Digital BW, The Print

Indeed.  I really hope everyone who's tested it is giving feedback 
directly to Crane's.  This paper is so close to extraordinary and it 
can only be made better by our feedback.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Carl Schofield 
<scho@m...> wrote:
>
> Exactly my feelings about this paper.  If you look closely at an  
> unprinted sheet you will also see that the coating is a bit uneven  
> (perhaps because of the texture) which contributes to the 
reflection  
> problem.  I think a slightly thicker coating would fix the problem.
> 
> Carl
> 
> On Jan 19, 2006, at 9:51 AM, chipcarterdc wrote:
> 
> > Back on topic, below is the email I just sent to Crane's with my  
> > initial impressions of Silver
> > Rag printed on my Epson 98000 w. Pghhoto Black:
> >
> > "I have just printed some Silver Rag yesterday on my Epson 9800  
> > with Photo Black ink and
> > the prints look spectacular.  I obviously need to consider them  
> > some more (I'm going to
> > look at the prints again today after they're fully dried), but 
my  
> > initial reaction is that this
> > paper is fabulous.
> >
> > My only concerns are that (a) it's a bit too glossy and (b) it's 
a  
> > bit too textured.  Put
> > together, the high gloss and texture create obtrusive 
reflectivity  
> > when the print is viewed
> > at any angle other than flat on a table or flat against a wall.  
In  
> > other words, if the paper is
> > tilted at all (and I don't mean severely titled -- just any  
> > position that's not perfectly flat),
> > or if the light is coming at the paper from an oblique angle, 
the  
> > glossiness/reflectivity
> > becomes obtrusive and obscures the details.  So, my initial gut  
> > reaction is to suggest that
> > Crane cut the current "gloss" (currently more like an RC 
darkroom  
> > paper) down to a
> > "sheen" (more like a air-dried fiber darkroom print) and 
minimize  
> > the texture a bit.  (I
> > don't think the texture should be eliminated, however -- the  
> > texture gives this paper a
> > unique appearance.  But to truly be closer to an air-dried fiber  
> > print, the textured should
> > be lessened somewhat).  Keep in mind, though, that the image I 
was  
> > printing for the
> > samples was a B&W portrait will large areas of black (i.e., a 
head- 
> > and-shoulders portrait
> > against a black background), so I imagine that that may have  
> > something to do with the
> > obtrusive gloss when viewed in any position other than perfectly 
flat.
> >
> > If the "obtrusive reflectivity when hit by oblique light" issue 
can  
> > be minimized, Silver Rag
> > will quickly become my primary paper."
> >
> > (I should add that even if the paper is released as-is, I will  
> > still probably use it quite a bit)).
>