Digital BW, The Print

On 07/14/2013 10:09 PM, E.Neilsen wrote:
> NO David, these would be changes based on current environmental issues and
> may be something that suits one intended use, but has unintended
> consequences for other users. The former happens to platinum printers all
> the time. We may find a paper that "works". And the manufacture will change
> it based on it's intended use; watercolors, lith, monoprints, etc. The next
> time you go to order it, it all appears the same, but a lengthy series of
> phone calls reveals a change in this or that. sorry. .
> It can happen with papers too. Same name, same general look but different
> ingredients and the change takes place.
>
> Keep track of batch numbers while you can because they can help uncover a
> change.
>
>
> Eric Neilsen

Ecology restrictions may cause manufacturers to change their processes 
too. A lot more could change in time; cotton pulp sources, sizing, 
whitening agents, not to mention roll widths produced on different 
fourdriniers at different production facilities. On the other hand the 
process control in modern paper making factories will be much better 
than it was in the past. They know what is in every batch today. Testing 
of tensile strength, folding tests, bending tests, with changing 
humidity levels etc should reveal what the bond of the coating to the 
paper is and how papers compare on that aspect.  I wonder whether there 
exists an equivalent of the multiple knife test like used in the paint 
industry to check the bond of paints. There are more: 
http://www.astm.org/Standards/D6677.htm We simply do not get that 
information. When asked the usual answer is that there are manufacturing 
secrets and the mill exists for so many years so you should trust them. 
Sometimes I think the really modern high volume paper producers give 
more information on their products than the old mills do and process 
control may not be at the same level that the big companies have. I do 
not think this situation will change much in time.

-- 
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst Dinkla

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2012: 500+ inkjet media paper white spectral plots.