Digital BW, The Print

Well, a few days ago, I received a sample pack of Lyson's 
Darkroom Glossy and Darkroom Matte papers.  I'll have more to 
say in a little while, but here's an initial impression:

Darkroom Matte: frankly, I wasn't expecting much from this paper 
(especially since I only requested the Glossy), but I gave it a try 
this morning both for myself and for a visiting photographer pal 
who is probably buying my second Epson 1160  Using a 
not-too-well-adjusted file (yeah, I was in a hurry), the results 
were a good deal better than I'd expected - the paper has an 
ever-so-faint textured sheen (I liked it, which is saying something 
since I tend to avoid textured papers like the plague).  I need to 
do more testing with it, but I think this may be my new standard 
for matte printing.

Darkroom Glossy:  Using the same file, I made a few test prints 
a few days back.  This stuff takes a while to dry - a good day and 
a half before it's dry to the touch, and I'd say it needs at least a 
few days more if you're planning to mount and/or glass-frame it.  
Otherwise, all I have to say is: The Hype Is Real.   I'm truly 
stunned by the look - I can finally look at a print and not instantly 
speculate about its origin.  It's simply A Good Print.  The weight 
of the paper is substantial - It just makes it through the 1160 on 
its own (but I give it a gentle nudge, anyway, to be safe).  The 
surface finish is close to that soft-gloss finish of a good silver 
paper.  Bronzing on my examples is close to nonexistent - very 
close (if I look really close, really hard...you know, like 
grain-sniffing, I might find the slightest trace, and only in a few 
spots). Tone is neutral-warm in daylight, a bit warmer under 
incandescent.

This is with an Epson 1160 with Lyson Quad Black Neutral carts, 
using a Luminos-sourced profile, fed by a Mac G4/OS 9.2.2.

I'm hoping this stuff comes in 13x19" as well as the usual other 
sizes (I just shot an e-mail back to Lyson USA).  It's still early in 
the game, so to speak, but I think I've found my "standard" setup 
at last.

- Barrett