Thanks very much for the suggestions. I have ordered a sample pack from Red River and will test the Ultra Pro Satin, the Artic Polar Satin, and the Red River Artic Polar Luster. I'll report back on which one appears closest to Fuji Type PD.
There are many great inkjet papers out there that will come close to the Fuji, but it's tough to match the perfectly smooth beautiful finish of the photo-paper. Just a difference between emulsions under the surface, and ink printed on the top.
This is what I was wondering about...
Has anyone compared inkjet papers to those from lab printers and found one that closely matches the finish of a machine print such as Fuji Crstal Archive Super Type PD?
I undertand the technologies are fundamentally different, but I thought the latest inkjet printers and papers could get pretty close. From what I gather it sounds like UltraPro Satin might be the closest match to the machine print output from labs like ProDPI.
UltraPro Satin Satin Texture: Medium
Paper Tone: Pleasing slightly warm white
Paper Weight: 68lb (270gsm)
Thickness: 10.4mil
8.5x11 Pricing: As low as 27 cents/sheet
Arctic Polar Satin Satin Texture: Shallow
Paper Tone: Bold Bright White
Paper Weight: 66lb (266gsm)
Thickness: 10.4mil
8.5x11 Pricing: As low as 43 cents/sheet
Arctic Polar Luster Satin Texture: Deep
Paper Tone: Bold Bright White
Paper Weight: 75lb (300gsm)
Thickness: 11.8mil
8.5x11 Pricing: As low as 83 cents/sheet
(
http://www.redrivercatalog.com/browse/photo-satin-luster-inkjet-papers.html)
The "Satin Texture" finish on the Arctic Polar Satin is described by Red River as "shallow" vs the "medium" texture of the Ultra Pro Satin. The Arctic Polar Luster is described as having a "deep" texture.
I'll be able to see for myself when I run some tests on the the sample pack I've ordered, but in the meantime has anyone done any tests comparing the textures and finishes on these papers to the finish on standard lab prints?