Problems with Ilford Gold Silk

[SteveZ]

Broke open a box of this paper today, my first time trying it.
I've never seen a gloss paper do this before, but after printing (3800) the paper really curls and won't lie flat. It's like it's got a mind of it's own. Before printing the paper is fine and sits nicely in the rear or auto feeder. Oh sure, the prints look great but a pain to deal with afterwards.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[picnic]

Broke open a box of this paper today, my first time trying it.
I've never seen a gloss paper do this before, but after printing (3800) the paper really curls and won't lie flat. It's like it's got a mind of it's own. Before printing the paper is fine and sits nicely in the rear or auto feeder. Oh sure, the prints look great but a pain to deal with afterwards.

Has anyone else experienced this?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=169832\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I've read about this twice here--and I had to go back and look at my samples--making sure that I'm looking at the right paper.  No--mine is laying as flat as the EEF and Harmon baryta gloss.  No--I would say the Harman is the absolute flattest laying--but the EEF and Ilford are identical--not 'absolutely' flat--but so close, its not an issue.  I wonder if I got an odd box?? LOL.

I'm getting ready to buy a box of 17 x 22 of one of the papers.  Now I wonder---sure hope others jump in on this.  Michael never mentioned it and I am guessing he used larger sizes that 8.5 x 11 (which is what I have).

Diane

[SteveZ]

....No--mine is laying as flat as the EEF and Harmon baryta gloss.  No--I would say the Harman is the absolute flattest laying--but the EEF and Ilford are identical--not 'absolutely' flat--but so close, its not an issue.  I wonder if I got an odd box??
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=169854\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Either you have an odd box or I have.  
I was using 13" x 19" earlier today and it really curled right after printing, but seems to have settled down after drying on a flat surface for couple of hours.

[marty m]

Either you have an odd box or I have.  
I was using 13" x 19" earlier today and it really curled right after printing, but seems to have settled down after drying on a flat surface for couple of hours.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=169859\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I haven't tried these papers yet, but will be receiving them on Monday.  But I have a suggestion for you.

Epson recommends that all inkjet prints on photo paper be placed between plain sheets of paper.  The paper soaks up the gases -- these papers "out gas" for at least 24 hours.  My experience is even longer.  I don't think HP has ever made that recommendation, and they should.  Epson says that if you frame a photo ink print immediately, the out gassing will fog the inside of the glass.

Here's what I do, and it might solve your problem.  I buy large pads of drawing or tracing paper at art supply stores.  I just put the prints inside the pads and use the various pages as interleaving.  I use plain drawing pads most of the time, as the paper is thicker and can absorb more gas.  If the surface is delicate, like Harman, I would use tracing pads.  The weight of the pad really helps to uncurl paper.  Something that curls badly could be put in the bottom of the pad, with the weight of the pad on top of those prints, and you can always put one pad on top of another.

If you leave prints in such a pad for a couple of days, the drawing paper in the pad gets quite wavy and curls from the outgasing.

That is very evident with thinner tracing paper.

I tend to leave prints inside such pads for three or four days, even though I believe Epson says one day is all you need.

[deanwork]

I have a 13x19 box of the Ilford Satin Gold and ran a few prints through a 44" Epson and they are just as flat as when I put them in. I haven't seen a roll of it yet.

john

Either you have an odd box or I have.  
I was using 13" x 19" earlier today and it really curled right after printing, but seems to have settled down after drying on a flat surface for couple of hours.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=169859\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[GregW]

I've printed about 20 A3+ sheets and while there is some curling directly out of the printer (Epson 3800) it settles down to being pretty flat after an hour or two.  I wasn't surprised as it's mentioned in the printing notes supplied in the box with the paper.

I'm no paper expert but the humidity of the operating environment can have an impact on curling in my experience.

[Mike Arst]

Broke open a box of this paper today, my first time trying it.
I've never seen a gloss paper do this before, but after printing (3800) the paper really curls and won't lie flat. It's like it's got a mind of it's own. Before printing the paper is fine and sits nicely in the rear or auto feeder. Oh sure, the prints look great but a pain to deal with afterwards.
Has anyone else experienced this?

My experience with the paper has been like yours...worse, actually. I have an Epson R1800, which has no way of adjusting the gap as far as I know (unless I'm suffering from a severe RTFM problem). The trailing 1/3 of the Ilford paper curls so strongly toward the back that it actually comes into contact with the print heads about half the time. The prints are ruined then, and I worry about what this unwanted contact might be doing to the print heads. I've never used an inkjet paper that curls so badly.

So I have stopped printing on the paper for now. Fortunately I found an e-mail address for Ilford's tech support and wrote to them with a complaint about the paper-curl problem (which would be utterly unacceptable in a photographic enlarging paper!). They replied, saying they were aware of the problem and are working on correcting it. I then asked if they had an ETA for the "fix." No reply that time. (I said "fortunately" above because when I wrote about this on Ilford's web site, within their near-microscopic text form, they never replied. It's damned irritating when companies won't reply at all to mail about technical flaws in their products -- another reason to curse the web-form approach; I'm glad they reply to at least some of their e-mail.)

The few prints I was able to make successfully on the Gold Fiber Silk never did end up lying flat. (At the same time, I was testing the new Harman -- also baryta coated -- gloss paper, and it lies flat as a board.) All kind of disappointing. The Ilford paper is good stuff. I found that its surface is more prone to being marred by fingerprints than any other inkjet paper I've used...well, that problem I could live with -- but not with the extreme curl.

Judging by the replies you've received, I'd guess that the curl varies a lot from batch to batch. Sigh. Now to take the one unopened package of the paper back to the store where I got it, hope for a refund...and hope that Ilford does correct this defect soon.

[GregW]

I've printed about 20 A3+ sheets and while there is some curling directly out of the printer (Epson 3800) it settles down to being pretty flat after an hour or two.  I wasn't surprised as it's mentioned in the printing notes supplied in the box with the paper.

I'm no paper expert but the humidity of the operating environment can have an impact on curling in my experience.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I set the Platen Gap to Wide as indicated in EricM's Epson 3800 FAQs.

[a href=\"http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/abwprofiles.html]http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Ep...bwprofiles.html[/url]

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I set the Platen Gap to Wide as indicated in EricM's Epson 3800 FAQs.

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Ep...bwprofiles.html
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=170636\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I'd love to take the credit for all of Eric Chan's knowledge and wisdom, but I really can't. He is "MadManChan" on the LL forum, while I am the substantially less knowledgeable EricM.  

[GregW]

Opps!  I'd love to claim a senior moment but at 32 it's kind of hard!!