Hahnemuehle Fineart Baryta - problem with quality control

[fetish]

After chugging through almost 10 rolls of 36" HFB, I'm quite convinced the quality control of the paper is edging towards the trash/drain/toilet/sewer.

I must have wasted at least 30% of all my useable paper real estate due to a tiny speck of dust/particle embedded in the coating, often happening right in the middle of some 2m long prints where it is soooo obvious I have no choice but to trash the entire print.

My most recent surprise from hahnemuehle was when i discovered the paper core was totally not secured to the paper roll itself as I tried to load the fresh roll onto my 11880's spindle.

2 rolls are from direct shipped from germany, 6 from adorama, and 2 from b&h.

anyone else here experiencing the same problems as I or am I the (un)lucky one Murphy decided to spend the summer with?

[rmstudio]

We experienced the same problems with this paper.  Had no choice but to stop using it.

[deanwork]

Also a known problem with Hah Photorag Baryta unfortunately, gray specks randomly appearing throughout the roll on an otherwise very well designed paper. This has been going on for a couple of years now. The Harmon Gloss Baryta is a vastly superior product. No wonder Hah bought them out.  They better keep selling it because it is awesome with the Canon inks. The Fine Art Baryta has the strangest magenta base color I've ever seen. I couldn't even begin to print on that stuff. It's purple. I didn't even finish the sample roll they sent me for free.

j

[Ernst Dinkla]

The Fine Art Baryta has the strangest magenta base color I've ever seen. I couldn't even begin to print on that stuff. It's purple. I didn't even finish the sample roll they sent me for free.
j

John,

I think you mean the HM Baryta FB 350 grams, it has that magenta white, Lab 93.7 4.1 -8.9. The HM FineArt Baryta 325 grams is a relative cool white paper Lab 97.4 1.4 -3.9.
UV+ spectrometer measurements.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst

New: Spectral plots of +250 inkjet papers:

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

[deanwork]

Your right, they have so many of them out there I got them mixed up. One is bright white and one is magenta/white base.

j

[Justan]

I recently bought a 17” roll of Hahnemuehle FAB that was only 16.9”, a dazzling display of incompetence from the company and a PITA in all regards.

[rmstudio]

I also forgot to mention the paper pulp was inconsistent as well.  When I started using it aside from the specks, our prints were beautiful.  Then after framing a few pieces we realized blotchiness in the paper due to heaver pulp in some areas.

[TylerB]

please notify Hahnemuehle, they will probaly ask for any batch info you have and some samples, but they replaced my paper and were good to deal with. This is an ongoing problem and the more we interact with them productively the more likely this otherwise great paper will get better.

[Rob Reiter]

My experience with Hahnemuehle papers over the years is they have some of the worst quality control, but they've always been good at replacing rolls. I've had numerous rolls with  winding tension problems that result in dinged edges, flecks in the coating, like you mention, squashed bugs in roll paper, bad coating on the Photo Rag Satin that rendered the paper unusable, coatings that flake easily, etc.

Having stocked up on the old Harman paper, I haven't needed the Hahnemuehle branded version, and I can only hope it doesn't become infected by association.

But, like I said, they have never failed to respond favorably when I complain. Just wish that step wasn't necessary.

[fetish]

Dean & Ernst> yea i too refuse to go near that funky paper. I quite like this bright white fineart baryta tho, it has that nice balance of mild texture, slightly coolish base color with a good dose of OB which gives the glow some pictures needed (with the correct lighting condition of course).

Update:

I emailed hahnemuehle USA and the response was quite fast. They told me the factory knows of the paper core issue and are in the midst of devising a solution.
And they've also offered to send me some paper to compensate for the huge amount of prints I've trashed due to the specks.
Apparently they monitor this forum quite actively (they told me they read about my complaint here without me identifying myself) and are quite pro-active in their user support, which I'm very grateful for. 

[deanwork]

 Well that is good to know. I'm a long term user of many of their great papers and have thousands of prints out there done on many of their surfaces.

But all I can say about the Baryta papers is - please don't do ANYTHING to the Harmon Baryta. It is best gloss fiber paper on the market for black and white pigment imaging and I'd be lost without it. In my opinion it was perfectly engineered. They even have the warm tone version so you can do anything with these two and without excessive texture or bluish whiteners. Please please keep it going just like it is forever.


................
Apparently they monitor this forum quite actively

[fetish]

Update:

They sent me some rolls of the wrong paper. 

Earlier this week I was in the midst of producing another exhibition when I opened the box containing the replacement rolls they sent me and found.... Fineart PEARL!.
omg.

I literally went around my island to beg/borrow/steal Fineart Baryta paper. A local dealer took my moment of weakness to rip me off by charging an arm and leg for the paper.

And hahnemeuhle USA still havent replied my emails regarding the wrong paper. 

[narikin]

But all I can say about the Baryta papers is - please don't do ANYTHING to the Harmon Baryta. It is best gloss fiber paper on the market for black and white pigment imaging and I'd be lost without it. In my opinion it was perfectly engineered. They even have the warm tone version so you can do anything with these two and without excessive texture or bluish whiteners. Please please keep it going just like it is forever.

+1,

except... please release it in 60" width! its my paper of choice, but for bigger prints, I'm forced to use something far worse.

wonderful paper: great gamut, great surface, great longevity.

[David Good]

But all I can say about the Baryta papers is - please don't do ANYTHING to the Harmon Baryta. It is best gloss fiber paper on the market for black and white pigment imaging and I'd be lost without it. In my opinion it was perfectly engineered. They even have the warm tone version so you can do anything with these two and without excessive texture or bluish whiteners. Please please keep it going just like it is forever.

+2

Luckily I purchased several boxes of this wonderful paper just before stock ran out and the re-branded paper hit the market. I also print on the HPRB (sheets) and have noticed a few specks along the way, not many, but enough that it has me worried and I don't see myself buying any more. Once I run out of the Harman, I will give the re-branded paper a try (fingers crossed).

I wonder if the rolls have more QC issues than cut sheets......?

[Ernst Dinkla]

Before going on my holiday in late August, I spent a couple of days in Dassel invited by Hahnemuehle to visit the mill and Hahnemuehle HQ and discuss among other things paper problems and quality control issues. Now that I'm back from my holidays I'll write a small blog entry on my site and post, for everybody to read. The main points after my meetings with the senior management and senior technical management are:

3. Most of the flaking problems have been eliminated using a tougher coating on papers like Photo Rag and German Etching. I was given the sequential batch numbers for both papers. Photo Rag 308 batches start from 287490 and German Etching from 282918.

The German Etching batches beyond 282918 are already in the distribution channels it seems. Yesterday I received a 44" with the 282 923A batch number. Not printed yet but the texture looks identical to older batches.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst

New: Spectral plots of +250 inkjet papers:

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

[fetish]

The German Etching batches beyond 282918 are already in the distribution channels it seems. Yesterday I received a 44" with the 282 923A batch number. Not printed yet but the texture looks identical to older batches.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst

New: Spectral plots of +250 inkjet papers:

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm

german etching is one of my personal favourites. unfortunately few pictures i receive here can synergise with this paper properly. looking forward to ordering a fresh roll to test.

[JohnBrew]

It's nice that Hahnemuhle is addressing the problems. However, there remains quite a bit of 'old stock' on the shelves with problems. My last two orders both batches had severe curling problems. I had to place a stack of encyclopedias on them for two weeks to iron them out. Luckily I've had no surface issues. I print on PRB and PRP.