Question about Iford Gold Fiber Silk

[sgwrx]

what matters to me about the feel, is that a lot of experienced and thoughtful photographers talk about feel.  since i have no experience compared to them, i would like to at least at some small level be able to further understand. sorry if its a let down answer

also, im not understanding your comment that a rag paper is more of a feel than a look? to me, the surface of a paper varies and looks different.  ive compared prints from epson luster, gfs, platine and SR and i can tell them apart.   in SR i can see what looks like a fiber direction ie the grain aligning to the long side of the paper.  i do get it (feel) in general i think, a cotton rag vs. alpha cellulose?

anyway, just after i got my new printer (a couple or three weeks ago) i wondered why its so important to have thick papers.  maybe i like thinner more flexible papers. but i may have to let that idea go if a thinner paper doesnt meet other priorities that ive have.  so right now my only understanding is "in the old days, photographers only had thick rigid paper".

 back when i first started learning on the r2400, i think i just accepted a lot of the buzz words and such.

 this time around i think im exploring  more of what appeals to me.  but i want to be respectful of more experienced people and at least try to understand.

thanks,

[Mark D Segal]

also, im not understanding your comment that a rag paper is more of a feel than a look? to me, the surface of a paper varies and looks different.  ive compared prints from epson luster, gfs, platine and SR and i can tell them apart.   

thanks,

OK - for avoidance of all possible doubt: ON THE WHOLE, the back of the paper is about feel and the front of the paper is about look. The coating and texture on the front of the paper does not depend on whether it has a rag or alpha-cellulose base. Perhaps different bases enable different manner and kind of coating - Ernst would know more about that than me - I'm just making the general point that when it comes to appearance and feel, the front and back of the paper are separate and separable issues. If you are more concerned about how the paper feels than how the image looks, you will be more concerned about the nature of the backing. If you are more concerned about how the image looks you will be more concerned with the coating and texture on the front and perhaps less concerned with the backing. If you are equally concerned about image appearance and the feel of the backing your choice of papers may be more limited to satisfy both concerns equally. And yes, you can look at the front of each of those papers you mention and tell them apart, but as long as you are just looking and not touching, that is because of the front, not the back. The difference between IGFS and Canson Platine is harder to detect unless you actually feel these papers, because image appearance differs subtly between them, while the backings are very different. Some photographers are more inclined to emphasize the tactile aspects of the papers they use than others. This is a personal choice, and you should decide what to use based on what YOU like, or if you are selling, what your customers like.

[sgwrx]

 i have a whole new perspective now!  thank you.