Digital BW, The Print

> Message: 14
>    Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 00:29:15 -0500
>    From: Intrinsic Pictures <lists@...>
> Subject: dream paper: cotton, no OBA's, ~300gsm, slight texture?
>
> I'm at that point again where all my testing and reading about various
> papers is making my head spin. This has been recurring every few months
> since I got into this. ;-)
>
> Clayton's Paper Chase and other posts have been quite helpful, but I
> for the life of me cannot find something that meets all 4 of the
> criteria in the title.
>
> Hey, maybe I'm just anal, but I suspect there are plenty of you in my
> situation:
> --OBA's: too much of a pain with mats, and what will they look like
> down the road?; I don't mind a hint of warmth in the paper anyway, so
> would just assume avoid them
> --to me, right around 300 gsm is the magic number--much less feels too
> flimsy, and much more gets pricey and doesn't always feed well
> --I like the hard/smooth look of PAHP and others if it's heading
> straight for a frame, but to customers who are handling prints it reads
> as cheapo card stock; if I'm not going the RC/"photographic" route, I
> want something that feels more special and fine art-y
> --AC sounds promising, but it's one more unfamiliar hurdle for my
> clients to understand, so I'm wimping out and sticking with good ol'
> marketable cotton
>
> It's HPR without the OBA's and occasional flakiness. Innova Soft
> Texture or Cold Press, but cotton (and while I'm dreaming, maybe a hair
> less warm).
>
> Anyone?
>

Sure - Arches Infinity hot pressed - no OBA's, slightly warm but only just,

230 or 355 gsm (I don't like thin papers, but the 230 doesn't feel too
flimsy at all) - nice feel to it and nice slight texture - nice art paper
feel to the paper overall.

Very crisp and sharp, decent DMax

I've had very little flaking at all (virtually none) and the surface is
quite durable - more so than many other papers

That said, you pay through the nose for it.....

these folks have been making paper for 500 years and seem to have a good
idea what they are doing....

tim a