Digital Silver Gelatin has arrived...

[Bruce Watson]

I'm interested in how you think this new paper compares to the gloss papers already in this "air dried F surface" market. Like Crane Museo Silver Rag and other competitors. When you get around to it - I'm sure you doing a lot of printing at the moment.

[Jack Flesher]

First off, I don't profile at 2880 any more, only 1440 -- mainly because that's all I print at now. When I first got the 3800, I compared a 2880 print and profile to a 1440 print and profile for Epson Premium Gloss and could not see any visible difference in the prints. I then compared the profiles and they were virtually identical anyway.

As for ABW mode, I don't use it. My own profiles (Gretag Eye1 and big target) render dead-neutral grayscale throughout the entire tonal range on the 3800, so I print my B&W's with my profile just like I do any color image. Big advantage over ABW is WYSIWYG B&W output, even more helpful if you like to tone.

Fine art pearl (and all the other so called "air-dried F's" I've seen) are not even in the same ball game as this new Harman paper... This one really does look like air-dried F with the same kind of "depth" -- and even has slight ripples after printing like real air-dried F! To me, most of the other wanna-be's look like somebody sprayed a surface coating on a fiber substrate; the Harman makes you want to soup it to see what happens

Cheers,

[Jack Flesher]

I thought that was due to the ink and printer rather than the paper itself. That said it sounds very exciting!

Yes, all three factors come into play -- I was speaking specifically as respects Epson K3 (x800) printers. GD in the highlights has been an issue for them on glossy papers up till now.

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks Jack. Before springing for a box, just to be sure I get what you're talking about, you said "Gloss FB AL." The only gloss Harman paper I see listed at Freestyle is "Glass FB AI." I assume the "L" in your message is a typo?

[tim atherton]

Thanks Jack. Before springing for a box, just to be sure I get what you're talking about, you said "Gloss FB AL." The only gloss Harman paper I see listed at Freestyle is "Glass FB AI." I assume the "L" in your message is a typo?

The "I" at freestyle is the typo it should be an "l" (L)

[Marco]

Thank you Jack!!!, this paper seems very very interesting...just one question, about colour printing (since I'm a colour photographer ).

You wrote that it is excellent in colour too and, in case you evere tried Pictorico Photo Gallery Hi-Gloss White Film, I'd like to know how the Harman compares to the Pictorico (or with another veeeerrryyyy glossy paper, as the Epson Premium Glossy), especially for what concern the "brilliance" of colours, I'm going to print our last workso and we (i.e. me and Cristina) want a glossy - brilliant colours look, the Pictorico is quite ok, but I'm having tons of problems finding rolls here in Europe while the Harman products are more widely sold in the UK...

Thank you!!


Ciao
Marco

[David Luttmann]

Thanks Jack. I just saw an ad in print for this yesterday and was going to head out to see if I could purchase some. Sounds like it might be a winner.

[Jack Flesher]

You wrote that it is excellent in colour too and, in case you evere tried Pictorico Photo Gallery Hi-Gloss White Film, I'd like to know how the Harman compares to the Pictorico (or with another veeeerrryyyy glossy paper, as the Epson Premium Glossy), especially for what concern the "brilliance" of colours, I'm going to print our last workso and we (i.e. me and Cristina) want a glossy - brilliant colours look, the Pictorico is quite ok, but I'm having tons of problems finding rolls here in Europe while the Harman products are more widely sold in the UK...

Hi Marco:

This Harman paper is not nearly as glossy as Pictorico film, nor is it even as glossy as Epson Premium Gloss -- it truly has a finish just like air-dried F papers. If you never used traditional materials, air-dried F is a kind of satin-gloss; glossier than semi-gloss, but not as glossy as full gloss. It has a very subtle textured surface, like that of an eggshell, coupled with a soft but definite gloss. Hard to describe in words and up until this new Harman, no inkjet paper has replicated it. IMO the closest paper we had was Epson Premium Semi-matte, if you ever used that, but this Harman paper is smoother and a bit glossier than that, and has a subtle, deep silvery-metallic glow...

Cheers,

[Chris Strobel]

This is killin me, I just put a full cart of MK in my 4800 and am about to yank it out and dump forty dollars of ink to try this.Sure wish I could get a b&w sample print somewhere.

[Helen Bach]

Adorama have it in stock at the moment. I think that, among other inkjet papers, it looks most like the Oriental baryta inkjet paper, but without the strange surface imperfections that paper has. It doesn't have quite the same strong traditional FB paper smell that the Oriental paper has either.

Chris,

Pending other work commitments, I might be able to print off a B&W sample print for you this weekend.

Best,
Helen