Glossy inkjet paper recommendations?

[vinny]

I currently print my color work via Chromira onto fuji crystal archive glossy and my b+w work onto glossy fiber (kentmere fineprint) in the darkroom. Both have a very white base and obviously a smooth glossy finish.
I'm looking for something* that gets me as close as possible with inkjet (epson 3880).
No one seems to sell sample packs of glossy papers, only a mix of everything they sell (and I don't want).
I can't afford to by ten packs of paper to try out.
If I could do both color and b+w on one paper, that'd be great too.
The prices of inkjet paper are insane!

Here's a couple that have been suggested so far:
Hahnemuhle photo rag pearl
Harman By Hahnemuhle Gloss Baryta

Any other recommendations of readily available papers*?
Anyone have scrap samples they'd be willing to mail me?

*Not RC

[djdister]

I have the 3880 and have had terrible luck with the Gloss Baryta from Harman, mainly due to too much edge curl, yielding print head strikes at the edges of the sheet. So I would avoid that and any other gloss papers which don't lay flat.

I would recommend Ilford Gold Mono Silk and of course Epson Exhibition Fiber.

[vinny]

Dan,
I actually read your review (and others) of that paper somewhere. Too bad.

[bob carnie]

Canson Platine is a paper I use for this application ...

[vinny]

I trust anything a Canadian says........
thanks Bob

[bob carnie]

Its not as glossy as RA4 but it does have a beautiful finish. and is easy to work with..

Not all of us Canadians are trustworthy.

[vinny]

Considering getting a pack of stuff to test, Freestyle Baryta paper and the description says nothing about it being resin coated but their inkjet comparison chart does. Must be a typo, right?
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/385852-Arista-II-Legacy-Series-Baryta-Photo-310gsm-Inkjet-Paper-8.5x11-20

[SergeyT]

Canson Platine hits the sweet spot in terms of price, material, finish, archival qualities and suitability for both Color and B&W. It is not all that glossy but nothing really is in the inkjet world.
Another great choice would be the Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta Paper (not the FB !) . All the same as above qualities but a bit more expensive, has a wider gamut, more glossy and silky finish.

SergeyT.

[Tyler Boley]

I went through years of problems with Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta. It's unfortunate because it is such a beautiful paper. But they have a lot of trouble manufacturing it without embedded flecks, and I went back and forth with them for about 2 years. They were very good about replacing paper, but it reached a point that the rejection rate was just too high. If you have images with a lot of texture, without large expanses of light smooth tones, and don't need wide clean white borders, you'll be fine. After a lot of testing we settled on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Pearl. It's made in a different plant, and looks identical, and is pristene. I highly recommend it. Both of these papers have less gloss differential than the Canson options.

[invisibleflash]

FA gloss is kinda a luster and not as shiny as RC gloss. Although they have some fiber gloss that is like RC such as Red River Paper Pecos Gloss Magna 96 lb.

Here are the listings of a few chapters from the ink jet bible that may come close to what you want.

Encyclopedia of Photographic and Fine Art Ink Jet Printing Media

Volume 4 - Chapter 1

Fine Art Gloss

Sample prints are included from the following media:

Brilliant Museum Silver Gloss White 300 gsm
Brilliant Museum Silver Gloss Natural 300 gsm
Epson Signature Worthy Exhibition Fiber 13 mil
Harman by Hahnemühle Gloss Art Fibre 300 gsm
Harman by Hahnemühle Gloss Art Fibre Warmtone 300 gsm
Museo Silver Rag 300 gsm



Encyclopedia of Photographic and Fine Art Ink Jet Printing Media

Volume 3 - Chapter 2

Fiber Silk - Satin - Satine

Sample prints are included from the following media:

Ilford Galerie Prestige Gold Fibre Silk 310 gsm
Inkpress- sihl Satin Fiber 15 mil 320 gsm
Moab Colorado Fiber Satine 245 gsm



Encyclopedia of Photographic and Fine Art Ink Jet Printing Media

Volume 3 - Chapter 1

Fiber Gloss

Sample prints are included from the following media:

Inkpress Fiber Gloss 12 mil 250 gsm
Innova Fibaprint Ultra Smooth Gloss 285 gsm
Innova Fibaprint F Type Gloss 300 gsm
Mitsubishi Imaging Pictorico Gekko Green Glossy 14.2 mil Japan
Innova FibaPrint Warm Cotton Gloss 335 gsm
Kodak Art Fibre Gloss 285 gms Switzerland
Red River Paper Pecos Gloss Magna 96 lb


And lots more in the semi gloss / satin / luster chapters.

If you want to print on the backs then you must test fiber papers. Some are more RC and less fiber like Mitsubishi Imaging Pictorico Gekko Green Glossy 14.2 mil.

Also lots of Baryta papers will work for your needs. But if your on a budget, Baryta may be too much $.



Encyclopedia of Photographic and Fine Art Ink Jet Printing Media

Volume 4 - Chapter 4

Baryta Gloss

Sample prints are included from the following media:

Breathing Color Vibrance Baryta 345 gsm
Hahnemühle Fine Art Photo Rag Baryta 315 gsm
Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta 325 gsm
Hahnemühle Fine Art Baryta FB 350 gsm
Harman by Hahnemühle Gloss Baryta 320 gsm
Harman by Hahnemühle Gloss Baryta Warmtone 320 gsm


Encyclopedia of Photographic and Fine Art Ink Jet Printing Media

Volume 4 - Chapter 5

Baryta Luster - Silk

Sample prints are included from the following media:

Canson Infinity Baryta Photographique 310 gsm
Hahnemühle Photo Silk Baryta 310 gsm
Inkpress - Sihl Baryta Warm Tone 15 mil 290 gsm



Good Luck!