Digital BW, The Print

Back on topic, below is the email I just sent to Crane's with my initial impressions of Silver 
Rag printed on my Epson 98000 w. Pghhoto Black:

"I have just printed some Silver Rag yesterday on my Epson 9800 with Photo Black ink and 
the prints look spectacular.  I obviously need to consider them some more (I'm going to 
look at the prints again today after they're fully dried), but my initial reaction is that this 
paper is fabulous.  

My only concerns are that (a) it's a bit too glossy and (b) it's a bit too textured.  Put 
together, the high gloss and texture create obtrusive reflectivity when the print is viewed 
at any angle other than flat on a table or flat against a wall.  In other words, if the paper is 
tilted at all (and I don't mean severely titled -- just any position that's not perfectly flat), 
or if the light is coming at the paper from an oblique angle, the glossiness/reflectivity 
becomes obtrusive and obscures the details.  So, my initial gut reaction is to suggest that 
Crane cut the current "gloss" (currently more like an RC darkroom paper) down to a 
"sheen" (more like a air-dried fiber darkroom print) and minimize the texture a bit.  (I 
don't think the texture should be eliminated, however -- the texture gives this paper a 
unique appearance.  But to truly be closer to an air-dried fiber print, the textured should 
be lessened somewhat).  Keep in mind, though, that the image I was printing for the 
samples was a B&W portrait will large areas of black (i.e., a head-and-shoulders portrait 
against a black background), so I imagine that that may have something to do with the 
obtrusive gloss when viewed in any position other than perfectly flat.

If the "obtrusive reflectivity when hit by oblique light" issue can be minimized, Silver Rag 
will quickly become my primary paper."

(I should add that even if the paper is released as-is, I will still probably use it quite a bit)).