Museo Silver Rag?

[Ellis Vener]

I'm looking for feedback. If you are using it, please let me know the printer model and inksets you have used it with ( I print with a Canon iPF6100 using Lucia Inks, this will soon be replaced with an iPF6300 and the new inks). I'm told Museo Silver Rag is extremely similar to a paper I really like, Canon's Polished Rag 300gsm. Can anyone confirm that?

[Alan Goldhammer]

I'm looking for feedback. If you are using it, please let me know the printer model and inksets you have used it with ( I print with a Canon iPF6100 using Lucia Inks, this will soon be replaced with an iPF6300 and the new inks). I'm told Museo Silver Rag is extremely similar to a paper I really like, Canon's Polished Rag 300gsm. Can anyone confirm that?

I print on Museo Silver Rag with Epson K3 (vivid magenta) inks.  I like the performance and it's one of the few papers out there that has no OBAs.  Just sold a snow print last week from the recent mid-Atlantic blizzard and the customer was quite pleased with the paper.  Since I use an Epson, I'm not familiar at all with the Canon paper that you note.

[MHMG]

I print on Museo Silver Rag with Epson K3 (vivid magenta) inks.  I like the performance and it's one of the few papers out there that has no OBAs.  Just sold a snow print last week from the recent mid-Atlantic blizzard and the customer was quite pleased with the paper.  Since I use an Epson, I'm not familiar at all with the Canon paper that you note.

Rumor has it that Canon Polished Rag is rebranded Museo Silver Rag. It sure looks the same to me, but I can't confirm. You may also want to give HN Photo Rag Baryta a try if you haven't already.

Both HN Photo Rag Baryta and Museo Silver Rag are OBA-free. If you like the Silver Rag printability and surface texture with Lucia inks, you wlll probably like the HN Photo Rag Baryta as well. I have both an iPF5000 and and iPF8100, and I like both papers very much, but the HN PhotoRag Baryta wins out for me due to its superior lightfastness with the Lucia inks.

Mark
http:/www.aardenburg-imaging.com

[Ellis Vener]

Rumor has it that Canon Polished Rag is rebranded Museo Silver Rag. It sure looks the same to me, but I can't confirm. You may also want to give HN Photo Rag Baryta a try if you haven't already.

Both HN Photo Rag Baryta and Museo Silver Rag are OBA-free. If you like the Silver Rag printability and surface texture with Lucia inks, you wlll probably like the HN Photo Rag Baryta as well. I have both an iPF5000 and and iPF8100, and I like both papers very much, but the HN PhotoRag Baryta wins out for me due to its superior lightfastness with the Lucia inks.

Mark
http:/www.aardenburg-imaging.com

Thanks Mark,
yes I've heard that rumor too. It will be interesting to compare my profile ofthe Canon Polished Rag with the Museo Silver Rag.

I'll also checkout the other paper you mention as well but  does HN stand for HarmaN, HahNamuel (sp)  or another brand?  

[dbell]

I've been printing on Silver Rag since late 2006, using Epson 2400s and 4800s. Because the paper has no optical brighteners, it's got a pretty warm tone. That doesn't suit every image well. I find it easy to produce nice tonal separation in the low values, but getting good high values takes work. The paper has an obvious (but not obnoxious, IMO) texture to it. Again, some like this and some don't. My images tend towards high-contrast, so I've been preferring Epson Exhibition Fiber and Ilford Gold Fibre Silk lately (preferring their cooler surfaces). I still have a substantial amount of silver rag on hand and I'm sure I'll go on using it.

[MHMG]

Thanks Mark,
yes I've heard that rumor too. It will be interesting to compare my profile ofthe Canon Polished Rag with the Museo Silver Rag.

I'll also checkout the other paper you mention as well but  does HN stand for HarmaN, HahNamuel (sp)  or another brand?

Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta is the paper I was referring to. Hahnemuhle also makes other papers with similar sounding names like "fine art baryta" or "photo rag" (but that's a popular matte paper).  For Hahnemulhle papers, any paper with "rag" in the name is 100% cotton base. The "fine art" designation is generally alpha cellulose base. The HN alpha cellulose products are still a very high quality paper, but not cotton and usually a little stiffer which can sometimes cause head strike issues on larger rolls. Anyway, if you like the look and feel of Museo Silver Rag, I think you will like the HN Photo Rag Baryta.  There are many new "baryta" and "traditional fiber" inkjet papers on the market today. I get to see most of them as members of the AaI&A digital print research program send me many samples, and I try to keep abreast of things anyway. After looking at and trying many on my Canon printers, HN Photo Rag Baryta is still a personal favorite.

FWIW, some people do complain about HN Photo Rag Baryta for an infrequent black spot or two in the coating from time to time. These blemishes are very small defects that may look like your printer spit an unwanted little droplet of black ink on the paper, but they are actually in the coating to start with from what I can tell.  Hahnemuhle does need to up the ante on quality control for this paper, and I've had to reject an occasional print for this issue as well, but notwithstanding, I still keep coming back to this paper for my personal use.


cheers,
Mark
http://www,aardenburg-imaging.com

[jdoyle1713]

Well Canon isn't Making Polished Rag!  

Cheers
Jim Doyle
http://www.shadesofpaper.com

[Alan Goldhammer]

FWIW, some people do complain about HN Photo Rag Baryta for an infrequent black spot or two in the coating from time to time. These blemishes are very small defects that may look like your printer spit an unwanted little droplet of black ink on the paper, but they are actually in the coating to start with from what I can tell.  Hahnemuhle does need to up the ante on quality control for this paper, and I've had to reject an occasional print for this issue as well, but notwithstanding, I still keep coming back to this paper for my personal use.


cheers,
Mark
http://www,aardenburg-imaging.com

Mark,

It's not just Hahnemuhle that has these problems.  I have a box of Epson Exhibtion Fiber 13x19 and found four sheets that had similar spots on them.  Agree that manufacturers need to control quality better.

Alan

[nemophoto]

Ellis, I've been using Silver Rag since it's introduction (I was a beta tester of the paper back when i used the Epson 4000). I also have the Canon iPF6100, and I really love the paper with the Canon printer. I print a lot of B&W, and it's always very neutral with slightly creamy highlights, since the paper is not a "bright white".

I keep trying other "photo rag" papers, but am never as happy with the end product as I am with Silver Rag. To my eye, it still looks the most like a silver geletin print when it comes out. Color printing is equally appealing. I've used Canon's Polished Rag and heard the same thing, that it's basically Silver Rag rebranded. The main difference seems to be the profiles provided by each manufacturer, which yields ever so slightly different results.

It's a great paper. The only neagtive is that it can sometimes have a rather strong curl to it, so you need to boost the vacuum.

Nemo