my Epson 4000. What I found is an incredible resource in Mr. Scott Saltman who has developed a better pigment set than Ultrachrome, a powerful, full featured RIP, a simple bulk ink setup, and a web site with many hidden treasures. http://www.americaninkjetsystem.com The web site, unfortunately, is not well designed and not well organized. This year I spent more time with Scott, who partnered with Crane Paper this year, and realized the great depth of his work. American Imaging Corp. will be distributing Crane
Museo papers. Scott has done extensive testing of many ink and paper combinations and can recommend the very best combinations. Hidden away on the AIC site is a link to a fantastic up sizing
interpolation program called "Photo Zoom Professional".

Bruce MacLean: I went from Epson's Ultrachrome ink on my 4000 to Symphonic UltraMax II and I was blown away with the richness of my prints, but when Scott introduced me to Evolution and made a profile for me I was even more amazed. I never printed such pure Black and White images before. This is the essence of Digital Technology.

Christopher Scott: I am forever pushing the limits in quality printing. I went to the 12 color Roland D'Vinci, but it did not push the envelope far enough. I found American Imaging's Symphony 12 with Symphonic Evolution. They offered me choice of different color inks which gave me the opportunity to seriously push the envelope. This is truly the essence of Giclée Printing Technology. What makes it so great is working with a great team who truly care about reaching the best. Tell: 1757 880-5071

Terry Schopper: I read about the Symphony 12 and it made sense. It focused on the weaknesses of standard 4 color printing filling in the ranges of color with brilliance and depth. I contacted Scott of American Imaging and new he understood the potential of digital printing. I jumped into the whole system and I have reached the outer limits of color. The experience and knowledge I had from years of printing gave me the edge I needed. Our canvas prints are like originals and don't crack as they do with other well known inks. We make the most amazing 3 dimentional paintings. The team of Scott Saltman and Steve Greaves, software developer, offer the kind of support you need to reach this level. Tel:1612 280-1916

Tohru Nakamura is a New York Photographer who has won several art direction awards and has been a professional photographer for over 30 years. "I heard about Evolution Giclée and Symphonic Ink, so I went to Inkjetcolorsystems' store in New Jersey to see it for myself. The first image I saw was a 22 x30 matte print of a model with red lips and a red dress printed on Epson 7600. It looked like a Cibachrome photographic print, only sharper and better. Her eyes and eye lashes were so sharp and the flesh tone was smooth just the way it should be. I assumed to get this quality it was printed at 2880 res. Scott said no, 1440 Bidirectional mode. It's hard to believe. He opened the image on the computer and printed one out for me. It's 1440 Bidirectional! I saw a variety of other impressive images as well. There is no question what the Rip and Ink is capable of.

George Addie, NY Fine Art Publisher: “Seeking the Holy Grail of quality pigment ink led me to Symphonic Ink. It prints with the vibrancy of a dye. Highlights are exceptionally smooth, even without variable dot. Warhol’s Campbell Soup printed rich and “RED.” My clients are elated about the “lifelike” quality of our reproductions. Scott is a genius and what his package has to offer is nothing less than incredible from ink to color management to computers. We use the Mimaki JV2 with 7-colors including Light Black. The results are great.” George Addie Passed away and we will miss him. He truly understood Fine Art Imaging.

Richard West, West Photo Imaging - NJ: “Over five years ago, Scott of American Imaging Corp. introduced me to his world of digital printing. I have known him as a compulsive perfectionist. I bought his Pro KISS System, which includes Rip, Color Management Software, PC Server/Workstation and Mimaki Printer. I put it through a battery of tests. The quality is definitely there. I can control the precise amount of ink used, which results in a wider gamut and an ink savings.

Three years ago we upgraded to Symphonic Archival Pigment and have been able to achieve even a higher level of quality. Reds are red, colors are rich, and blacks are deep. Unlike the OEM inks we were previously using, the making of profiles has been a breeze. Instead of getting color patches that don't even come close to what is expected by Monaco Profiler, we now get patches that almost match in both color and density. With AIC's inks, we have such a wide gamut that having this close a match in Monaco, and controlling our light ink densities, ink limits and the linearization of all colors in our RIP, provides us with beautiful profiles without the need to always tweak the finished profile. Thank you, AIC.

With Scott’s printing system and Symphonic Long Life Pigment, we handle Photographic Printing, Fine Art, and Outdoor Signage. No other package has so much to offer. You can print with Symphonic Pigment for almost any application. By the way, his TITAN IV Workstation Server will blow away most any computer, Mac or PC.”

Chuck Coutier Sign Co.: "I have been printing outdoor signage with Symphonic Ink for over three years. There is no sign of fading in the original test I made two years ago and the colors are rich and vibrant. The support I get from American Imaging is excellent. They truly understand inkjet printing."

Dale Lapham- City of College Station, Texas : “We print outdoor signs for the city. Longevity is a prominent issue. We were printing with solvent ink and had a number of problems including the lack of rich color. We have been printing with Symphonic Pigment for almost over two years. The colors are rich, and it lasts longer than the solvent ink we were previously using. Symphonic Images show no sign of fading. Just to put a perspective on our conditions, humidity ranges from 60 to 85 percent and temperatures range from 80 to 100 degrees. This is the worst set of conditions you can subject printing to. Symphonic Ink handles it well and the ink seems to go further. I seem to use less ink to get rich color.”

