Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "chipcarterdc"
<chipcarterdc@h...> 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)).
>


This is almost exactly what I communicated to Crane with my tests.

I think this paper has tremendous potential. But the excessive sheen
and glare are very problematic for me. The first image I printed (on
an Epson 2400) had large areas of black, which really brings out the
excessive glare. It was very difficult to find an angle to hold the
print to minimize the glare on all parts of the image. The texture is
also too prominent. I compared this print to the an older print I made
on Oriental Seagul fiber based silver paper from the days when I had a
darkroom. I really would like to see a digital paper that is fiber
based and has the smooth look of the Oriental Seagul without the
excessive glare of the Silver Rag and with less texture than what we
are seeing now. Also, the paper had too much curl.

If these problems can be improved, I'd love to start using this paper.
But the way it stands now, I don't think I can use it.

Jerry