Digital BW, The Print

I'm always happy when someone else confirms my findings.  Epson Velvet 
Fine Art is the best paper for exhibition and portfolio printing.  When sli=
ghtly 
less texture and warmth is required, H. Photo Rag is perfect.  When slightl=
y 
more tooth is desired, H. William Turner is heaven to the touch.  

The link to Hawk Mountain is really the added bonus to your comparisons.  
I've been searching for a quality paper for less money and HM's product 
seems to be almost half the price.  I'm looking forward to trying them.

Speaking of price, EVFA can be bought at 
http://www.atlex.com 
for considerably less than inkjetart. 
http://www.mediastreet.com
has Hahnemuhle under its own name for slightly less money.
Royal Renaissance is HPR and Royal Jazz is HWT.
You folks probably already know that.

Frank

http://www.photoeye.com/gallery/forms/index.cfm?image=1&id=46924&
imagePosition=1&Door=2&Portfolio=Portfolio1&Gallery=2



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Clayton Jones" <
cj@c...> wrote:
> Hello Steve,
> 
> Thanks for the report.  You sound like a happy camper <g>.
> 
> 
> >1) Epson Velvet fine art 13x19: Awsome paper 
> 
> It does have an incredible richness and depth.  Amazing stuff.
> 
> 
> >2) H. photo rag 308 13x19: Great texture and depth.  Hard to tell
> >the print apart from the epson velvet fine art.  Will likely not 
> >order again because it is the most expensive, and I had trouble 
> >seeing the difference from epson velvet fine art. It is ever so
> >slightly less warm.
> 
> Perhaps I'm over-sensitized from too much looking, but I see quite a
> difference between them, and not just being warmer.  VFA has a texture
> to it and takes the ink dots differently - PR has smoother mid tones.
> I'm keeping PR in my arsenal for now until I find something to replace
> it.  Right now there's nothing else quite like it.
> 
> 
> >4) Hawk Mountain Merlin Smooth:  It will probably be my best all 
> >around paper.
> 
> Same here.  Great stuff.
> 
> 
> >I think the Hahnemühle Photo Rag did not display greater Dmax
> >then the Hawk Mountain papers.
> 
> I have examined carefully for this since reading Paul Roark's
> densitometer figures.  I forget the actual numbers, but the Dmax of
> these papers is excellent, and on prints with small or broken up areas
> of black it looks just as good.  However, one of my test prints has a
> large solid black background and when comparing these prints the
> greater Dmax on PR can be seen.  But it's an unhappy photographer who
> lives purely the numbers.  These papers are excellent - contrasty and
> punchy - and prints on them can hold up against PR or any of the
> others.
> 
> Keep up the good work.
> 
> Regards,
> Clayton
> 
> 
> Info on black and white digital printing at    
> http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm