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Digital BW, The Print

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HWMatte paper--yellowing

HWMatte paper--yellowing

2004-02-02 by Phil Rose

There have been numerous threads and discussion about Epson Archival/
Enhanced Matte versus Matte Paper Heavyweight. The consensus is that EAM and 
EEM are identical and contain an optical brightening agent (OBA), a result 
of which these papers undergo some "yellowing" as the OBA degrades with age. 

Matte Paper Heavyweight (HWM) is similar to EAM/EEM, but since the HWM
has a distinctly lower brightness rating than the other two, I have believed that 
it does not contain OBA. But what about its tendency to yellow with age (HWM 
yellowing presumably would be caused by its acidic nature)? Since I can't recall seeing 
anecdotal evidence for yellowing of _any_ of these matte papers, I've assumed the 
process is fairly slow (some period of _years_). 

Well yesterday I had occasion to make a test B&W print using my favorite paper for 
B&W printing, which is Matte Paper Heavyweight. When I compared the fresh HWM 
print with one I had made in August, 2003, I was startled to see that the paper 
(margin) of the 6-month old print was quite noticeably yellowed. The older (August) 
print had been kept in a small pile of loosely stacked prints--shielded from light for 
the vast majority of that brief time. The new print's paper was from a polyethylene 
envelope in a 50-sht box--the same package of paper used for earlier print. When I 
began comparing the new print to other HWM prints made within the past year, it was 
clear that _all_ had lost some "visual" whiteness. I tried to do a side-by-side scan of 
two prints to show the relative change in paper "color", but it was unable to show any 
difference (as measured by Photoshop eyedropper.) But by eye (daylight), the change 
was unmistakable. Since HWM has been in use for several years, I'm surprised I've not 
seen reports of similar (and even worse) changes with this paper. Is this rapid 
yellowing (within few months) actually a well-known aspect of HWM?

Phil

Re: [Digital BW] HWMatte paper--yellowing

2004-02-02 by Mike Sommers

I've been using Heavyweight Matte for a full year and have not noticed 
any yellowing on any of my prints.

-m

Phil Rose wrote:

> There have been numerous threads and discussion about Epson Archival/
> Enhanced Matte versus Matte Paper Heavyweight. The consensus is that 
> EAM and
> EEM are identical and contain an optical brightening agent (OBA), a 
> result
> of which these papers undergo some "yellowing" as the OBA degrades 
> with age.
>
> Matte Paper Heavyweight (HWM) is similar to EAM/EEM, but since the HWM
> has a distinctly lower brightness rating than the other two, I have 
> believed that
> it does not contain OBA. But what about its tendency to yellow with 
> age (HWM
> yellowing presumably would be caused by its acidic nature)? Since I 
> can't recall seeing
> anecdotal evidence for yellowing of _any_ of these matte papers, I've 
> assumed the
> process is fairly slow (some period of _years_).
>
> Well yesterday I had occasion to make a test B&W print using my 
> favorite paper for
> B&W printing, which is Matte Paper Heavyweight. When I compared the 
> fresh HWM
> print with one I had made in August, 2003, I was startled to see that 
> the paper
> (margin) of the 6-month old print was quite noticeably yellowed. The 
> older (August)
> print had been kept in a small pile of loosely stacked 
> prints--shielded from light for
> the vast majority of that brief time. The new print's paper was from a 
> polyethylene
> envelope in a 50-sht box--the same package of paper used for earlier 
> print. When I
> began comparing the new print to other HWM prints made within the past 
> year, it was
> clear that _all_ had lost some "visual" whiteness. I tried to do a 
> side-by-side scan of
> two prints to show the relative change in paper "color", but it was 
> unable to show any
> difference (as measured by Photoshop eyedropper.) But by eye 
> (daylight), the change
> was unmistakable. Since HWM has been in use for several years, I'm 
> surprised I've not
> seen reports of similar (and even worse) changes with this paper. Is 
> this rapid
> yellowing (within few months) actually a well-known aspect of HWM?
>
> Phil
>
>
>
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [Digital BW] HWMatte paper--yellowing

2004-02-02 by Phil Rose

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Mike Sommers <mike@s...> 
wrote:
> I've been using Heavyweight Matte for a full year and have not noticed 
> any yellowing on any of my prints.
>
Have you actually  _looked_ for evidence of yellowing? That is, hold a fresh HWM 
sheet against the "white" margin of another HWM print that's many months old. 
Certainly it's possible that this sort of thing is very dependent on local environment--
especially humidity. I'm in the northeast USA.

Phil

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