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Harman FB Al seems to be gone...

Bob

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
Maybe because I liked it so much, but more likely for commercial reasons, Harman FB Al paper seems to be disappearing from distribution.
There is a new line named "Harman by Hahnemühle".
My sample pack arrived yesterday.
The apparent replacement for Gloss FB Al seems to be Gloss Baryta 320 which has a very similar surface but is a bit whiter than the Harman Gloss FB Al
There is also a new Gloss Art Fibre 300.
Its surface has more of an Epson Luster look to it and is a bit less glossy than the Harman FB Al. It also seems a bit whiter and brighter.

Also in the line is a Matt Cotton Smooth, a Matt Cotton Textured (sort of like an Epson Watercolor surface), a Warmtone version of both the Gloss Baryta and Gloss Art Fiber and a Canvas. The Warmtone versions are not as warm as the Harman warm toned paper, so might work a bit better for some.
I will have to buy a roll or two of this stuff and do some printing before I have more of an opinion. At the moment all I can say is that the papers all have a very good feel and the surfaces look very good.
-bob
 
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Jack

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
That sucks. Why would a company take what is arguably the absolute best photo surfaced inkjet paper ever produced and can it?
 
kdphotography

kdphotography

Well-known member
Bob said:
....The apparent replacement for Gloss FB Al seems to be Gloss Baryta 320 which has a very similar surface but is a bit whiter than the Harman Gloss FB Al

There is also a new Gloss Art Fibre 300.
Its surface has more of an Epson Luster look to it and is a bit less glossy than the Harman FB Al. It also seems a bit whiter and brighter. ....

-bob
Click to expand...
Hahn and Harmann are both great names in injet media, and I know it's all about who does the inkjet receptive coatings... but what concerns me most are your comments about the whiteness and brightness, which in all liklihood means the addition of more OBAs than before.... :(

ken
 
T

tokengirl

Guest
Are all of you that think the Harman FB AI is so fantastic using Epson printers?

I have a Canon Pixma 9500 Pro, which has really been a terrific printer for my needs. Except for when I tried the Harman FB AI. I loved the feel and surface of the paper, but the bronzing was so incredibly bad on any black areas of the prints that it was just unusable. Maybe Canon's inks and Harman's glossy surface just cannot get along?

Oh well. I am not a big gloss person anyways. I just always thought it was odd that everyone but me was just swooning over this paper.
 
JimCollum

JimCollum

Member
i've used the warmtone version of this paper.. and has been my paper of choice since it came out. I did look at a sample of the 'new' Hahn. version (they're coming out with warmtone as well). surface isn't as nice as the Harmon.. but at least the warmtone doesn't have the OBA's. I grabbed 2 rolls of it.. but 100' won't last forever :)

I use the HP z3100, and they have a gloss optimizer that removes 99.9% of the bronzing
 
jonoslack

jonoslack

Active member
It's all my fault :cry::cry:
I'm sorry :cry:
I fell in love with this paper just recently, and having set up all my profiles etc. of course, they've discontinued it :(

Incidentally, Hahnemulle have just moved in upstairs from us . . . I'm about to start a quest for sample paper!
 
Jack

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I have three 50-sheet boxes of 17x25 and to full rolls of 24" -- but best case that gets to me the end of the year if I only print finals on it.

Time to look at the whiter stuff...
 
ustein

ustein

Contributing Editor
>The new stuff sucks...

I was told by Harman that this is only a name change. The paper is identical.
 
Bob

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
The new stuff is obviously brighter and the surface inks a bit differently.
so it is really not the same.
-bob
 
Jack

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Uwe, I'll give you a few sheets of each and you can see for yourself -- it isn't in the same league as the original...
 
ustein

ustein

Contributing Editor
Is it named Gloss Baryta (Harman technical support says is the same). Gloss Art Fiber is different. What did you get?
 
Jack

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I got both to try, Gloss Baryta and Gloss art Fiber, the latter as a possible alternative to Epson Exhibition Fiber. First, know that when you print on the new Gloss Baryta, it doesn't smell like fixer like the old stuff did. Next the prints look like ink on paper with no depth, where the original definitely had depth.
 
Bob

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
Jack,
I think that is due to the OBA overdose or at least that contributes
-bob
 
Jack

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I agree. IMO that is what's creating the "washed out" appearance in the medium tones.

Still doesn't explain the lack of fixer smell ;)
 
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