Digital BW, The Print

Steve,

Thanks for the info on the paper.  I'm curious as to how you are using MIS
K4 inks with an R1800?  Could you elaborate on this?

Thanks,
Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Steven
Karafyllakis
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 10:12 PM
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Digital BW] Lexjet Sunset eSatin paper

Hello All;


I've spent the last month trying out a paper called Sunset Photo eSatin
Paper 300g sold by Lexjet. It is reasonably priced, available in all sizes
and rolls, and I'm told its OBA-free (I'm not sure I belive this, but having
no UV light I can't verify) but not acid-free. It is the heaviest, stiffest
RC paper I've seen or handled. It should be quite easy to use in large
sheets without creasing. Here are my
impressions:

I'm getting an uncoated dmax of 2.37 after dry-down, over 2.5 with a
coating. This with MIS K4 inks on an R1800.
Surface color is a bit yellow out of the box, in fact it looks and measures
just like a satin version of the Costco paper might. There's a glossy
version I haven't yet tried, and probably won't.
Surface texture has been the major dissapointment. It looks very 'RC papery'
with a mechanical stipple similar to Epson semi-gloss or any other RC luster
or semi-gloss paper. If you don't mind that, this paper is a winner.

The first week of fade-testing it appeared to be getting bluer, but now it
seems to have stabilized at a bit yellower than it started. 
The difference is so slight I sometimes see it & sometimes don't depending
on the light. The spectro puts the B value at a starting average of -3.5 and
a 3-week average value at -3.45

Three weeks of south window exposure with sunlight 4-5 hours a day has
produced no visible or measurable change in the dmax, but a slight change in
all other densities. From 95% through 70% it has lost .02, and from 65% to
05% it has lost .01. I don't know if this small a change is statistically
significant, but the change and trend were very consistent, so even though
it is not visible yet, I expect sooner or later it will become so. Still,
this seems to be a relatively stable paper that would do fairly well under
glass in normal display conditions.

The weight and heft of this paper are by far its greatest appeal-at 300gsm
it feels good in the hand, and doesn't flex as easily as most RC papers. 

And it does print well, with good presence for an RC paper, good shadow
separation, great dmax. It produces a really nice snappy print that in most
ways is better than any halide RC print I've ever seen.
 
Not bad, but I'm still looking.  

Steve