Digital BW, The Print

Andre wrote:

> Just received this in the mail. Seems that wood pulp paper is making a
> comeback and testing the limits of cotton paper.
> 
> It's cheaper than cotton paper but not as much as the ad says,
> longevity is claimed, and I have no idea about dmax. 
> 
> It this something worth considering ?
> 
> Cheers,
> Andre
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Illuminata Alpha Smooth Fine Art Inkjet Paper
> 
> This unique "alpha-cellulose" paper provides the economy of a wood
> pulp paper (like the Epson Enhanced Matte and the InkjetART Duo Brite
> Matte), but offers the archival standards of a 100% cotton paper,
> because it is lignin-free (just like cotton), acid-free and buffered!
> Illuminata Alpha Smooth is a Dual Sided (C2S) paper that is similar in
> weight (205 mil), thickness (12 mil), color and brightness (natural
> white, with a 93 brightness) and surface (smooth matte, C2S) to our
> Museum Digital Art, but at a cost that is only about one-fourth that
> of a cotton sheet.

Alpha Cellulose papers exist for a long time already. The quality 
of the fibers is excellent and the processing + buffering can be 
as good or better than with cotton papers.  At the Scottish mill 
of Culter Guard Bridge a very strong alpha cellulose archival 
paper for books is/was produced that should last 500 years, 
normal folding and tear of pages included. For letterpress and 
offset though and not heavy either. Used by the Library of 
Congress etc for publications that should last.

http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an11/an11-6/an11-602.html
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an19/an19-3/an19-307.html

Hahnemuhle's papers are either alpha cellulose or cotton and 
there's not much difference in their archival quality but 
possibly a lower tear strength in the alpha cellulose quality.

Lots of good Japanese papers and imitations of them that are of 
other fibers than cotton.

Ernst