Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, <Alan.Huntley@c...> wrote:
> Michael,
> 
> I, too, had long heard the claim that PremierArt Hot Press was the same paper as Epson 
Ultrasmooth. The substrate may be the same, but the coating is most definitely NOT! I 
much preferred the results I got from Epson Ultrasmooth.
> 

I've long suspected the same thing, that the papers might be identical but the coatings are 
not. I haven't tried the Epson Ultrasmooth yet but people rave about it. I wasn't too 
knocked out by the PremierArt. 

> In direct comparison, under different light sources, I found the "color" of Entrada Natural 
to be identical to Epson Ultrasmooth and PA Hot Press; at least, to my eye.
>

I've been doing some "selenium" tones in ImagePrint with settings of 80/80 in the tint 
picker. I get beautiful purplish selenium tones on the Entrada but the PA Hot Press goes a 
little green. I tried the PA with it's own profile as well as the Epson Ultrasmooth profile with 
similar results.

> Interesting that you mention that Entrada Natural doesn't contain OB brighteners...I 
compared this paper to some EEM that had been exposed to typical inside (house) air and 
general pollutants, and found the base paper "color" to be not that different from Entrada 
Neutral. Could it be that once the OB bleach out of these papers that their color is not so 
different than non-OB papers? Hmm....

I suspect that the OB papers will lose their "oomph" quickly. I also agree with Paul's post 
that OB papers are often bluer in base tone but not brighter.

So far Entrada Natural is a winner for me.

Michael