Crane Museo Silver Rag fiber based fine art paper

Howdy all,

Thought a quick Epson R2400 user's report on Crane Museo Silver Rag might be of interest to some folks.

Just for kicks I recently purchased a box of 13x19 Silver Rag from inkjetart. I normally print on Moab Entrada Bright but I was entrigued by this fiber based luster type paper. I'm growing a bit weary of having to thoroughly brush off the Moab papers to (hopefully) prevent flaking. I've also begun to coat my Moab prints in an effort to 1) increase Dmax and the feeling of depth and 2) for protection and would honestly like to avoid playing with these chemicals. Altho I generally prefer bright white papers, I was hoping that the Silver Rag (light cream in color - no OBAs) might be a viable option for my printing needs since it doesn't flake nearly as much as cotton rag papers can and it's happiest with the photoblack Epson inks which should result in deeper blacks and greater Dmax for both color and B&W prints.

I printed a number of glacier images on this paper (see my recent posts in the landscape forum for example images) using the R2400 printer, the profile supplied by Museo and following the recommended printer settings suggested by Museo (1440 dpi, Epson Premium Luster paper, etc.). The prints contained mostly whites and cyans and blues. I used the aRGB color space for the print files and I print my files at 240 ppi. The B&W prints were printed using the Epson rgb driver (don't ask - it was late and I goofed, I should have used the advanced B&W driver, I know...). The B&W files were converted using the LAB lightness with curves method then converted to grayscale in rgb.

The results were encouraging. When my wife saw the prints (one of my more honest and harsh critics, with a degree in art history and masters in architecture), she exclaimed "Wow! What have you done different? They absolutely glow!" Now, my wife isn't one for exclaiming anything or getting overly enthusiastic so that was a good sign. I brought the prints to our monthly local photo club mtg (attended by both pros and amatures) and the reaction was universally positive, with more comments like "The colors pop" and "The depth and radiance of the colors are great." The B&W print gurus in the club were equally enthusiastic. They appreciated the Dmax and neutrality of the prints. So far so good.

My own observations are:

Upsides: 1) the paper handles color wonderfully - lots of subtle or not so subtle glow, lots of "depth", 2) archival - no OBAs - but still pretty bright (a light cream color), 3) doesn't flake like some mat papers, 4) B&W is very nice with this paper - "better" than on mat papers since you use the photo black inks which provide deeper blacks, 5) nice and heavy paper (300gm) and 6) use of photoblack is a nice change and does matter when it comes to Dmax.

Downsides are 1) there's a bit of gloss differential (which doesn't bother me at all but might bother some folks), 2) I'm not sure it's a paper to use when you want really, really fine details (due to its slightly textured surface and the suggested 1440 dpi instead of 2880), 3) the surface has a bit of a tacky feel (noted by myself and the photo club members), 4) it has its own slight odor and 5) the general appearance isn't as "luxurious" as good mat paper (if that makes any sense - mat has that velvetty smooth, 3D look) but the increased Dmax and "pop" in the colors may be a price worth paying, at least for some images.

Do I like it? You bet. I'm ordering more today. I'll update this post with the results of further testing, especially for B&W prints.

A hint to folks who are using it or may want to try it:

According to some folks, using the Epson Premiun glossy paper profile (instead of the Museo suggested premium luster profile) produces even deeper blacks and greater Dmax. I haven't tried this but will.

Here are a couple net resources for more info if interested:

http://www.inkjetart.com/news/archive/I ... -26.html#2

http://www.cjcom.net/articles/digiprn9b.htm

CHeers and happy printing!

Thanks for the report, Joe. Very helpful.

In case you're in the mood for trying similar papers, you might want to try Innova's F-Type White Gloss, F-Type Semi-matte, and the just-announced Fibaprint Ultra Smooth Gloss. They are all in the same vein in that they take Photo Black ink. They do have OBAs, however, so if this is an issue then you can disregard them. Supposedly the last two have the smoother surface (as opposed to the slight dimples you'll see on the first one or the texture in the Crane MSR). Just FYI.

Thanks for the heads up, Eric. That Fibaprint Ultra smooth gloss sounds interesting. I've no problems with OBAs so I'll go some homework and perhaps order a box for testing.

Cheers!

Thanks for the report Joe. Is the Museo double sided or single sided, and what is the thickness? I currently use Entrada Natural, and love the look, but have had some flaking issues. Also, how does the cost compare to Entrada?

Great report, Joe. People generally seem to be liking these new papers. My favorite local shop has the Crane's Museo Silver Rag as well as Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl. (They do not carry any of the Innova papers.) They got the HFAP first, so I started with it. Results on my 2400 are very nice, so I have already bought more.

I also have a pack of CMSR now to try out, but haven't printed anything with it yet. Looking at it, it's slightly warmer in tone than the HFAP because the latter has brighteners (like the Innova). HFAP is also alpha cellulose rather than cotton rag as used with CMSR. For these reasons, CMSR is probably more stable / archival but both should be excellent. At 285 gsm, HFAP is a touch lighter in weight.

I took a small portfolio of a dozen or so prints to a recent workshop, as each participant was encouraged to do. I used my 2400 with HFAP for all of them except a couple test printed on luster paper with a Canon iPF5000. All of the prints were quite well received.

