Digital BW, The Print

Robert, thanks for this informative post. I'm trying to select a paper
for an edition of b&w fine art prints, it's on point for me right now.

I'm using a CMYK workflow and my own custom ink set built from
Generations pigment inks. I use their enhanced black in the black
position, and dilutions of their standard (no dye) black in other
positions, tinted with MY or CM pigments for warm or cold grays. With my
ink set, I get Dmax = 1.75 with Wm. Turner or Hahn. Photo Rag. I haven't
tried Eclipse but maybe I should.

However, I get Dmax > 2.5 with RC lustre papers (Lyson Professional
Photo Satin or Generations ProPhoto Lustre, which seem the same to me).
The ink takes a day to dry fully -- but I get shadow detail I've been
unable to match with any matte sheet. The stuff feels like plastic, and
the surface is fragile, but once it's matted and framed behind glass
this might not be an issue. 

Still, I prefer the feel of an inkjet-coated fine art paper, so I'd love
to find a way to use one of those and still get the knock-your-socks-off
tonal range I'm getting with RC lustre. Two questions:

1. I love Museo (especially the 24 x 36 heavy cut sheets) but find large
areas of smooth mid-gray (say, sky) can show tonal variations that seem
related to paper texture. Have you seen this? If so, do you know a cure?

2. I've avoided coating so far, but after reading your post, maybe I
need to try it. What is your coating? If you've already posted this
info, could you tell me where to find it, or email me off-list? 

thanks,
Richard Wolfson
richard at rwolfson.com

> From: Robert G. Morrison [mailto:rmorrison@...] 
> 
> The 100% rag papers that have no brigheners are Museo, 
> Eclipse Satine Soft White and William Turner.  They are all 
> heavier than EAM, although the Eclipse and Museo are much 
> heavier.  None of these papers are as white as EAM...in fact 
> to my eye they are all about the same.
> 
> What the best paper is depends on what you are printing with. 
>  I don't like the surface of William Turner--though it gives 
> the best blacks with PiezoBW or MIS inks with the piezo 
> driver.  Personally, I use Museo with PiezoBW inks and Piezo 
> Driver.  While this ink and paper combination only has a 1.55 
> dmax, it is over 2.0 when coated with my coating.  The coated 
> Museo prints look much better than the coated William Turner. 
>  I'm planning to start using MIS inks with Imageprint 
> soon...so I will probably start to experiment with Eclipse in 
> that work flow.
> 
> For color work I'm using MIS Perpetual inks and once again I 
> use either Museo or Eclipse.  The Eclipse has both a smooth 
> and more textured side...coated on both sides...so that is a 
> nice option.  Both of these papers give better results with 
> the MIS Perpetual and Indelible inks than the Hahnemuhle 
> papers (e.g., William Turner).  A quad black made with the 
> MIS Double Density Black ink would be fantastic on either 
> Museo or Eclipse...I prefer the look of this black on these 
> papers to anything I've ever seen on Hahnemuhle.
>