Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "dmdctusa"
<dmdornctusa@...> wrote:
>
> John wrote:
> 
> David-
> > I would be curious to know what the Dmax of this paper is.
> > -John
> --------------------------------------
> John,
> 
> I have know way of measuring the Dmax, but my eye tells me it is 
> going higher than other matt papers and particlulary, Epson Enhanced 
> matt....

I don't have or use EEM so can't address that directly. Compared to
HPR and other fine art matte papers here it falls short.
Quick tests with a 9800 ABW UCK3, and 9600 Piezotones, it's just
lower, 1.55 for the ABW and 1.6+ with a Cone setup not yet refined for
this paper. Visually the blacks don't fail to satisfy, they appear rich.
The paper is thinner than most art papers, and as Mark mentioned bears
resemblance to EEM in many ways. The surface is different though and
unique, very smooth, no detectable paper texture, but matte. Sort of
card like.
Even though there is implication of a connection with classic silver
papers because of the use of baryta, it bears no resemblance to any
silver paper I ever used or have seen, more evidence of the futility
of attempting to force one process to look like another.

All that said, the paper has a definite appeal. The coating seems to
hold a very very sharp dot, and the way the ink sits in all this
complicated mess of coating, baryta, and whatever else may be
involved, seems to present the image in a very photographic way that
eliminates the issue of surface almost entirely. It's a very smooth
look with no "fine art" paper look to it at all, primarily "image
only". It floats with a subtle dimensional quality with the large
format image I tried.

The paper doesn't exceed or even meet the specs of the best papers we
are used to, but I think there are many that would like it a lot for
photography. It's worth a try if the above sounds appealing to you.

It's always frustrating to receive evaluation samples from many of
these companies. On the one hand they want a fair evaluation, and on
the other it seems coughing up enough spare sheets to do so will break
the bank.
Media setting tests, with subsequent profiling, for color and ABW with
the Epson driver, much more if with a RIP, then the amount of work
needed to linearize and optimize output for a mono set takes a fair
amount of paper. Also, it's the only way to really see it's potential.

I might take this a little farther with the few small sheets I have
left, but that's it for now for B&W. Don't get confused with the
claimed connection to silver paper, or the presence of baryta. It's a
matte ink paper, with a somewhat unique appealing look appropriate for
photography.

Tyler