I have noticed the gloss differential from time to time with my 2400. Usually with B&W images that I've split toned, where any blown highlight show a color cast difference (paper white vs. toned image white) as well as the gloss change. The workshop leader, Darwin Wiggett, suggested one way to deal with that. In the CS2 levels or curves tool, double-click on the white point eye-dropper to bring up a color palette. Set the brightness ("B" in the HSB parameters) to 95 or 96%. Then back in the image, click-to-set your white point in a small spot that contains a pure-white highlight. This will reset the highlights from 255/255/255 to something more like 245/245/245. This can be done to prep an image for printing, and hopefully will ensure that at least a little ink is laid down, making highlight cast & gloss more consistent.

Bill, yeah the flaking thing gets old. I won't be giving up mat papers entirely but I do think I'll be using these fiber based papers a great deal.

The thickness of the Silver Rag is 300 gsm. It's not double sided. It's more expensive than the Entrada. At inkjetart, 25 sheets of 13x19 Silver rag are $92 (roughly $3.70/sheet) while 25 sheets of 13x19 Entrada are $67 (roughly $2.70/sheet).

I just ordered a box of the 280 gsm Fibaprint Ultra Smooth Glossy to try (has OBAs). Not as thick as I'd like but worth a try. It's one sided. Inkjetart price is $49 per 25 sheets of 13x19 (roughly $1.96/sheet).

The Fiba f-type Gloss 300gsm (has OBAs and is not the same as the Ultra Smooth but may be worth a try) is $103 per 25 sheets of 13x19 (roughly $4.12/sheet).

Hope that helps.

CHeers!

Thanks Royce! There are so many interesting papers available now. Gotta love all the choices but it's a bit overwhelming from a money and time stand point so it's great to hear real world impressions from fellow photographers and printers. One of the things I'm doing in an effort to be helpful to my local photo community is to make a number of sheets of whatever strange paper I order available to whoever might be interested (at cost). That way, other folks get to try different papers at little cost/commitment and I get to share feedback and test prints locally.

Thanks for the valuable tip on keeping the gloss differential down!

CHeers!

Joe, I want to alert you to something you may not be aware of. Many of Innova's papers are similarly named and it's easy to get them confused. (This really is Innova's fault.) You may not have ordered the paper you think you ordered.

Innova has a matte paper called Innova FibaPrint Ultra Smooth. It is 280 gsm. I think this is what you ordered.

This is NOT the same thing as Innova FibaPrint Ultra Smooth Gloss! The new "Gloss" paper is 285 gsm, not 280 gsm. It has just been recently announced and most places haven't listed it yet.

Just FYI.

Eric,

Ack! I think you're right. Dang. It's already been shipped too. Well, looks like I'll be playing around with the Ultra Smooth matte too :roll:

Thanks for the heads up!

Just to throw more options on the table, it looks like Moab is now getting into this F-type game as well. Just saw this PMA note on Luminous Landscape:

The Moab paper division of Legion Paper has announced their first entry in the F surface inkjet paper race. It is called Colorado Fiber and comes in two surfaces, Gloss and Satine (sic) and is claimed to be the brightest F type paper available. Both papers are 245 gsm weight and will be available in both sheets and rolls.

Moab seems to be going through a change-up. Their web site is currently replaced by a splash page billing the company now as "Moab by Legion Paper". Visitors are told "Stay tuned for the all new Moab by Legion Paper range of premium fine art and photographic digital papers. Get a sneak peak at PMA 2007 ..."

From the list on the splash page, Colorado Fiber is new, Entrada is still there. Kayenta and Kokopelli may be gone. Seems I missed something when this company change was announced last November...

Yeah, Moab was acquired by Legion. I'm sad about the possibility of Kokopelli Studio Semi-Gloss vanishing, because it was my double-sided paper of choice for making calendars. Now I will have to find something else.

Yes, Moab Paper was purchased by Legion Paper, and Moab by Legion Paper is the new brand name. Moab has just announced their Colorado Fiber papers, of which there are 2 surfaces: Gloss and Satine. The Colorado papers are the brightest fiber papers on the market, as well as the least heavy/thick. They are both 245gsm papers, and will be the most compatible with smaller printers. There are many issues with thicker/heavier papers and printers such as the R2400 and R1800 printers.

Entrada and Somerset Velvet have not changed, but other papers have either been replaced by better papers or simply gone through a renaming.

Hi Andy, do you know if there is a replacement/renaming for Kokopelli Studio Semi-Gloss (assuming you can talk about it already)? Thanks,
Eric

http://www.shadesofpaper.com is selling an F type paper sample pack (2 sheets of each type of paper) of 8.5x11 sheets of

"Crane Museo Silver Rag 300gsm 100%cotton Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl 300gsm Alphacelulose Innova F-Type Gloss 300gsm Alphacelulose Innova F-Type Warmtone 300gsm Alphacelulose Innova Semi-Matte 300gsm Alphacelulose"

CHeers!

madmanchan wrote:Hi Andy, do you know if there is a replacement/renaming for Kokopelli Studio Semi-Gloss (assuming you can talk about it already)? Thanks,
Eric

There is a new line of papers that will be replacing the Kokopelli and Kayenta papers, and it will be called Lasal. There will be a glossy, luster and matte. Only the matte paper will be double sided.

Ahh ok, thanks, Andy.

Darn, I was really hoping for a double-sided semigloss as before, but I guess it wasn't that popular ...

It isn't a popularity thing, but rather a production headache thing. Dual-sided gloss or semi-gloss papers are extremely challenging when coating the second side, and often paper has to be thrown away due to damaging the surface of the 1st coating side.

Oh I see ... shame. Thanks for explaining it, though. I guess that's why you tend to see more double-sided matte papers.