The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Your "Go To" Paper?

TRSmith

Subscriber Member
I confess that I've owned my Epson 3800 for a couple of years but have let it sit idle too often. Lately I've been focussing my efforts on refining my mastery of ink jet printing. Slowly but surely, I'm making progress. The little advances I make during this process are very rewarding and I have now come to think of a print as the ultimate and final stage to a photograph.

That may sound silly, but I have been converting many of my photos to jpegs for online posting for so long, it had become a habit. Printing shows me things about the image and about my technique that posting online does not.

The most recent revelation for me was discovering Ilford Gallerie Gold Fibre Silk paper. It immediately hit some sort of sweet spot for me. But with the hundreds of papers out there, I'm wondering if you end up using one paper exclusively or the majority of the time. If you use more than one paper, what criteria do you use in selecting the type for any given image?

Thanks!
Tim
 

Diane B

New member
Here's another for GFS. I still have a stash of a number of other papers I like--but bought GFS in 17 x 22 and cut down to other sizes if needed. Its really my favorite paper right now--a good combination of the quality/look I like and price. I tried all the fiber papers I think and this was my favorite. I have some Epson Exhibition Fiber in 8.5 x 11 and also print some on fine art papers, but I have to say that GFS with my 3800 is my 'go to' paper right now. Oh--color and b & w (and I do tint--generally warm- my monos a bit and love them on GFS)

Diane
 

TRSmith

Subscriber Member
Thanks for the confirmation Durr and Diane. I have a bunch of Epson EFP laying around too. What profile do you use for the EFP?
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
I prefer the Harman Gloss FB Al.
Almost always the first print comes out on this paper.
:thumbs:
-bob
 

Diane B

New member
Thanks for the confirmation Durr and Diane. I have a bunch of Epson EFP laying around too. What profile do you use for the EFP?
I didn't have a profile made for the paper--I'll have to go back and look. Seems to me that there was a really nice profile provided by 3rd party. Ah--yes, the one from Pixelgenius (which is basically Jeff Schewe and friends). Works pretty well for me.
http://www.pixelgenius.com/epson/

Diane
 

Eoin

Member
Depending on what I'm printing, I use Hahnemuhle Baryta or Photo Rag. I'm intrigued by their Bamboo paper and love the texture.

As a general paper I've always used Ilford Galarie (pearl or satin) but since changing to the Epson 3800 and it's inks I tried the Gold Fiber Silk as a replacement. I'm very impressed, more so by the price, the quality is superb as one would expect from Ilford.

But I do like the look of and I'm drawn to cotton rag papers.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
Lots of excellent papers on the market these days, but if I could only have one paper, it would be Ilford Gold Fibre Silk. I like having a variety to choose from (just recently printed a batch on Hahnemuhle FineArt Pearl) , but for the past six months, more often that not, my choice is GFS. I do mostly B&W printing (and regular monthly print exchanges), but GFS also works very well for color. I still love Epson Velvet Fine Art too...when I want a matte paper, but it's been a problem feeding thru my Epson 2400. Time for me to upgrade to a 3880 or 4880. :)

For me, the print is the ultimate expression and final stage of my photographic experience. I get as much enjoyment (perhaps more) from making, holding and viewing a print as I do from actually taking the photograph.

Good luck with your printing Tim! Perhaps someday you'd enjoy participating in a print exchange, if you haven't already.

Gary
 
Last edited:

Diane B

New member
I still love Epson Velvet Fine Art too...when I want a matte paper, but it's been a problem feeding thru my Epson 2400. Time for me to upgrade to a 3880 or 4880. :)


Gary
Ah, another who loves Velvet Fine Art. I just printed 2 on 13 x 19 this week and remembered how much I liked it. I don't know about the 2400--I feed it from the back (manual) feed on my 3800 without problem

Diane
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
There are many excellent papers out there, I like to keep things simple. ;-)

I standardize on three matte papers:

- Epson Enhanced Matte (or whatever they call it nowadays) :: proofing and snapshots.
- Epson Velvet Fine Art :: bright color and neutral tone B&W.
- Hahnemühle Bamboo :: muted color and warm tone B&W.

I also like Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper (the only glossy I like so far ... shades of unferrotyped Agfa glossy from the distant past!), Legion/Somerset Velvet and a couple others, but I don't print on them very often. i've got a box of Crane Museo waiting to be tried; it's been waiting for two years now.
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
My favorites are the Harman papers -- particularly Harman Glossy Fb AL. It's kind of strange, the Harman papers are actually made by what used to be Ilford in the UK -- they are made by the same people who make the ilford films and photographic papers. The Ilford Galerie inkjet papers (like Gold Fibre Silk) are actually made by Ilford Imaging Switzerland, which is owned by Oji Paper Company in Japan. So odd...the Harman papers are actually the Ilford ones, and the Ilford papers are Swiss/Japanese.

They are both good, but I like the Harman better!
 

bensonga

Well-known member
I've got a couple boxes of the Harman Fb AL paper here somewhere (8.5x11)....I'll have to dig 'em out and give them another try. I liked the Ilford Gold Fibre Silk so much, I've just been going with it (and bought more in 11x17 and 13x19 sizes).

Gary
 
T

tokengirl

Guest
I have used the Ilford Gallerie GFS quite a lot, and I agree it's terrific paper. Pretty much any kind of photograph will look good on it. If you have to use just one paper, I think that's the one.

But my personal favorite is Hahnemuhle Bamboo, with its lovely warm tone and slight texture. Hahnemuhle Sugarcane is also interesting - very similar to the Bamboo, but with a fairly strong texture, which I think works for simple subject matter but not so great for photos with a lot of small detail.

I have tried both the Harman Matt and Gloss, with less than stellar results. I'm printing on a Canon Pixma 9500, and I get bad bronzing on the blacks with the Gloss. I need to make a custom profile for the Matt, as the Harman profile for my printer is just awful (really flat and washed out with really lousy blacks).
 

gogopix

Subscriber
Hmmmm...

No one using Museo Silver Rag?

Or maybe it is your 'special paper'?

Does it REALLY scratch easily?
 

bensonga

Well-known member
Inkjetart or Atlex.
Lisa
Mostly InkjetArt for me.

Also Red River Paper for their selection of pano sized papers. I've tried their Aurora Fine Art bright and natural papers....very nice, similar to Moab Entrada.

Gary
 

donbga

Member
Mostly InkjetArt for me.

Also Red River Paper for their selection of pano sized papers. I've tried their Aurora Fine Art bright and natural papers....very nice, similar to Moab Entrada.

Gary
Gary,

I also use the RR Aurora, I just purchase rolls and cut to length. They are nice papers.

Don Bryant
 
Top