Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Mitch Alland <malland@x> 
wrote:

snip..
> For B&W prints, I also found more brilliance from the Photo 
> Black/Semi-Matte than from Matte Black and matte paper, bearing out 
> Anselm Adams observation above. But the trouble is that prints on 
> Semi-Matte have some bronzing, although, paradoxically, I find the 
> bronzing less objectionable on large (16x24") than small (A4) prints. 
> Some people have suggested that Epson Pro Glossy paper has less 
> bronzing, but for me the problem is that the largest roll that this 
> paper  is available in is 17", not 24". I have also heard that Oriental 
> FB Glossy paper is less subject to bronzing than Semi-Matte but, apart 
> from its cost, Paul Roark reports that this paper has substantially 
> lower Dmax than EEM, and has a very fragile surface too boot. So for 
> B&W, the bronzing problem remains, although it can be solved by 
> laminating the print or by face-mounting on plexiglass which I have 
> found is the most spectacular way to display  a large print -- and 
> that's as close to the holy grail that I can get.

I was able to completely eliminate bronzing on Ilford Smooth Pearl, printed on a 2200 
with the MIS UT inks, with a single thin coating of Renaissance wax.  Quick and easy 
to apply (at least for prints up to 12x18 inches) and it leaves a very smooth, beautiful 
surface.  The wax does not seem to work as well on smoother RC surfaces, so I don't 
know if it would perform as well on semimatte.

Carl