Digital BW, The Print

A while back there was some discussion about Sihl Iridium Satin paper.
Sounded like good stuff. I've done a little bit of research on the web
and have found a couple of places that sell paper -- Habor Sales,
Allsquare -- but, other than the original posts on this site, I
haven't found much information on how well the paper performs/compares
or archivality. Anyone currently using this paper?

Chris Hargens

Hi Chris;

I was the original poster on the Irigium, and I'm still using it, I'm 
alsmost through a 24x100 roll. There's really no new info on it, but 
just to recap: it gets a Dmax of 2.3+ with the Epson K3 PK, a bit less 
with the MIS K4 PK. It is acid free, but does have OBAs. It is heavy 
for an RC paper, and feels very much like FB halide paper, especially 
if you can get rid of the curl, which is quite mean. I still have a dry 
mount press, so if I'm in a hurry  I hot-press it. Its best feature is 
its surface: a very nice low gloss that with a coat of Premier looks 
georgeous. As for archivability, I don't expect it to do any better 
than Photo-rag or other OBA papers, which generaly come in lower than 
non-oba papers. I haven't had the time to set up any but the most 
rudimentary fade test, but if you're willing to do one and compare it 
to 2-3 other oba & non-oba papers, I'll be happy to send you a few 
sheets. Send me your adress off-list if you're interested.

Steve Karafyllakis

> A while back there was some discussion about Sihl Iridium Satin paper.
> Sounded like good stuff. I've done a little bit of research on the web
> and have found a couple of places that sell paper -- Habor Sales,
> Allsquare -- but, other than the original posts on this site, I
> haven't found much information on how well the paper performs/compares
> or archivality. Anyone currently using this paper?
> 
> Chris Hargens
>

Thanks, Steve, for the information. I'm going to check with the two
vendors I know of and see if they sell small rolls. If I like the
paper, I'll try an informal window test to get an idea of how well it
holds up.

Chris Hargens



--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Steven
Karafyllakis" <stevekphoto@...> wrote:

>
> Hi Chris;
> 
> I was the original poster on the Irigium, and I'm still using it, I'm 
> alsmost through a 24x100 roll. There's really no new info on it, but 
> just to recap: it gets a Dmax of 2.3+ with the Epson K3 PK, a bit less 
> with the MIS K4 PK. It is acid free, but does have OBAs. It is heavy 
> for an RC paper, and feels very much like FB halide paper, especially 
> if you can get rid of the curl, which is quite mean. I still have a dry 
> mount press, so if I'm in a hurry  I hot-press it. Its best feature is 
> its surface: a very nice low gloss that with a coat of Premier looks 
> georgeous. As for archivability, I don't expect it to do any better 
> than Photo-rag or other OBA papers, which generaly come in lower than 
> non-oba papers. I haven't had the time to set up any but the most 
> rudimentary fade test, but if you're willing to do one and compare it 
> to 2-3 other oba & non-oba papers, I'll be happy to send you a few 
> sheets. Send me your adress off-list if you're interested.
> 
> Steve Karafyllakis
>