How is the curl in Museo Silver Rag rolls?

[narikin]

Can someone advise me how strong the curl is in large SR rolls?
Thanks.

[shewhorn]

On 24" and 44" rolls I'd say it's the most severe I've experienced (that said you'll have a similar experience with a 17" roll as well). It's a thicker paper and a bit more difficult (but not impossible) to decurl. Even when I'm mounting it, just getting it flat so I can tack it in place can be a bit of a wrestling match (much easier with an assistant).

Cheers, Joe

[Alan Goldhammer]

When there was all the fuss about the change in the paper backing, I offered to test a new batch.  They sent me a 36 inch roll which didn't help me since I have a 3880 cut sheet printer.  I did cut some sheets off of it and I would confirm what Joe said, it has pronounced curl.  I gave up any thoughts of using the remainder of the roll in terms of cutting sheets from it since the effort required to decurl it would require too much effort on my part.

[shewhorn]

Alan... do you have a table saw (or access to a table saw)? I'm serious. I've never tried this with a roll of paper but I've done it with canvas before and it works like a charm. Can't see why it wouldn't work with paper. Just take it slow, wear eye protection, etc.

Cheers, Joe

[Alan Goldhammer]

Alan... do you have a table saw (or access to a table saw)? I'm serious. I've never tried this with a roll of paper but I've done it with canvas before and it works like a charm. Can't see why it wouldn't work with paper. Just take it slow, wear eye protection, etc.

Cheers, Joe

No I don't unfortunately.  I'll check to see if one of my photo buddies has one.  This way I could cut the roll in half and use my 24 inch Rotatrim to cut sheets.  It's just to cumbersome to use scissors to cut strips from a 36 inch roll and you can't possibly cut things straight that way.  Good suggestion since it's a 10 foot roll that they sent me!

[Sven W]

If you happens to be close a Media reseller, they use to have large roll cutters.
I've looked once when they did the cutting, and one thing I remember is that they did put
a lot of tape around the roll where the cut was.
I can order any roll size I want from my reseller, down to a toilet paper size 
Cost: $10 per cut.

/Sven

[fetish]

I'm just about done doing a comparison between the old and new silver rag which museo sent me.
gotta get the technical reports to jennifer first before i release them here.

as for curl on the silver rag, it's still quite manageable at this moment (i'm only about 10% into the roll)

but the curl on the portfolio rag is simply hellish. the paper is so rigid that the curl from the first 10% is enough to lift the surface off the vacuum of my 11880 and touch the business end of the head, causing nozzle blocks.
i simply cannot print anything longer than 20" on it unless i spend the entire print duration holding down the paper with my hands+cotton gloves. 

[Paul2660]

Ditto:

I gave up trying to get some portfolio rag into my 9900, that was about 1/2 way down the roll.  Love the look of the paper, but curl kept
causing errors.  Finally cut off some sizes and d-rolled it and was able to sheet feed it OK.  Funny that my older 7800 took it fine.

I don't have any of the newer Silver Rag, but am using up several 24" and 36" rolls.  To me the curl is about the same as Canson Platine.  Once you are
through 1/2 the roll it takes a bit of care to work with.  I have always taken the last 5 feet of Silver Rag off the roll and just sheet fed it since even if it
loads I tended to scratch it as it came through the printer, even on my 9880.

Paul Caldwell

[narikin]

Thanks All for replies/ useful info. I'm about to test a small roll, but it sounds like its too hard to handle for x-large art-prints.
At this price and surface vulnerability, its not worth it.

so let me re-phrase: what large Baryta rolls have less harsh curl?
Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Pearl is pretty good, but that's about all I know of.

[Robcat]

I've given up on Hahnemuhle/Harman FB Baryta for the same curling issues.
I'm thinking of trying the Ilford Gold Fiber Silk, which I've used only in sheets so far. Anyone have experience with IGFS in re. curling?
Rob P

[narikin]

IGFS = Canson Baryta Photographique, which has a very strong curl, imho.

[David Sutton]

I've given up on Hahnemuhle/Harman FB Baryta for the same curling issues.
I'm thinking of trying the Ilford Gold Fiber Silk, which I've used only in sheets so far. Anyone have experience with IGFS in re. curling?
Rob P

I found the Harman Gloss difficult to control too as it curled every which way. The Ilford Gold Fibre Silk is very well behaved. I've been cutting lengths off rolls and feeding them through an Epson 3800 for several years. After 2 or 3 days sitting in a drawer with a sheet of foam core on top, they would go through the printer with no head strike. Now I have a roll-feed printer, I don't bother de-rolling prints with this paper unless I'm in a hurry. Just let them rest flat.

[fetish]

definitely need some weight on top of the paper to decurl naturally. if left by itself, the curl can stay for weeks.

[TSJ1927]

If I find a roll of paper that's older or quite stiff,  I will pull out the old steamer that was left over from the  clothes catalogs days.  Holding the paper over the steam head will put a little humidity back into the back side of the paper.  Then, using my own 3" de-curling roller, the paper is rolled up for about 30 sec. and then is flat and ready to print.  I would not use silver rag nor any similar paper in a de-curling roller under a 3" diameter.

"SteamPunk Engineering"

[Sven W]

IGFS = Canson Baryta Photographique, which has a very strong curl, imho.

This has been up before in earlier threads, and I can only agree. I've mentioned it several times for my supplier and I
know that the staff at Canson are aware about the problem. I have a "museum collection" of more than ten Baryta rolls with around 15 ft left, which only can be used for proofing. And there where also problem with the cutter on the 9900, for the same reason.
When the roll is fresh, or at the beginning, no problems at all. And if I get a proper print at the end of the roll, then it's a PITA to flatten.
So it's frustrating  
Maybe I send my "collection" to France and let them try to print, flatten them and send them back with no damages. I strongly doubt it
This wonderful paper should have a back-coating or similar, to work properly.

/Sven