You might want to look into Pictorico PGHF... High Gloss White Film. A polyester film with a ceramic layer which mitigates ink bleeding. I haven't found anything whiter or sharper. I'm using PGHF in the Epson 2200 and 7600, so I assume the latest generation printers with smaller picoliter dots will perform even better.
I print thousands of note cards at ~ 4x6 and have experimented with many different papers. My overall preference for cost, dmax and sharpness is Red River Polar Matte using their profiules and Epson ultrachrome inks .. I use R800's as the production printers for cards. The images can indeed be jewel like.
My LightJet 2080 will print at a true 2032 dpi continuous tone onto RA4 paper. Normally this is used to write film for enlarging. I don't have the device color profiled for RA4 but the detail is fantastic - much better than any inkjet I have seen. Even with an 8x loupe it looks like a contact print. Of course you are stuck with the available RA4 papers.
Ok, I've done a couple of colour test prints using the Epson 2100 (2200USA) and the Ultrachrome inks on Photo Rag 308gsm. I made a 720 pixels per inch *input* file from a large drum scan and compared it to a 360 pixels per inch input file, both were *output* at 1440 dots per inch. I then marked the prints on the back and shuffled them and I simply cannot see any difference. In the past I've also compared Photo Rag prints at 2880 and 1440dpi and again can see no difference. It would seem that the limiting factor here is the paper, anything more than 360ppi input and 1440dpi output is wasted; such a pity!
WG, no I haven't got around to using the Epson UltraSmooth yet, has anyone else here?
Kieth, similar to my results. The key to these tests is know what the paper can resolve, and at what dpi you need to print out to hold that dpi, this can be done by printing test targets you make in photoshop.... a bit tedious, but if you only use a few papers, not a big deal. Anyway, the point being, if you send a file to the printer, equal to the dpi you print out, you can pretty assured the file is not the bottleneck, the issue will become how much detail the paper can hold at the different dpi you print at. The purpose of the test is, never print at higher dpi then your findings, simply a waste of time. With PR, I have found 720 dpi is the max the paper will hold, whereas occasinaly a 1440 x 720 dpi can show a tiny irmprovement, but even then quite rare...
I hear good things about the Epson ultra smooth.
Larry, this is one of the neat things about a forum, people raise suggestions one would never think about. And you surely are right, you have the ultimatte high rez digital printer - a film recorder! I belevie the LJ goes up to 11x14, right? Quite impressive, now which papers hold the most detail to take advanatage of such? (I am assuming this will be the bottlneck?) Out of curiosity, will it write to Kodak duratrans? Do you have a service bureau?
I agree that the paper is the bottleneck to true resolution, but I think our eyes my be the more practical limiting factor. It is limited to 11x14. I have only played with Kodak Endura papers. I believe it will write to DuraTrans, but I wasn't able to find it in 8x10 or 11x14 sheets. I am not a true service bureau, but I will do jobs for others. I don't have a site up describing serices yet.
"I hear good things about the Epson ultra smooth."
It may hold detail but it has a lousy dmax. Lower than PR.
Thanks,
Kirk
at age 73:
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep"
Ctein claims, RA-4 color negative papers can hold 100 lp/mm...... yep, one hundred, sheeeeesh....
From his studies, detailed in his first book, the un aided human eye can discern up to 30 lp/mm (yet only resolve about 6 lp/mm max.) Assuming this is true, its pretty amazing....beyond what most would ever need, but for the contact print addicts, well, this is helpful information.
So a good film recorder is by far the sharpest digital printer ever made :-) 40 lp/mm...
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