Digital BW, The Print

Lew Schwartz <lew1716@...> wrote:
>...
> I agree that the matte surface & lack of reflection contribute to a
> feeling of depth, but 

> I also feel that it's really a limitation of the
> today's dmax measuring technology & technique that doesn't take this
> into account. ie greater darkness & depth work for me & most viewers
> regardless of what the tests say.


I printed matte and glossy versions of one of my shots that has a lot of deep, solid black in it.  I then hung them both on the wall in my house where I have a combination of spot lights, windows, and white ceiling -- rather a typical home or office display setting, I think.  Both prints were under glass also.  I used a spot meter to read the deep blacks.  The matte print had the deeper black, even though the spectro gave a huge edge to the glossy print.

It's really all about lighting and reflections.  In an ideal gallery setting the glossy print dmax does give that meduim an edge.  In direct sun the glossy dmax also looks much better, which is why I use glossy brochures at the gallery.  But for most display settings, I think matte paper is a better medium.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com