Digital BW, The Print

Peter,

Let me add my 2 cents worth to the paper issue.

jerry wrote:

> You should love the Eclipse Satine paper,...
> Also try Legion's Photo Matte Paper, ...the brightest white ...

I agree those are fine papers.  Both have done well on my fade testing.  The
Eclipse is the only paper I've tested that beat (barely) Epson Archival
Matte in that test.  However, EAM has deeper blacks.

Photo Matte has a base that is bluish -- very cold.  While my tests seem to
indicate that the blacks are not quite as good as EAM's, it does give the
visual impression of greater range.  I think that might be because it has a
lot of brighteners added.  These turn yellow with extended bright light
exposure, and LPM yellowed more in my fade tests than other papers.
However, it was so blue to start with that it ended up neutral.

The Hahnemuhle papers are also highly thought of by many.  They seem to
print very well with the MIS Vm inkset, and apparently have a coating that,
like EAM, is designed for pigmented inks like the various MIS quads.

Of course, my standard is still Epson Archival Matte (EAM).  It's cheap
(check  www.atlex.com) and, overall, the paper that I would use regardless
of price for my display prints.  For long-term, dark storage (hundreds of
years) a rag paper might be a better bet, but for the best combination of
good blacks and light-fastness, it remains unbeaten in my tests.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com