Epson Ultrasmooth Fine Art Paper
2003-03-01 by Tom Husband <thusband@sbcglobal.net>
I saw this in the latest newsletter from Inkjetart. It's to be introduced at PMA. Looks interesting: * ULTRASMOOTH FINE ART PAPER is a 100% cotton rag that is acid, lignin, chlorine and optical brightener free. The UltraSmooth base is slightly alkaline, with a 2% calcium carbonate buffer to preserve that alkalinity to a conservator's pH of about 8.0 (the weak alkalinity and buffers are helpful in keeping the paper and coating from going acidic and yellowing when exposed to atmospheric pollutants over long periods of time). Wilhelm's dark storage rating is well in excess of 100 years, and tests are still continuing. D-Max and scratch resistance are also improved. (Epson can't say this, but you're going to see D-Max results and vivid color with this paper, that is similar to the Hahnemuhle Photo Rag, but without the "flakes".) The UltraSmooth surface is similar to Epson's very popular Enhanced Matte, but this paper has the archivability demanded by photographers and fine artists. (Epson has done over 9 months of certification testing with this paper. UltraSmooth has been reviewed and approved by leading museums, i.e. the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. As far as we know, no other fine art paper has gone through the scrutiny this product has.) UltraSmooth will be available double-sided in 205g (letter size and 13" x 19"), 325g (letter size and 13" x 19") and 500g (24" x 30" and 36" x 44"). A single-sided roll version will be available in 250g (24" x 50' and 44" x 50' rolls). We do not have any preliminary samples to give you at this time, but a limited number of samples will be available at the PMA show, Booth L80. Epson expects to have some of the sizes and weights of the UltraSmooth available by late April. InkjetART expects UltraSmooth to become the most popular digital fine art paper in the world.