Digital BW, The Print

I haven't tried Epson semi-gloss yet, but with Ilford Smooth Pearl and 
similar RC papers I've tried bronzing is very evident.  Tilting the 
paper back and forth under a light you should see a reflective, 
metallic bronze tone at certain angles - particularly in the mid-tones. 
  There could also be some gloss differential between paper white areas 
and ink covered areas.  The brown color is from the PK and LK inks, 
which are difficult to cool down on most RC papers.  You could try 
using a much higher cool/warm ratio, but a profile made specifically 
for this paper would probably be better.

Carl

On Saturday, December 13, 2003, at 06:48  PM, Steve Kale wrote:

> This may be a dumb question but I will ask it anyway.  Having read all 
> the discussion
> about RC papers and the potential of Epson Premium Semi-Gloss I 
> decided to do a
> test of my own.  Using Epson UC inks, I printed an image using QTR on 
> EEM using
> Carl's EEM curves 50:50 warm/cool.  I then printed it twice on Prem 
> Semi-Gloss using
> Carl's curves for Oriental FB, again 50:50 - admittedly this is not 
> perfect but I do not
> have curves for Premium Semi-Gloss.   One of the Semi-Gloss prints I 
> sprayed with
> Lyson Print Guard - 3 generous coats with drying time between each.
>
> What is bronzing, ie what differences should I see?  Here is what I 
> see... The Premium
> Semi-Gloss prints are decidedly _warmer_, if that is the right term, 
> than the EEM print
> which I would consider neutral, ie they exhibit a slight brownish tone 
> (looked at from
> directly above).  I assume this is simply because I have not used a 
> consistent paper/
> curve combination although I am surprised that the difference (OFB vs 
> PSG) is as
> significant as it is.  I thought that _bronzing_ is the effect that 
> occurs when the prints
> catch light (ie viewed at an angle) and the image tends to look 
> metallic and begins to
> disappear.  I quite frankly can't see the difference between the 
> sprayed and the
> unsprayed Semi-Gloss prints in this regard.  What should I be looking 
> for?
>
> Finally, I admit the RC images initially pack an optical punch but 
> there is something
> almost more 3 dimensional about the matt one.  Obviously a question of 
> taste but I
> wonder if the so-called _search for the Holy Grail_ is perhaps a 
> little biased by
> historical restrictions.  As you can tell, I have no history in the 
> darkroom and so I am
> much less interested in replicating a historical precedent.
>
> Steve