Your favorite Canson paper?

[Bob_B]

I've been printing almost exclusively on Canson Platine Fibre Rag (13x19) for the past 9+ months, and like the results. So much so, that I want to try other Canson papers, but don't want to waste money or fill up my closet with paper I'll probably never use again. (I have quite a lot of that already.)

With that in mind, I would appreciate your advice and thoughts on your favorite Canson paper? What paper might I try next? If it helps, I print with a Canon Pro100 printer, printing both color (75% of the time) and B/W prints.

Thanks for the advice,

   Bob

[MHMG]

The Canon Pro-100's black ink cartridge is not really optimized for matt papers, so the Pro-100 prints OK on matt media but not great. Minimum L* value will fall around 24 for Dmax printed black areas in the print, whereas pigment ink printers can get down to under 18, sometimes as low as 14 on some fine art matt media using a dedicated MK ink in place of the PK ink.   Add to this relatively poor black density performance the severe 30mm leading and trailing edge margin limits for any of the fine art media settings imposed by all the Pixma Pro 1, 10 and 100 printers, and I think you'd probably be disappointed with the results of any of Canson's matt media on the Pro-100, not due to the paper quality, but to the Pro-100's own limitations. I"m not knocking the Pro-100. It's a great little printer because it's very affordable, and it really rocks on glossy and luster photo media, but it's just not well suited for matt papers.

This leaves a few Canson RC photo media and Canson Baryta Photographique as your likely options. I have no experience with the Canson RC media (they are rebranded RC photo papers probably from Mitsubishi), but the Baryta Photographique is a high quality alpha cellulose paper with a coating that's pretty much a dead ringer for Ilford Gold Fiber Silk which many photographers really like.  CIBP does have low to moderate OBA content, but it's not a super blue white paper by any means.  You can check Ernst's database if you want to know more about the amount of OBA content.  http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

kind regards,
Mark
http://www.aardenburg-imaging.com

[Paul2660]

I agree Platine is excellent, however I feel it has a problem with the Epson line of printers and bronzing and you can see gloss differential pretty easily.  I have also been using the Canon Baryta with great results. 

Platine is a bit more manageable past 50% on a roll, due to being 100% cotton and less curl issues, Baryta has less bronzing but much more curl.

Paul C

[stockjock]

I love the Canson Platine but I have come to hate how hard it is to cut when you are mounting it on Gatorboard without a border.  If you are matting your prints that should be a non issue.  The Canson Satin is a nice surface and much cheaper but the paper weight and curl is disappointing after you get used to the Platine.  I hated the new Canson Lustre.  It is a weird shimmery surface and I can't imagine why anybody would want to print on it.  Rag Photographique is a great paper but if the Canon Pro-100 doesn't print well on matt papers there is no reason to use it.  Personally I thought the Platine was better on both the Epson 3880 and the Canon iPF8400 than the Baryta Photographique but a lot of people disagree.

[dgberg]

Specifically what is your difficulty trimming issue when mounting to Gatorboard?

[Bob_B]

Thanks for the replies. I recognize the limitations of the Pro100, but as was said, it is a quite able printer at its price point. (One day when I actually start selling my work, I'll invest in a better printer, but not now.)

RE: Platine and gatorboard. I use gatorboard for most of my mounting these days, as it is much cheaper than framing and stiffer than foamboard. Yes, you can have problems when cutting Platine mounted on gatorboard, but from my experience this can largely be avoided by using fresh blades, keeping the angle of cut quite low (get the knife handle close to the surface), and avoiding cutting in conditions of high humidity.

I plan to purchase a pack of Baryta Photographique soon and give it a spin.

Thanks again for your help and advice.

   Bob

[narikin]

I'm a high end fine-art printer, and Platine is my default paper.
You have hit the mother-load there, I would not change!

[Sbarroso]

If you plan to buy Baryta Photographic, you may check prices for Ilford Gold Fibre silk or Hahnemühle Silk Baryta. Basically all them (and others, i think) are the same paper. You may want to pay more, but you won't get any advantage, unless you like some boxes over the others.
Applying this rule to my supplier, i went always for the Hahnemühle.
Btw, I can recommend you going for test packs. You will have a good overview at a good prices. The papers you don't want can always be used to print pictures for friends and family.
Canson has this kind of packs, Hahnemühle and 'Harman by Hahnemühle' as well. It's worth to try.

