Digital BW, The Print

On 18/02/2008 wwodets wrote:
> I've gone through all the Z3100 posts and found little actually
> describing the appearance of the GE. How would you describe the
> appearance in terms of color and gloss level? Has anyone used this
> with the Harman Gloss FB AI? Used over the entire surface, does the GE
> raise or lower the gloss as compared to the straight Harman paper in
> unprinted areas? Compared to other of the gloss papers? Does it raise
> or lower the gloss of the inks? Is this a high gloss surface, a satin,
> etc.?

I have seen Z3100 Harman FB AL gloss prints done using black+gray+GO. 
Overall they are pretty successful. The GO eliminates 80% of the bronzing 
and GD that Vivera black & grey produces on this paper without GO. You 
have to look quite closely to see any trace of bronzing, and these prints 
are the closest I have yet seen to wet darkroom prints.

If anything tone is a little too neutral. Bromides tended to be either 
warm or cold, and the Z3100 samples were just a little sterile for my 
taste. They reminded me of the original Seagull Oriental in Dektol in that 
respect, which I preferred after selenium toning.

Aside from that, there is still a slight residual sense that the image is 
sat on the surface rather than within the emulsion. But they are, as I 
say, very close to FB bromides and I doubt most people would notice.

The GO appears pretty much clear. I don't recall any sense of yellowing, 
but whether that would change with time I don't know. The coating itself 
is very thin and adds a little gloss but without changing the slight 
surface texture. The application did not look completely even, even though 
it was a full rather than economy/selective coating. Without be able to 
pin this down, I remember thinking that the coating looked like a coating 
rather than an integral part of the surface. I was told - by the guy who'd 
been testing - that they had a few issues with adhesion of the GO on 
Harman, but the 2 prints I saw were OK and showed no flaking except at the 
cut edge where it had been trimmed after printing.

Overall highly impressive and very promising. But I think it might work 
even better with one of the Innova papers - Fibaprint White Gloss, 
Warmtone Gloss or Ultra Smooth Gloss White. The surface of the first two 
is slightly less glossy than the Harman and a little more 'textured' with 
the Ultra Smooth down the middle. I've experimented with this latter paper 
(on a B9180) and (aside from an occasional overinking issue) it achieves a 
better Dmax than the Harman. Innova tell me the White Gloss and Warmtone 
Gloss work better with Vivera but I haven't yet tried the samples I have.

-- 
Regards

Tony Sleep
http://tonysleep.co.uk