Printing b&w negatives

J. L. Jones

I didn't get any response to my earlier post "printing b&w,
so I thought perhaps I might with a clearer title.

I've started scanning a few of my old black and white
negatives and printing on my Epson 2200. The 2200 does
colour better than black and white, as I'm sure you all
know.

I've got two questions:

1. Who's got the best printer for black and white? The Canon
imagePROGRAF Graphic Arts Printers look great, or at least
Canon would lead me to think so. Do I want one? I should
clarify that I want to make largish prints that look as much
as possible like the lovely unferrotyped glossy prints I
used to make.

Which brings me to question

2. What are your opinions about papers that look as much as
possible to unferrotyped glossy paper and are archival? I
want my exquisite effusions to last forever, or until my
eastate tosses 'em, whichever comes first.