What's the best way to compare papers?

[Alan Goldhammer]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I think there is an interesting discussion going on.

First of all I must say that I work in a University and this selection is for the lab there so the students will be the ones choosing the paper the will print on. So it´s not just about about my personal style or preferences.

That said, I agree with Mark that, in general, softproofing helps you to visualize the result and therefore to maximise the print quality. At least I think I get better results that way. But my question about softproofing or not was aimed just for this paper comparison. In that case, according to most of you, it seems that softproofing is not a good idea, right?

Go back to my earlier post and look at the Outback Test Print web page.  Many of the images are from the BA test print and Jack Flesher has a good discussion of what to look for in the various images.  This may provide good direction for the students in terms of what critical issues that must be confronted during printing. 

Alan

[mstevensphoto]

What's the best way to compare papers?

What do you think? How do you normally do it?

Thanks!

look at them. use them. decide. there are those who measure and those who create. which are you?

[Mark D Segal]

look at them. use them. decide. there are those who measure and those who create. which are you?

.............and in the nature of digital imaging there are those who measure as part of their toolbox to create.  :-)

[mstevensphoto]

.............and in the nature of digital imaging there are those who measure as part of their toolbox to create.  :-)

if you cant' see it, it's not there.

[Mark D Segal]

if you cant' see it, it's not there.

What ever "it" is, if you can't see "it", I'd agree "it" doesn't matter to you; but that doesn't mean "it" isn't there - again depending on what "it" is. Anyhow this is beside the point. You posed a questionable dichotomy between people who measure and people who create. I was simply saying that numerous very creative people use numbers and measurements for crafting what they create, while of course others may not. The reality of creative processes is highly varied and nuanced.