Digital BW, The Print

>...
>> I heard someone once comment that a matte spray
>>on RC paper gives a more matte look without loosing
>>much of the dmax ...

Steve wrote:

>Yep, that was me.  I have basically be creating a portfolio of my
>best B&W work and have 130 odd prints at 11x14 on 13x19 paper in a
>leather fine art album.  Whilst I do like the EAM it is just too
>delicate a surface for the frequent thumbing it will get - super
>behind glass though.  You can coat it but it drinks so much of the
>spray that the costs become daft.
>The Ilford Smooth Pearl is dirt cheap here (UK), I pay \ufffd17.99 for 25
>A3+ sheets.  I coat it now with a semi-matt spray, two coats in short
>succession, first heavy, second light.

Have you found a semi-matte spray the works well?  In the U.S. Krylon has a
matte spray that is cheap, but Krylon does not make any claims of
non-yellowing with it, which is troubling. I may try to contact them, but I
have not had much success getting reliable information from them in the
past.


>Without coating the bronzing is bad and the ink can literally be
>wiped off the surface -

I found that the bronzing is largely caused by the older MIS clear base that
I was using for mixing the MIS inksets.  MIS's new 7600 base (I don't know
if they sell it) seems to be the key to avoiding this with the new VM and
Epson Archival-based inksets.  The new inksets do not rub off.  That was a
problem with all third-party pigments in the past.

>I think the generations black I am using
>is absorbed better, ...

Probably so.  The dye content is relatively high, and at least that part
would be absorbed.

>The 'peel off' I referred to is not so common but was an issue where
>because the ink is not absorbed, if the coating comes away it takes
>the ink with it.  If you let the coating dry FULLY this is not an
>issue and the surface is very tough ...

Do you let the print itself dry thoroughly?  The glycol does not evaporate
very quickly.  It has a real affinity for cellulose (but not RC paper), so
having a piece of plain paper in contact with the top of the print after the
water has evaporated will act like a sponge to get the glycol out of the RC
paper.  I think Epson often recommends one day of this plain paper contact.
(The affinity of glycol for cellulose is probably why the matte papers don't
fog the framing glass.  The glycol just stays in the paper.  I wonder,
however, what affect this has on cellulose archival keeping qualities.)

>The cost of the spray is a significant element

Is Krylon sold there?  It's the cheap but often reasonably good brand in the
U.S.

>I am looking forward to doing away with this when the
>new VM 'RC' comes out.

I'll be curious if you still find a need for a spray at all.  I've noticed
that the surface can be scuffed just slightly.  I've "buffed" a print and
that seems to make it even tougher without any significant affect on the
image.

> Also very interested in those UC clones for my colour work.....

I have not used them except for the new VM toner.  So, I can't comment on
them.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com