I would like to start making some fairly serious prints of some of my best photographs, so I decided to get my hands on a selection of papers from a couple of manufacturers and run some test prints.
I ordered an 8.5x11 sample pack from Red River Papers, as well as a small package of Ilford Gallerie Gold Fibre Silk.After a quick test of the Letter size sheets, I followed up by ordering 13X19 versions of the paper to make bigger prints for better comparison
So Here is a list of the Papers tested (Prices based on 13x19 sheets)
My Current Papers
- Epson Ultra-Premium Luster - Resin Coated - $1.54 / sheet
- Ilford Gallerie Smooth Pear - Resin Coated - $1.92 / sheet
New Trial Papers
- Ilford Gallerie Gold Fibre Silk - Baryta Coating - $4.40 / sheet
- Red River Arctic Polar Satin - Resin Coated - $1.18 / sheet
Here are the photos I used for comparison purposes. These are not great shots but I thought they brought something to the test.
I chose these because I thought they would give a good representation of what I want to see in a paper. The shot of the Grand Tetons is dark and foreboding. I thought it would be difficult to render. I was right, it gave slightly different results on all papers. Mount Rushmore is a nice standard tourist shot that combines color with the beige rock. The butterflies are intended to see how the papers render bright saturated colors. The Lighthouse is one of my favorite B+W shots and I wanted to see how neutral the papers rendered grayscale images.
I print on an Epson R1900 printer using Epson inks. I have calibrated my display with the i1 Display 2 from XRite. I used printer profiles supplied by the paper manufacturers to do the printing.
Results
Tests of the Semi-Glossy Papers
The Resin Coated (RC) and Baryta papers are of the semigloss or luster type. All four did a very nice job of rendering the saturated colors of the butterfly picture. The Epson Luster, The Ilford Pearl and the Red River Satin were almost identical and either would make fine prints for display. The Ilford Gold Fibre Silk showed slightly less saturation but its lack of a resin coating might contribute to more longevity.
The Mount Rushmore shot showed more differences between the papers. The Ilford Gold Fibre Silk rendered the scene just a bt warmer than the RC papers did. It was note an unpleasant warmth, almost like a slight warming filter was added to the camera. The RC papers were, again, almost identical and slightly cooler than the Fibre silk. It was not bluish but more neutral. All papers did a great job and again I would base my choice on use (sale, or home display) and price.
The Grand Teton Shot showed the differences more starkly.The Epson Luster and the Ilford Gold silk presented an off-putting, slight green tinge to the clouds. The Ilford Pearl and the Red River Satin rendered the clouds as I saw them. It also showed more definition in the dark fir trees and foreground grass. The clear winner here is the Red River Arctic Polar Satin Paper.
The Black and White rendition of the lighthouse also showed the differences in the papers.The Red River Satin gave the most neutral and pleasing version. Second best was the Epson Luster with a very slight pleasing warmness to the shot. The Ilford Gold Silk had a sickly yellow tint and was entirely unacceptable. For black and white glossy photos I think I'll stick with the Red River Paper. If I need to add a tint I will do it in Lightroom.
Conclusion
While there was no clear winner. I will probably keep the Epson Ultra-Premium Luster in my cabnet and will add the Red River Arctic Polar Satin to my repertoire. If the quality of the Satin holds up its cheaper price will make it my everyday media of choice. I will also keep a quantity of Ilford Gallerie Gold Fibre Silk on hand for those special prints where its attributes shine. Ilford Gallerie Smooth Pearl just doesn't stand up to the rest and when my supply is gone I won't be buying any more.
Thanks for Reading my take on Photo Papers. Remember that YMMV and the best way to find a paper you like is to test a batch. Also, it is critical that you use the printer profiles from the paper manufacturer and that you calibrate your monitor with appropriate equipment.
I also tested three Matte Fine Art Papers -- Buts that's another post.
Until next time.
© 2011 Time Marks
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