I'm surprised to have encountered so much inconsistency in the Innova F-Type surface.
Before Michael's review I'd borrowed a few sample sheets from a lab/printer in my building. We thought the surface was unattractive - not like an air-dried gelatin silver paper, but stippled or indented.
After reading Michael's review I wondered if I'd seen a bad lot, so I tried a new package of letter-sized paper. Out-of-the-box, the surface looked a little different, and prints on it looked noticeably better - smoother surface, higher reflectance, & less (but still slightly) stippled. I was won over by it & sent some targets off for profiling. The blacks on the target prints looked very deep & I could see why Michael was impressed.
Planning to print a portfolio on it, I bought two packages of 17x22" paper - only to find that they matched not the paper I'd just printed on, but the more 'cardboard'-surfaced version I'd tried at first.
I subsequently heard from a paper distributor that the Innova F-Type that was first available did look somewhat different.
I've sent a request to Innova for a return or replacement authorization of what I suppose was a bad batch or early version. I understood that the 17x22" packages had been sent to my dealer quite recently, so apparently it's still being sent out in some sizes or to some dealers.
I'd urge anyone interested in trying the paper to be sure they can return it if it doesn't seem to match Michael's description.