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John Rodriguez
17-Apr-2012, 17:13
I'm looking for a paper to print some of my more subtle color images. Specifically I want a surface that looks like matte but has the gamut and dmax of gloss. A couple of promising papers I've tried are HM Photo Rag Pearl and Premier Art Platinum Rag. Anything else I should be trying?

Lenny Eiger
18-Apr-2012, 13:19
I'm looking for a paper to print some of my more subtle color images. Specifically I want a surface that looks like matte but has the gamut and dmax of gloss. A couple of promising papers I've tried are HM Photo Rag Pearl and Premier Art Platinum Rag. Anything else I should be trying?

Hahnemuhle Photo Rag. It has the best black in the business - in the matte category, tho' there are some other good ones as well. It does very rich colors... Try setting a pearl, or baryta paper and a rag paper on the floor and looking at them. Without the glare, the black on the matte papers looks rich and velvety. (Be careful, you may never go back.)

Lenny

John Rodriguez
18-Apr-2012, 19:56
Thanks Lenny. I've printed a few sheets of Photo Rag, but I'm looking for something with a bit more pop - ie Photo Rag Pearl.

false_Aesthetic
19-Apr-2012, 12:38
I'm looking for a paper to print some of my more subtle color images. Specifically I want a surface that looks like matte but has the gamut and dmax of gloss. A couple of promising papers I've tried are HM Photo Rag Pearl and Premier Art Platinum Rag. Anything else I should be trying?

I don't mean to troll and I might be reading this wrong but if you want gammut and dmax of gloss aren't you essentially saying that you don't want a matte surface?
I guess I wonder if you're asking for a paper to be used with MK inks or a paper that's used with PK ink?

Another question is this: are you using "canned" profiles and the included printer drivers or a separate RIP.

John Rodriguez
19-Apr-2012, 12:59
I don't mean to troll and I might be reading this wrong but if you want gammut and dmax of gloss aren't you essentially saying that you don't want a matte surface?
I guess I wonder if you're asking for a paper to be used with MK inks or a paper that's used with PK ink?

Another question is this: are you using "canned" profiles and the included printer drivers or a separate RIP.

Ideally I'm looking for papers that have deep color saturation characteristics with low reflectivity and very fine texture (like most 100% cotton papers). The two I listed are examples of what I'm looking for, just looking for more to test. I test using canned profiles, when I find something I like I have custom profiles made.

John Rodriguez
19-Apr-2012, 13:10
Try the Epson Hot Press papers. They may surprise you with how nice they look.

Thanks Dakotah, I'll grab an Epson sampler.

false_Aesthetic
19-Apr-2012, 15:54
I just tried out the Ilford Galerie Gold Fiber for my own work (http://tftolhurst.com/Pittsburgh-2004-2006) and found it to be quite nice.

I also found that the Moab Colorado Fiber (satine IIRC) was also really nice (printing k3 with a 9800) but I got 2 rolls that were wonky--bad coating. That was in 2007 or 2008 though

John Rodriguez
22-Apr-2012, 12:19
Galerie Gold is good stuff, but I consider it a gloss paper. I'll have a look at some Moab papers. If I could get Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Satin or Pearl's color/coating properties with the smoother/tighter stiple of Premier Platinum Rag I'd be set.

Preston
22-Apr-2012, 14:24
Tom--Off topic but I have a colleague, Jeff Tolhurst, who teaches geological sciences and GIS at Columbia College. Any relation?

--P

Tyler Boley
23-Apr-2012, 19:21
what many of us would call matte surface papers would not utilize photo black ink. But given your examples, it sounds like you are after a non-gloss photo paper. I'd look at Cone Type 5, not really very shiny at all, but good gamut.
Tyler

John Rodriguez
24-Apr-2012, 08:54
what many of us would call matte surface papers would not utilize photo black ink. But given your examples, it sounds like you are after a non-gloss photo paper. I'd look at Cone Type 5, not really very shiny at all, but good gamut.
Tyler

Yeah, I'm looking for a tweener paper, hence the somewhat oxymoronic title. Specifically I'm hunting for something with high color saturation and low reflectivity, on a surface with a tight enough stiple to appear fairly smooth. Photo Black isn't a requirement, although it would be nice to have as it would decrease ink switching costs (most of my prints are on gloss). Of the papers I mentioned, matte black is recommended for HM Photo Rag Satin, photo black for Photo Rag Pearl, and Premier says you can use either for Platinum Rag.