Fine Art Media

[varoomshka]

Hi Fellow Photo Artists, Just over a year ago I began using my new Epson R2400. I have been an Epson user since I started printing my own pictures in 1998, but usually I have turned to compatible cartridges, with excellent results - apart from one disaster with a continuous system on a Photo 750.
This time I have stuck with Epson, but wow! the expense.
Never mind, the results are fine.
I have also stuck with Epson paper, being a great fan of matt surfaces it has usually been Archival Matte.
I have decided to be a little more adventurous of late and obtained some samples from St Cuthberts Mill at Wells in Somerset. I did a run of test prints on the three different papers they sent me and I am completely blown away with the quality, for black and white their Somerset Photo Satin is outstanding with rich deep blacks and a lovely texture.
For colour, their Bockingford Inkjet is superb with such a wide gamut and bringing out very fine detail in a quayside scene, but at the same time looking like a watercolour on a deep textured base.
Now this is my current bit of excitement and I do get a lot of pleasure out of turning out a good print.
Does anyone else on the forum use these papers and have similar views or maybe contrary views?
I do have problems getting the small quantities I require at a decent price so any contacts or sources of supply would be welcome.
The paper seems not to be generally available in the usual places.
The manufacturers have given me wholesalers who in turn have given me retailers, but with conditions like minimum orders (some £40) and postage costs of about £10 it starts to get jolly expensive.
Anyway, be nice to get some views on the topic.
varoomshka.

[adrianj]

A late reply - but I have just started printing with an Epson R2880. I am getting good results with Epson Archival Matte but wanted to try something with more texture and weight. I have bought some Somerset Enhanced from St Cuthbert Mills and I am using a profile supplied by MOAB, but on my test prints (I am printing in colour for now) I am getting weaker blacks than I do with Archival Matt. Is this to be expected with textured paper?
Is Somerset Enhanced the same paper as Epson Somerset Velvet?
Does anyone have any recommendations for a watercolour paper with good blacks and a slight texture (ideally "Not" in old watercolour paper terms).
Regards,
Adrian
PS I am new to the forum - should this have been a new topic or in a different topic area?

[bez]

Welcome Adrian
Lyson and Permajet make some nice textured papers. Innova Smooth Cotton High White 315gsm is also very good, but not textured.
Blacks certainly shouldn’t be weaker – are you using all the correct profiles and (matt black) settings? and (ahem) printing on the right side?

[adrianj]

Thanks very much for your reply Bez,
Don't laugh about the right side . That is my next trick. There is a label in the box indicating the correct side, but I'm not sure I believe it.
I've now tried printing on the other side and get desaturated colours, so I expect I am using the paper the right way round.
The blacks I am getting (the right way round) are slightly less deep than on Archival Matt, but also have in the deepest areas a slight sheen which makes me wonder if there is too much ink being deposited on them.
I have just tried some Permajet Museum Classic and Matt Plus. Museum Classic is giving me superb deep blacks and a warmer tone, Matt Plus is a more neutral tone but with similar blacks to the Somerset Enhanced.
I suspect I am just seeing variations in papers and profiles.
Does anyone know if sing "Best Photo Quality" uses much more ink?
Regards,
Adrian

[bez]

... but also have in the deepest areas a slight sheen which makes me wonder if there is too much ink being deposited on them

I’m surprised you’re getting a slight sheen – I can only guess it’s the paper, as the matt black ink is usually completely matt. I've never rated Archival Matte very highly ...

Does anyone know if sing "Best Photo Quality" uses much more ink?

Higher dpi does use slightly more ink (5-10%)
When I had a 2400 I couldn’t see any difference between Best (2880dpi) and RPM (5760dpi) The general recommendation is to use a higher dpi with gloss, but on matt you wont see much benefit, so try 1440? But the best thing is to do some small test prints to see.

[poah]

for somerset paper try http://www.on-linepaper.co.uk/acatalog/ ... rt_16.html


I like the photo satin but found the other papers a bit thin for my liking.

if you like the textured paper then permajet and innova make some nice choices and there are few smoother matt canvases coming on to the market

[poah]

Thanks very much for your reply Bez,

I have just tried some Permajet Museum Classic and Matt Plus. Museum Classic is giving me superb deep blacks and a warmer tone, Matt Plus is a more neutral tone but with similar blacks to the Somerset Enhanced.
I suspect I am just seeing variations in papers and profiles.
Does anyone know if sing "Best Photo Quality" uses much more ink?
Regards,
Adrian

brighter papers will give brighter and more neutral prints compared to papers without OBAs and you can see quite a variation between papers.