Digital BW, The Print

Tyler,

Sizing watercolor papers is a batch to batch 
process since the raw ingrediants change 
when they make the paper (also know as 
"pulp de jour")  All of the uncoated papers 
can vary trememdously and when you get a 
good batch, go with it.  I think of it as closer 
to halfway between home brew and 
budwiser which keeps the Art in artpapers.

On the Arches regular uneven pattern, you 
are probably seeing the residual screen 
pattern from the mold making process.  Try 
and decrease your inkload to eliminate 
differential dot gain/bleed.  See why you 
want a RIP to make the same colors different 
ways?  I haven't run in to it but my uncoated 
paper use in minimal.

Coated media is much better since there is 
almost always a barrier coat onto the media 
before the inkjet receptor coating goes on 
which will even things out.  

RC or polymer coated papers will exhibit 
reliable machine made charecteristics.  I just 
think that the more arty, the more variation.  
I just started testing the Museo paper (100% 
cotton, no barrier coat) and it looks very 
good for pigmented solutions.  No good for 
spectratones.

Thanks for the Lumijet reminder.  I haven't 
tried it since it was discontinued.  Drop me 
some if you have a chance and I'll check it 
out.  Thanks for the good info on all of the 
rebranded Oce Watercolor 140# rebrands as 
you suspect.  That makes it easy to order 
since Oce is very difficult to order direct 
from.

Allen Maertz
lincolninks.com


Message: 3
   Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2001 02:19:15 -0000

   From: "Tyler Boley" <
tyler@...>
Subject: Re: Spectratone Quadtone inks

Allen, I'm still swamped and haven't sent the 
papers I promised. I think it's safe to assume 
Brightcube's Xtreme Gamut 
Gelatin Art is tha same as Xtreme Gamut's 
paper of the same name from other dealers. 
This, as well as Media Street Artist 
Water Color Paper 140 lb. and Red River 
Caspian Art Card., appear to be the Oce.
Regarding Arches, my last tests were 
looking good with Piezo inks and 
PressReady, then I discovered a regular 
pattern of 
unevenness in what should have been 
smooth tones. It didn't reveal itself at first 
because my test images were very 
textural. I'm wondering if sizing watercolor 
papers is a much less precise process than 
coating inkjet papers, they don't 
need to be. Have you noticed any such 
problems with Arches?
One paper I think your ink would kick butt 
on is Lumijet Premium DW Glossy. I think it 
would be the closest match to an air 
dried fiber selenium toned silver print 
available for inkjet. It was discontinued, but 
I heard it would be brought back to 
market. The longevity with Lysonics was 
pretty astounding compared to clay coated 
papers, I'm quite sure it was gelatin 
coated.
Tyler

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., allentakichi@e... wrote:
> Tyler,
> 
snip...
> On the Arches regular uneven pattern, you 
> are probably seeing the residual screen 
> pattern from the mold making process.  Try 
> and decrease your inkload to eliminate 
> differential dot gain/bleed.  See why you 
> want a RIP to make the same colors different 
> ways?  I haven't run in to it but my uncoated 
> paper use in minimal.

Yes, I was using PressReady, and developed some curves that solved
all the bleeding and mottling problems with this 
paper. An ink limit had to be determined for each ink, then backed
out quickly to keep total ink very low. This resulted in 
much more severe curves than normal, and bringing in the darker inks
higher up the scale than normal.
However the results were better than I expected, decent blacks, and
all the beading/mottling that looks like larger grain 
disappeared. There is still something about this surface (cold press)
and sizing that creates a slight graininess, preventing 
the image depth I prefer for large formay photography. It could be
very good for smaller formats that have some image 
grain anyway.
But as soon as I printed an image with some smooth walls, I saw the
problem. It's a large, smooth, crosshatch pattern, 
maybe 3/4" square. Non existant on any other papers except Waterford
DI, so I assume it's in the manufacture or sizing 
process.
This along with the slight grain made me abandon these papers for
now. Too bad, because the lack of coating reaction 
leaves the inks their real color.
Tyler