How did the ink hold up at the folded corners? Did you do the hard pinch fold test to see if the ink cracks through the paper?
Does already coated paper mean you have added a varnish of some sort? Lastly did you try any abuse to see how durable this is at the front and back edges? Since your doing the testing I thought I would ask the questions.
I am so happy to see that am not alone in this quest
, because I want my prints to have a significant visual advantage over the standard product.
Here are my test results.
- There are only two papers in the line up, as I do not know of any other suitable contender. HM PR Baryta and CI FA Platine are both cotton rag, acid free, buffered, high dMax, free of OBA/FBAs...
- Initial "tests" with customers are very good, cause the gamut is a lot better than any canvas. Also its called "cotton rag" and standard canvas is also cotton, though better canvas for oil is linen. Cotton rag is soft, especially HM PR Baryta. I had them touch it, and the matter was understood.
HM PR Baryta 315g is (unfortunately, because of its price tag) the only perfect paper, also in this matter (my recent varnishing attempts, also brought PR Baryta as clear winner).
The resistance of both papers while stretching them is remarkable. I did not notice any negative effect. These prints will for sure be flat
My first impression regarding varnished prints is that they seam to increase the resistance of the print. Also I did my testings with prints coated with a few layer of different varnishes.
When folding "gallery wrap" corners, with PR Baryta the ink layer did not crackle to let the paper white show through. Its doable also with CI FA Platine, but it will more easily crackle. The Hahnemuhle paper did even withstand being completely folded over multiple times, at an 180 degree angle. Only when additionally being abused with fingernails and brutaly pinched or similar, did it show a few white spots, while the Canson did show its paper white earlier.
Dan, I understand that you want to sell the gallery wraps to be hung like that. That might be a problem. I don't know yet how such a paper will behave when standing on its corners for a couple of days, on the floor or else, like a regular canvas would. We'll see. My costumers will normally choose a frame for it. So it does just have to reach the framer. From there on the print will be protected by the frame. For my typical client, the paper is, as the regular canvas, just very temporarily exposed to physical shocks at the corners.
kind regards
nino