Digital BW, The Print

Answering two questions about ME.

1. Flaking, etc.- No I have had absolutely no scuffing, flaking or
motteling of surface of this paper. I've been laying down a lot of
pure Piezo Tone total black in fairly large areas of moderate sized
prints and they all look smooth, deep, and great. But..look I've only
been using this paper a few weeks its new, but my first impression is
that it is tougher than both German Etching and Photorag, but that is
hard to say so early in the game.

2. RE:  small dark spot marks along the lenght of the paper -
Well I rolled out the only roll I have left of the Musuem Etching
today and sure enough Tariq was right - along about a 4 foot strip of
my roll I found these little dark spots in a straight line about every
5" or so, medium grey actually, embedded in the paper. They look like
lint or something on the surface but it is someting embedded in the
paper making process and deep in the fiber. I looked through all the
prints I have made from the previous roll and I found one of about 8
16x20 & 20x24 prints that had it on there in three places on that
print. I was able to etch them off with a sharp exacto knife but I
don't like the idea of that! If it occurs in the image area you
wouldn't see it. If it occurs in the white border, you might confuse
it with a dirt spec sitting on the surface of the paper.

I have seen flaws like this in canvas or silk before but not in rag
paper. I don't know what it is. It could have been in the coating
mixture, I have no idea. This certaily want stop me from using this
paper because it is working great for me in every other way but, you
can bet I'll keep  my eye on it from now on. 

I'm going go forward this to Jim and also Hahnemuhle so they find out
what is going on.

John






--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com,
"tariqgibranstudio" <tariqgibranstudio@...> wrote:
>
> John,
> 
> The flaws are very subtle, little tiny specks really sort of like if
you touched a ball point 
> pen tip to the paper.  It might be something that most people would
not notice.  I have yet 
> to get ANY Museum Etching rolls which do not exhibit this.  It
usually also is on at least 
> one sheet of the 17"x22" size in each pack.  I'm sure it must have
something to do with 
> the manufacturing process.  Other than that, it is definately my
favorite paper at the 
> moment.  It is more durable than German Etching as it is 100% Cotton
Rag, not the weaker 
> Alpha Cellulose of the German Etching.  I have yet to see any
flaking with it which I 
> occasionally saw with German Etching but of course now I always
brush the paper before 
> printing.  It just irks me a bit that I'm paying more for the Museum
Etching and I have yet 
> to see a perfect roll or Box.  On a rolls, its not just one dot but
many every so many feet 
> vertically but only one horizontally.  If you look closely, I bet
you will notice it.  I would be 
> curious to hear from anyone else who has seen this or might know why
these dots are 
> there.  They were not there on the German Etching at all.
> 
> Tariq
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "john dean"
<deanwork2003@> 
> wrote:
> >
> > Tariq,
> > 
> > Oh no. That is terrible. No, I've seen no flaws in the about 4 rolls
> > of the Museum Etching that I've used so far. I don't know if this is
> > just my experience or not but this paper seems a lot more durable than
> > German Etching, far less tender, and I've been putting a lot blacks
> > down on it. It seems  more like the Innova coating but with better
> > dmax. I sure hope I don't experience any problem because this is my
> > new favourite paper because I'll send it back, immediately. I'm about
> > to do two large portfolios with this stuff and I can't deal with that.
> > 
> > I'll tell you right now I've been using Hahnemuhle papers for about 6
> > years, every month, and never have I had a quality control problem of
> > any kind. It has been my most consistently good media. I don't think
> > that is luck, I think it is a good German craftsmanship. I will keep a
> > look out though. Thanks for the forewarning. 
> > 
> > John
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >  I see these small tiny black or gray dots every so many feet.  Looks
> > like 
> > > where a machine has handled or marked it.  Never ever saw this with
> > German Etching and 
> > > its a real issue as It will almost invaribly end up in a white
> > border or margin ever so often 
> > > unless I waste some of this very expensive paper.  Have you seen
this?  
> > > 
> > > Tariq
> > > 
> > > 
> > > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "john dean"
> > <deanwork2003@> 
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > For the life of me I can't understand you guys paying that kind of
> > > > money for sheet of rag media. To me it is just not even
something I
> > > > would remotely consider at those prices. I have only had one issue
> > > > with using good roll media, and that is flattening the prints
> > > > afterwards, and that is certainly no big deal for me. I brush the
> > > > media quickly while on the machine with a large drafting
brush, and I
> > > > have no flaking problems at all anymore. But the key for me
was when I
> > > > bought the 53" Rototrim paper cutter that will accept the
width of the
> > > > lare rolls, it costs $700.00. But I got it half price with a
teacher
> > > > discount. This self sharpening device has been my most loyal
friend
> > > > for 5 years and is still like new. 
> > > > 
> > > > As a matter of fact for roll paper I am using the very thick
> > > > Hahnemuhle Museum Etching rag now at 350 gsm and the 9600 cuts
through
> > > > it completely just fine. Even the old 7000 scores is so well I
just
> > > > tear it off very easily, however usually what I do in a print
run is
> > > > stroke the edges of each print in PS with a thin grey line and
take
> > > > them to the Rototrim all at once with a number of prints on
that roll.
> > > > I couldn't imagine sitting here feeding a sheet at a time like
a robot
> > > > all day. I'd rather be in the other room watching a DVD or or
working
> > > > on the drum scaner or another printer. What I would really like to
> > > > have is one of those mechanized roll up devices for the bottom
of the
> > > > printer that would allow you to print a half a roll or more at
a time
> > > > out of a good rip. Now that would make me money while I sleep.
I do
> > > > all my proofing of many things at once and evaluate all that way
> > > > before the final output.
> > > > 
> > > > John
> > > >
> > >
> >
>