Digital BW, The Print

One of the best, if not the best list on the Net; I have learned much 
reading Roark, Jones, Harrington, Boley, Dinkla et al. in my months 
of lurking.

Have an Epson 2200 with MIS UT7 inks, some good Epson and Ilford 
paper.  But cheapskate that I am, I am always on the outlook for 
cheap matte paper.  Have two 12-page pads of 300 gsm 11"x14" water 
color paper.  Prints up fine and cost is 25 cents per sheet.

Today printed up five instances of Keith Cooper's B&W test image on 
five different papers and placed them (vertically) in a south-facing 
window.  All printing through QTR with EEnhMatte-cool and -warm (50%) 
curves; Ink at 15, Gamma at 8, 1440Super DPI, and Faster.  All papers 
are matte 8.5"x11".  Each print is half covered by black construction 
paper; all are simply thumb-tacked to a slat of soft pine.  No 
backing to perhaps confuse deterioration of the prints as they are 
exposed to the (sometimes) Maine sunshine.

Measured LAB L-values using PS6.0 on blackest, whitest, and a middle 
value of the 21-interval step wedge plus two black and two white 
values elsewhere.

Cheapest paper is Tron at $10 per 1000 sheets (plus $15 shipping). At 
90gsm it is somewhat flimsy, but the images are good in my eye and at 
2.5 cents per sheet, I am not shy about experimenting.

Next heaviest is Weyerhaeuser Satin Inkjet, 100gsm, at 4 cents per 
sheet.

Southworth 120gsm, all cotton, Connoisseur Exceptional Business Paper 
prints well and as cotton only may be acid-free.  Could not get a 
straight answer from several e-mails to Southworth.  At 4.4 cents per 
sheet, I like the price even though there is no claim that it is 
suitable for images.

Royal Brite Matte (Sam's Club "special") is 200gsm at 8.5 cents per 
sheet. And last is ProPhotoJet at 215gsm and 18 cents per sheet.

Perhaps it is my lack of discrimination, but I get satisfactory 
images on each paper and thus far have ego small enough that I do not 
lust for 100-year permanence for the images.  Obviously, I hope that 
fading or discoloration as time passes will be minimal.

Has anyone else experience with cheap papers?

Reinald