Stewart M. Penney of SMP Graphics in New York: “We are a Service Bureau in New York. Clients come to us with anything you can imagine. We utilize Scott’s software package, which includes monitor calibration. This allows us to know just how the file is going to print. You have no idea just how many people do not understand the importance of calibration. We are all about productivity and quality. We do not have the luxury to spend countless hours on a reproduction. We bought the JV4 180 with Scott’s entire system, Titan III Workstation/Server, Bulk ink, and Software and it is not only productive, but the quality is fantastic. We compared the ink that came with the JV4 to Symphonic. The difference was substantial.

Symphonic Pigment was richer and deeper in color and it produced a real rich red. I worked out that the cost of ink per square foot to be $.18.”

Bridget and Trish of American Fine Art, Annapolis MD . We bought a clone of Scott’s entire setup from Scanners to the Mimaki Printer. It was a no-brainer. It all works seamlessly. He trained us in color management and rip software. Our first prints were great.

He produces some of the finest prints we have seen. He is a compulsive perfectionist and you know if he says it works, it does. He introduced us to Symphonic Ink’s after he tested and printed with them for over 8 months. Even though these inks blew the Mimaki ink away, Scott was not satisfied. He is always “pushing the envelope.”

The JV2 prints superbly with these inks. Now with his neutral light black, results are superior. Mimaki should definitely produce an 8-color printer to utilize Symphonic Ink’s neutral light black. With Mimaki’s superb engineering, Symphonic 8-color ink set, and Scott’s printing technology, it would make it the ultimate inkjet printing system.”

We recently bought an Epson 9600 from American Imaging Corp., because Scott said this is “one hell of a printer.” He set it up with Symphonic Ultra III Inks and Symphonic PhotoScript Rip. The results are incredible, rich and vibrant. Our first print was great.

What’s next Scott?

Bob Epstein, Pan-Galactic Sculpture, www.pangal.com

Dear Scott & Linda,

I’m writing to thank you for the immeasurable amount of help you have given me in resolving the printing issues that have plagued me for several years. The results that I am now consistently getting far exceed my expectations. It is such a relief to know that I now have someone that I can wholeheartedly rely on for an incomparable depth of knowledge, personal attention and service, and an unwavering commitment to quality.

I’m sure that you remember that I’m using sublimation ink transfer technology to transfer images to metal, but I’m not sure if you know just what I’m doing. I am using this process primarily for transferring custom images onto parts for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. My clientele is very particular about what will go on their motorcycles and these parts must be PERFECT! Thanks to you, for the first time in the six years that I’ve been using this technology, I can now print an image with complete confidence that what I’m seeing on my monitor is EXACTLY what I will see when the image is transferred to the part. Prior to installing your bulk ink system and fantastic inks, I needed to test print and transfer an image over and over until I was pretty close to the original. This was very frustrating, expensive and time consuming and was always, at best, an approximation of the results that I needed. The printer profile that you designed and helped me install in Photoshop compensates perfectly for any of the earlier discrepancies I had to endure.

One of the biggest problems that I was having was that none of the black sublimation inks I tried would give me a true black when transferred. Most had a slight purple cast and would fade to pink after several months in the sun. The inks that you’ve supplied, along with your tremendous support in helping me with the creation of that special profile, are giving me results that can only be deemed perfect!

I’ve never written a fan letter to a company before but I feel compelled to let you know what a difference you have made. It seemed as if you took on my problems as your own, and you weren’t about to rest until you’d resolved them. This transaction has transcended business and given me the unexpected and wonderful gift of trusted and treasured friends. All in all, your meticulous approach, great attitude, ability to actually listen to me and understand what I needed and then deliver it, has made it a true pleasure working with you. You have earned a client and friend for life. I hope I’ll get to actually meet you soon. Thanks again.

Peace,

Bob Epstein

Robert Eversole, President of ErgoSoft US. LLC. I speak with Scott quite often and sometimes on weekends. He is fiercely loyal to his supporters. He believes strongly in the products he sells. Scott is esoteric, fanatical and even sometimes maniacal, but like his views or not, nobody produces a better print.

Michael Cone www.michaelconephotography.com
A recommendation for those considering the advice provided by American Imaging Corp. Last year, my Epson 7600 began leaving dragged smears of ink on prints. In searching for a solution to the problem, I came across the website. After calling and explaining the problem, Scott suggested a new wiper and waste ink recovery station (not the right name, but the place where the head moves left during a cleaning). By replacing just those parts, the problem was remedied.

A few weeks ago, a new problem arose on the Epson 7600. This time, there were not smears across the print, but faint occasional drag marks. It was also becoming increasingly difficult to get a good nozzle check after cleaning, and a nozzle or two would usually drop out on a 24 x 30. The head just wouldn't clean. By speaking with Scott, is was decided that the best course of action would be to replace the capping station, the wiper, and clean around the head with Symphonic Cleaning Fluid. Additionally, I was working under a deadline, and needed the parts as soon as possible. After speaking with Scott late Thursday, the parts were shipped Friday and delivered early Saturday.

Once more, the advice was spot on. The capping station went on easily, I cleaned around the head (very compacted with built up ink), and replaced the wiper. The printer is now producing prints as it should.

In both instances, Scott assured me that such replacement of parts was easy to do, and certainly did not require the expense of an Epson Tech. Absolutely true. The parts were installed without special tools, and in a short period of time.

Thanks to Scott at American Imaging Corp., I am fully a believer that a printer, with the proper occasional DIY maintenance, will have a long and productive lifespan.