Hi all.
I'm curious how people choose which paper(s) to use when printing at home, and the rationale behind those decisions.
I understand this is a wide, open ended, and probably highly personal (e.g. personal tastes) question, but thought I'd ask anyways. Do you choose certain papers/textures for certain subjects, eg color vs. black and white, or landscape vs. portraits? Does the size of the print influence what paper you use? Are there generally accepted norms of what paper to use for certain applications (really hope that question doesn't start a food fight)?
As background, while I've owned a Epson 3880 for a while, I haven't really done much printing with it. Did a trip to Bhutan late last year, and now that many of the better images have been selected, processed, and posted on my site, I wanted to start printing some of them...just for fun. The first thing that intrigued me is that of the 10 or so I did initial prints of, a few (maybe 2) didn't look as good on paper as on screen; the rest looked better printed (and also accentuated flaws in processing/editing, that I now need to correct).
There are so many papers to choose from that it's almost impossible for a non-professional to justify trying them all, or even a large number of them. Coupled with that, the price of paper here in New Zealand is outrageous (the same 25 sheet Canson Infinity box that sells for USD 31 in the States is USD 65 here).
I've mainly done printing on Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag (310 g/m2). But, recently picked up a small pack of CI Baryta Photographique (310). I like the texture of the Platine, but the Baryta makes the images pop even more. Yes, I have downloaded Canson's ICC profiles, and use those. But, now wondering what else I'm missing out there in the world of papers and also what should guide me when deciding which paper to use in different instances.
Any guidance from your own experiences, or any suggestions you have would be most appreciated.
All the best, and thanks in advance,
Jeff
www.pixelsandgrain.co