Digital BW, The Print

Robert,

Thanks for the report on the new Oriental paper.  I'm encouraged by 
your description of the surface characteristics, but the million dollar 
question is will this paper bronze with pigment inks like the current 
crop of RC papers do?  I'm sure this will be addressed in your upcoming 
tests and I'm looking forward to your performance reports.

Carl

On Sunday, June 1, 2003, at 03:33  PM, Robert Morrison wrote:

> I know many of you are interested in the possibility of Fiber-Based 
> Gloss
> papers for inkjet with the hopes that we may be able to get a straight 
> out
> of the printer "digital silver print" solution.  As I've mention on 
> the list
> before Oriental (of Oriental Seagull fame--Ansel Adam's silver print 
> paper
> of choice) is currently commercializing such a paper.
>
> This week I was able to meet with Oriental's US marketing person and 
> was
> able to get several sample sheets of the experimental beta-test paper.
>
> Antonis Ricos and I are currently testing this paper using and Epson 
> 2200
> with photo black ink and Imageprint and Inkjet Control to make 
> profiles.
> I'm also intending to develop an Inkjet Control profile to try the new
> Ultratone inks in a 1280 as well.
>
> Posts about the ink performance will happen separately, but here are 
> some
> general observations about the paper.
>
> First of all, the base is identical to the other Oriental Fiber-Based 
> silver
> papers.  It is heavy (probably around 250gm) and relatively rigid.  In 
> short
> it feels like a average sheet of fiber-based silver print paper.  The
> backing paper is slightly off white, almost identical in color to the 
> back
> side of uncoated Hahnemuhle photo rag.  The paper is cotton as 
> determined by
> testing the back side with a black light which shows specs of optical
> brighteners indicating use of old textile cotton to make the paper 
> (almost
> identical in appearance to Photo Rag).
>
> I hesitate to talk about the surface because this is a 
> beta-paper...but the
> test sheets that I received have a smooth surface identical to 
> Oriental's
> gloss silver print papers with a very light tooth...considerably less 
> than
> the Epson Professional Glossy paper and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag.  The 
> surface
> is more like a gloss paper than a luster paper.  The test sheet has
> considerably less gloss than the Epson Pro Glossy or Ilford Gallerie 
> Smooth
> Pearl, which puts the appearance of the paper somewhere between a 
> luster
> finish paper and a matte paper with respect to gloss.  I'd say the 
> paper has
> a dull sheen.  The coating on the paper is not terribly regular, but I
> assume that this is because the paper is a beta and was probably hand
> coated.  The coating has optical brighteners, just like fiber-based 
> silver
> papers.  I'd say the level of brighteners is nearly identical to Epson
> Enhanced Matte, which puts it slightly more brightened than Photo Rag 
> and a
> luster finish paper like Ilford Gallerie Smooth Pearl.
>
> Oriental is hoping to release the paper in late summer, early fall in 
> both
> sheets and rolls, but this is not a firm release date.  The release has
> apparently been delayed by wanting to offer the paper in rolls as well 
> as
> sheets.
>
> As I mentioned we will post further testing results as we complete 
> them and
> as further pre-production samples become available.
>
> Robert