Digital BW, The Print

Exactly.

As I have said before, it would be interesting to see comparative
measurements from an integrating sphere spectrophotometer.  Surely there is
someone on this list that has one of those babies tucked away somewhere.
Only when the light source is fully diffuse do surface characteristics begin
equalise.  One could argue that matte papers would also have an advantage in
such lighting due to their ability to bounce photons inwards for another go
at absorption.  Maybe this is what we observe with more textured vs smoother
matte papers.  So there is the possibility that greater texture can lead to
a greater specular component but also lead to greater absorption. If the
extra texture is randomly dispersed, though, 0/45 degree geometry would
measure the difference.  So as Duane mentions the equipment we use
accommodates both potential phenomena.

At any rate, when I compare matte vs "photo" semi-matte prints in very
diffuse lighting the PK prints look considerably darker - consistent with
measurements.  I still think that's simply because those photon adsorbing
(carbon) molecules are simply less dispersed and can soak things up more.
To get a better matte ink you need either (a) much smaller photon absorbing
molecules such that their density once dispersed in paper is still high or
(b) a coating that doesn't disperse those molecules as much.  People are no
doubt working on both and the ideal would be to coordinate both at the same
time...


> From: dlruckus <dlruckus@...>
 .
> 
> The standards set up for densitometric instruments took precisely the
> glossy reflective characteristics into account. Otherwise the
> instruments would have given very poor readings of such samples. Hence
> the 45 degree angle required between illumination  of the sample and
> sensor position. 
>That also gives glossy samples an edge in readings
> over matt ones because you are actually getting more specular surface
> reflections making it to the sensor from matt samples and thereby
> degrading the results. [ and doing so very scientifically ;') ]
> 
> Real world eyeballs however are forced to take real world conditions
> as they are and not as we might wish them to be.