[Erica]

I too love the Platine (printed on a Canon 6400, using custom profiles from Paul Green).  It has replaced Epson's Exhibition Fiber for me.  Although has the same issue of little fibers coming off and leaving white spots - I try to remember to wipe down each sheet with a lens cloth prior to printing.  I have also tried Canson's Edition Etching, but found it to be flat and lacking in the shadows on the Canon printer (though it is a lovely paper in terms of feel and weight).  I am about to try Hahnemuhle's William Turner, another highly recommended matte paper, but don't yet have a custom profile.  Will update when that occurs.  I also rather like Moab's Entrada Bright.  Freestyle in Los Angeles has a great service where you can print your images on several test papers (on their Canon printers) to see what you want to buy. 

[stockjock]

Specifically what is your difficulty trimming issue when mounting to Gatorboard?

I want to mount the print with a full bleed to the edge of the Gatorboard.  I print it on Platine about 3/8" over size and then mount it to the Gatorboard.  I then lay the print face down on a cutting board and trim it with a fresh single edged razor blade.  Invariably there is cracking or flaking of the printed coating along the edge of the cut.  That is significantly improved if you cut the print face down on glass but it is still prone to flaking/cracking at points.  I've tried a variety of different things/blades but at the end of the day I haven't been able to completely eliminate the flaking/cracking of the coating along the cut side.  The best I've found is cutting the print on tempered glass.  If anybody has any other suggestions I would welcome them. 

[KeithR]

I too like the Canson Platine and have used the Canson Baryta for B&W on a dedicated printer. Since both papers are for photo black ink I can use both printers and both papers interchangeably.

[huguito]

Try cutting the print with the image side facing up, and start with a gatorboard also oversized. So you cut print and gator.
Stick a velcro tape, the soft side of velcro, to the bottom of a straight edge to avoid scratching the print.
Keeep your angle shallow and don't try to get the cut through in one pass, 3 or 4 passes should be your target

Hugo

[stockjock]

Try cutting the print with the image side facing up, and start with a gatorboard also oversized. So you cut print and gator.
Stick a velcro tape, the soft side of velcro, to the bottom of a straight edge to avoid scratching the print.
Keeep your angle shallow and don't try to get the cut through in one pass, 3 or 4 passes should be your target

Hugo

So far I have been using precut presized gator.  I have some oversized Sintra so I will give your method a try when I am ready to print on that.

[149113]

I'm partial to the Canson XL Watercolor. They don't market it as a printer paper per se but when used on the right image or art it is very nice

[Herbc]

As I print b/w 99% of my work, Canson Baryata is my only exhibition paper.

[cortlander]

I want to mount the print with a full bleed to the edge of the Gatorboard.  I print it on Platine about 3/8" over size and then mount it to the Gatorboard.  I then lay the print face down on a cutting board and trim it with a fresh single edged razor blade.  Invariably there is cracking or flaking of the printed coating along the edge of the cut.  That is significantly improved if you cut the print face down on glass but it is still prone to flaking/cracking at points.  I've tried a variety of different things/blades but at the end of the day I haven't been able to completely eliminate the flaking/cracking of the coating along the cut side.  The best I've found is cutting the print on tempered glass.  If anybody has any other suggestions I would welcome them.

I use Olfa circular blades and a self-healing cutting mat. You can find them on amazon.

[shadowblade]

Canson Edition Etching Rag.

Fantastic for black-and-white photos, printed with carbon inks so that ink longevity doesn't even come into consideration.

[shadowblade]

Ok, I'll bite. What are carbon inks and which printers use them?

Piezography Carbon and Paul Roark's Eboni-6. Pure carbon pigment, so it doesn't fade (the paper's inkjet layer might flake off, though). You can run them through any Epson printer.

[Bob_B]

@shadowblade: Thanks. Googled it and found the answer, so I yanked my reply to your post.

[stockjock]

I use Olfa circular blades and a self-healing cutting mat. You can find them on amazon.

I tried the Olfa circular blades but I have no idea how you can cut with those.  When I use then I always get a sort of offset from where I actually want the cut to be.  That is regardless of whether I am using a straight edge or running the blade along the gator board.  Maybe I have bad technique but it didn't work for me.