Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Smallfield [r.smallfield@...]
Sent: 12/26/2007 12:24 AM ZE12
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Epson's Premium/Enhanced Matte and Red River Aurora Art natural



Quoting Kevin <vinke@...>:
> In the past I've used the Epson Enhanced Matte for daily printing and
> the Aurora Art for my 
> "best" work. However, I find that the Epson paper has a bit more pop and
> slightly better 
> dmax and shadow detail.

I changed from Enhanced Matte to PremierArt Matte BW for portfolio and daily 
printing. It doesn't yellow as badly as EEM and has better handing of shadows 
in my opinion. The EEM can look a bit blotchy as it doesn't always hold the 
ink too well. And it's double-sided.

But that said I've had a BW neutral QTR (OEM Epson 2100) print above my PC 
unframed since March and the tones have gone very warm. The paper itself has 
warmed a bit.

The brigher papers will always give you more pop if that's what you want.

But I've actually got fade tests in my window at the moment and after six or 
more weeks the Aurora Natural and Entrada Natural haven't changed much - 
actually the Entrada has *lost* some warmth and a friend commented the the sun 
seemed to be bleaching it.

For better dMax I use Entrada Natural as my display printing paper for BW - 
noticeably better blacks than Aurora. But that is not always needed, so I do 
intend to buy more Aurora for lower contrast photos when I can afford more 
paper.

> I was under the impression that the Aurora would last longer (more
> archival) due to the fact 
> that it was cotton and has no OBA's.

In six to eight weeks in my window the EEM has actually reached the colour of 
the Aurora Natural, approximately. So the Aurora is far more stable, not 
having changed much at all.

> fwiw, i display most of my prints in art portfolios/dark storage.

In dark storage the EEM should last quite well I think. But a previous poster 
pointed out that merely leaving it on the table for a week causes yellowing 
and that's my experience, too.

I would opt for an acid & lignin-free paper at any rate, because it's more 
archival in the long term. IT Supplies is the place I went for my PremierArt 
paper and it was about the same price as Enhanced Matte. And double sided and 
not acidic. 

But no brightened paper will stay bright forever when light gets on it.

Good luck,
Richard


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]