Leslie,
I have been getting absolutely neutral b&w prints from my Epson 2200 for over one year now, consistently.
First, it’s important to stay in RGB mode throughout the entire process rather than grayscale. Use all inks. You can choose Black Ink Only, but you’ll get slightly more noticeable grain that way.
Second, you must calibrate your monitor starting with a fresh canned profile, not your correct, probable hosed one. Let the monitor warm up for about an hour before calibrating it. I calibrate my monitors several times a week, sometimes daily.
Third, use the appropriate profile for your paper. I use Epson’s Enhanced Matte Paper and a specific profile for that paper.
Fourth, make sure you run a nozzle test and get perfect results.
Fifth, make sure you choose No Color Adjustment in the printer driver’s settings and that your color settings are kosher. Check out this link and follow the instructions to the letter:
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http://www.gballard.net/nca.html>