Digital BW, The Print

I've been printing with ABW and using HPN and love it; nevertheless, I've also been experimenting with RR AFA. I like that AFA comes in so many sizes (particularly 11x14) and the price can't be beat. However, no matter what I do, I cannot get it to give me comparable blacks and some other elusive quality that seems to make the images come to life like the HPN. I know this has been talked about previously (I've read all the AFA msgs. going back 7 yrs.)and am wondering if anyone has found the secret mix of ABW settings or ? to move this RR paper closer to HPN? (I hate the idea of buying larger sheets of HPN and cutting down to the 11x14 size I want.)

Also, does anyone use Premier Art Smooth Natural, Matte?

On 03/30/2013 03:07 AM, Michael wrote:
> I've been printing with ABW and using HPN and love it; nevertheless,
> I've also been experimenting with RR AFA. I like that AFA comes in so
> many sizes (particularly 11x14) and the price can't be beat. However, no
> matter what I do, I cannot get it to give me comparable blacks and some
> other elusive quality that seems to make the images come to life like
> the HPN. I know this has been talked about previously (I've read all the
> AFA msgs. going back 7 yrs.)and am wondering if anyone has found the
> secret mix of ABW settings or ? to move this RR paper closer to HPN? (I
> hate the idea of buying larger sheets of HPN and cutting down to the
> 11x14 size I want.)

The inkjet coating quality of the Aurora is just not on the level of HPN.

Hahnem\ufffdhle uses a triple coating layer for the Photorag qualities. 
Coating done by Sihl. On cheaper qualities you will see less coating 
steps etc.

The few papers that resemble HPN are one from Sihl and another one from 
Papergraphics. I do not expect their pricing to be lower.


-- 
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst Dinkla

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

I've been using Premier Art Smooth for years and am very happy with it. I use the 205 gsm weight, it's less expensive than the 270 gsm (I think that the next one up) and you can print on both sides. If a print isn't too my liking I can use the other side as a work print. Paul Roark says this is the same paper as the Epson scrapbook paper, one of the most archival around. For some reason the 205 weight is harder to find, however.

Paul

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Michael" <michael3442@...> wrote:

>
> I've been printing with ABW and using HPN and love it; nevertheless, I've also been experimenting with RR AFA. I like that AFA comes in so many sizes (particularly 11x14) and the price can't be beat. However, no matter what I do, I cannot get it to give me comparable blacks and some other elusive quality that seems to make the images come to life like the HPN. I know this has been talked about previously (I've read all the AFA msgs. going back 7 yrs.)and am wondering if anyone has found the secret mix of ABW settings or ? to move this RR paper closer to HPN? (I hate the idea of buying larger sheets of HPN and cutting down to the 11x14 size I want.)
> 
> Also, does anyone use Premier Art Smooth Natural, Matte?
>

Michael,

I recently profiled both papers on a Canon IPF6400, trying several media settings with each.  I agree with your assessment as the best D-max's I achieved were AFA-1.49 & HPN-1.76.  The HPN looks much better on a picture with deep blacks.

I plan to use up my small remaining supply of AFA on low-contrast pics and stay with HPN/CPN for matte prints thereafter.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Michael" <michael3442@...> wrote:

>
> I've been printing with ABW and using HPN and love it; nevertheless, I've also been experimenting with RR AFA. I like that AFA comes in so many sizes (particularly 11x14) and the price can't be beat. However, no matter what I do, I cannot get it to give me comparable blacks and some other elusive quality that seems to make the images come to life like the HPN. I know this has been talked about previously (I've read all the AFA msgs. going back 7 yrs.)and am wondering if anyone has found the secret mix of ABW settings or ? to move this RR paper closer to HPN? (I hate the idea of buying larger sheets of HPN and cutting down to the 11x14 size I want.)
> 
> Also, does anyone use Premier Art Smooth Natural, Matte?
>

Ernst,

>
> The inkjet coating quality of the Aurora is just not on the level of HPN.
>
> Hahnemühle uses a triple coating layer for the Photorag qualities.
> Coating done by Sihl...
>
Does Hahnemuhle make the Epson Hot Press Natural?

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Michael" <michael3442@...> wrote:
...
> Also, does anyone use Premier Art Smooth Natural, Matte?
>

may I suggest Alise Fine Art by the same company instead?

http://www.premierart.info/pg_alisefineart.php

the coating technology has advanced over the older paper, dmax and gamut are improved. Other characteristics are similar. Just don't get the brightened version...
Tyler

On 03/30/2013 03:58 PM, Paul Roark wrote:
> Ernst,
>
>  >
>  > The inkjet coating quality of the Aurora is just not on the level of HPN.
>  >
>  > Hahnem\ufffdhle uses a triple coating layer for the Photorag qualities.
>  > Coating done by Sihl...
>  >
> Does Hahnemuhle make the Epson Hot Press Natural?
>
> Paul
> www.PaulRoark.com

My bet is that Sihl does the coating. A Sihl man told me the base could 
be Scandinavian and I think he planned confusion.

What I know is that the single side coated Papergraphics Smooth Fine Art 
320 gsm and the Sihl 4852 Masterclass Smooth Matt Cotton 320 gsm are 
clones and identical to the Epson Hot press Natural 330gsm, the last is 
dual side coated on the sheets though Epson says one side is better than 
the other. Papergraphics has a 240 gsm version of the Smooth Fine Art too.


Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst Dinkla

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