Museo Silver Rag question

[bellimages]

I have been testing various papers.  I print with an Epson 7800, so switching from matte black to photo black is an issue (time and waste). So I'd like to find a paper that will work well for both my color and B&W work. Color DIES on matte paper .... it can't provide the "snap" that I require. It seems that Museo Silver Rag may be the answer. But I have a couple of questions for those of you have used it .....

1. I was not happy with the luster paper that I used for a long time, due to bronzing. Recently I switched to a fine art matte paper. I like the look, and obviously there are no bronzing issues with a matte paper. So that's good. The only downside is that the surface is very susceptible to scratches/marring. Even lightly running a finger nail across a black area (of a B&W print) will mar the surface.

2. I like the look of a matt paper, and Silver Rag isn't matte. How much will that show once it's under glass?


Beyond my two questions .... are there any positives and/or negatives that you'd share?

[mikeseb]

Just about any Photo-Black-ink-using paper is going to have a gloss. Price you pay for the "snap" as you know.

Comes down to surface texture. I just finished printing a fine-art color portfolio on Canson Platine Fiber and I'm delighted with it. Not cheap but not exorbitant; little or no bronzing; durable-enough surface for handling if you don't abuse it. it has a visible texture but it's regular and not obtrusive. Its alpha-cellulose cousin Baryta Photographique is also very nice, and about 3/4 the price.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I print a lot on Silver Rag and really like it for both B&W and color.  For B&W I use the Eric Chan Epson 3880 ABW profile and get a good solid black with great tonal range.  I've framed probably a half dozen 13x19 prints and they look good under plexi (I don't use glass for framing because of the breakage potential).  Additionally, I like the fact that there are no OBAs in the paper as there are in many others.  My other first choice for gloss paper is Ilford Gold Fibre Silk.  I have not tried the new Canson paper as I got tired of continually testing papers and finally settled on a small number.  I still print on matte papers and there are some images that just look better on them.

Everyone has their own personal preferences and I like the above two mentioned gloss papers.

Alan

[nemophoto]

I use Silver Rag as my primary paper for both color and B&W on my Canon iPF6100. The gloss is very low -- not obnoxious at all -- and to my eye, still the best interpretation of the fiber-glossy-dried-matte analogy from silver halide papers. Also, it's quite white without brighteners and, at least with my Canon, virtually no gloss differential. I think it would be the compromise you're looking for between matte and snap.

Nemo

[howseth]

I use two papers primarily: Silver Rag and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Satin. I prefer the delicate, slightly glossy sheen surface of Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Satin more than the glossy Silver Rag, or other glossy papers I have tried. The Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Satin is more subtle - and a more beautiful paper for my work. I use it 95% of the time - it looks good under glass, as well as hand held. I am willing to pay the premium price they charge for it (and keep my editions very limited   )

[pikeys]

Just about any Photo-Black-ink-using paper is going to have a gloss. Price you pay for the "snap" as you know.

Comes down to surface texture. I just finished printing a fine-art color portfolio on Canson Platine Fiber and I'm delighted with it. Not cheap but not exorbitant; little or no bronzing; durable-enough surface for handling if you don't abuse it. it has a visible texture but it's regular and not obtrusive. Its alpha-cellulose cousin Baryta Photographique is also very nice, and about 3/4 the price.

I have also ,just started to use canson platine paper ,and  find it excellent,it has a slightly whiter paper base color,then the silver rag,which is my paper of choice.
The canson paper ,to my eyes is a cross between a matte and a slight gloss paper
You might want to give it a try.

Pikeys

[robgo2]

Just about any Photo-Black-ink-using paper is going to have a gloss. Price you pay for the "snap" as you know.

Comes down to surface texture. I just finished printing a fine-art color portfolio on Canson Platine Fiber and I'm delighted with it. Not cheap but not exorbitant; little or no bronzing; durable-enough surface for handling if you don't abuse it. it has a visible texture but it's regular and not obtrusive. Its alpha-cellulose cousin Baryta Photographique is also very nice, and about 3/4 the price.

I find the surface texture of Silver Rag to be very unpleasant, which is why I switched to Gold Fibre Silk.  Trouble is, the GFS 17 x 22 inch paper comes out of my 3880 with scratches.  I have tested 8.5 x11 samples of Canson Infinity Baryta, and I concur with Michael Reichmann that it is a superior paper.  The question for me is whether the baryta surface will be scratched by my printer.  The paper stock is palpably different from GFS (less stiff), so I am guardedly optimistic.  I plan to give it a try as soon as I receive a box of the stuff from B&H.  At any rate, it really is a gorgeous paper with a not too glossy surface, at least for my taste.

Rob

[mikeseb]

... why I switched to Gold Fibre Silk.  Trouble is, the GFS 17 x 22 inch paper comes out of my 3880 with scratches.  I have tested 8.5 x11 samples of Canson Infinity Baryta, and I concur with Michael Reichmann that it is a superior paper.  The question for me is whether the baryta surface will be scratched by my printer....

Rob

Rob, I've had no problem with Ilford GGFS on my 3800. Try widening the platen gap to "wide" and set the thickness of the paper at 3 (=0.3mm). It should feed fine through the normal auto-feeder; if not, put it through the rear feeder and you should be OK.

I've had no problem with scratching the Canson Baryta Photographique. I think my printer settings are the same: "wide" platen gap, thickness 3. I think I've fed it both auto feeder and rear feeder without difficulty.

I like the Canson Platine so much I am going to make it my go-to portfolio paper. The Baryta Photographique, with its smoother surface texture and alpha-cellulose material, will be a close second.

[JohnBrew]

I did try Museo Silver Rag. Lovely paper, but the gloss differential put me off so I haven't used any more.

[robgo2]

Rob, I've had no problem with Ilford GGFS on my 3800. Try widening the platen gap to "wide" and set the thickness of the paper at 3 (=0.3mm). It should feed fine through the normal auto-feeder; if not, put it through the rear feeder and you should be OK.

I've had no problem with scratching the Canson Baryta Photographique. I think my printer settings are the same: "wide" platen gap, thickness 3. I think I've fed it both auto feeder and rear feeder without difficulty.

I like the Canson Platine so much I am going to make it my go-to portfolio paper. The Baryta Photographique, with its smoother surface texture and alpha-cellulose material, will be a close second.

 

Michael,

I have the platen gap at "Wider" and the paper thickness at 4 or 5, and I still get scratches on GFS.  If I set the platen gap to "Wide", I get head strikes.  I recently tried a new trick that I learned on this forum from Aaron regarding scratches.  If you lightly spray water on the back of the 17x22 inch paper, blot it and then allow it to dry, it puts enough of a curve in the paper to allow it to pass through the printer without any scratches.  Doing this is not as big a deal as one might think, and it seems to work.  I'm still planning to switch to the Canson Baryta when my supply of GFS is exhausted.  I would like to give the Canson Platine a try, but unfortunately, Eric Chan does not yet have an ABW profile for it with the 3880.

Rob