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- Name
- Ian
- Edit My Images
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So I got my test pack today, downloaded the myriad number of ICC profiles and ran off some test prints....
My thoughts...
- Had to order from Germany as there's no UK distributor.
- I ordered the test pack, 2 sheets of everything. Just over £40 which is very pricey, but unfortunately, with paper, you can't just watch a review, or read someone's blurb on the inter... oh wait...
- Somerset Museum Rag - pushes the reds in my test prints. Will be sticking with St Cuthberts' Somerset Photo Satin and/or Fotospeesd's NST Bright White for matt which give better (neutral) colour rendition, but this is a really nice matt paper. Too costly to ship in from Germany at no benefit over the St Cuthbert's paper for my liking.
- Juniper Baryta - A nice paper that has lovely colour rendition and texture. However it's no better than Canson's Platine Fibre Rag, Museo's Silver Rag, or Hahnemuhle's Photo Rag Baryta, but it's much more expensive by the time you've ordered it from Germany. And paid P&P. And paid VAT. /grumble
- Moenkopi Kozo/Unryu - Really weird silk Japanese paper. It's not for me at all. The Moab ICC profiles are *very* red and would need some tweaking to get right. The Unryu has got bits in it that really distract from my image, and the Kozo is extremely soft. For pencil drawings they'd be really interesting, but for photography they're not for me.
- Slickrock Metallic Silver - OK. Sadly, this is an RC paper that's got the same texture as my PC World unbranded "luxury photo paper". You can't even tear it by hand it's so plastic and I'm sure my bin men would want it in the plastic bin rather than paper recyc. It's got a huge red punch that requires soft-proofing and aspirin to resolve and a further colour saturation across the rest of the gamut that's Fuji Velvia ramped up to 12. But with black & white- specifically, 850nm infra-red conversions, it's just bloody lovely. So lovely that I've remortgaged the house for a box of A4 & 13x19. Plus VAT, Plus delivery.. For an RC paper. A glossy RC paper. The antithesis of what I'd normally buy. I have no more short sentences.
- The rest were average. Nothing special that can't be replicated with UK sourced Fotospeed/Permajet papers at much more reasonable prices!
I'll gladly mail the first 5 PMs I get, a single sheet of A4 just to try this mental paper (once I've received it!). Just make sure you have soft proofing capability in your software! And a B&W print. Colour is just f***ed up on it. Even toned B&W looks odd. Would just like to hear others' reviews of it.
Talk Paper - a new concept...
My thoughts...
- Had to order from Germany as there's no UK distributor.
- I ordered the test pack, 2 sheets of everything. Just over £40 which is very pricey, but unfortunately, with paper, you can't just watch a review, or read someone's blurb on the inter... oh wait...
- Somerset Museum Rag - pushes the reds in my test prints. Will be sticking with St Cuthberts' Somerset Photo Satin and/or Fotospeesd's NST Bright White for matt which give better (neutral) colour rendition, but this is a really nice matt paper. Too costly to ship in from Germany at no benefit over the St Cuthbert's paper for my liking.
- Juniper Baryta - A nice paper that has lovely colour rendition and texture. However it's no better than Canson's Platine Fibre Rag, Museo's Silver Rag, or Hahnemuhle's Photo Rag Baryta, but it's much more expensive by the time you've ordered it from Germany. And paid P&P. And paid VAT. /grumble
- Moenkopi Kozo/Unryu - Really weird silk Japanese paper. It's not for me at all. The Moab ICC profiles are *very* red and would need some tweaking to get right. The Unryu has got bits in it that really distract from my image, and the Kozo is extremely soft. For pencil drawings they'd be really interesting, but for photography they're not for me.
- Slickrock Metallic Silver - OK. Sadly, this is an RC paper that's got the same texture as my PC World unbranded "luxury photo paper". You can't even tear it by hand it's so plastic and I'm sure my bin men would want it in the plastic bin rather than paper recyc. It's got a huge red punch that requires soft-proofing and aspirin to resolve and a further colour saturation across the rest of the gamut that's Fuji Velvia ramped up to 12. But with black & white- specifically, 850nm infra-red conversions, it's just bloody lovely. So lovely that I've remortgaged the house for a box of A4 & 13x19. Plus VAT, Plus delivery.. For an RC paper. A glossy RC paper. The antithesis of what I'd normally buy. I have no more short sentences.
- The rest were average. Nothing special that can't be replicated with UK sourced Fotospeed/Permajet papers at much more reasonable prices!
I'll gladly mail the first 5 PMs I get, a single sheet of A4 just to try this mental paper (once I've received it!). Just make sure you have soft proofing capability in your software! And a B&W print. Colour is just f***ed up on it. Even toned B&W looks odd. Would just like to hear others' reviews of it.
Talk Paper - a new concept...
