Matte paper around 300gsm, inexpensive but still good? (24x40 $24, 36x40 $36)

[darlingm]

Breathing Color used to sell 30MS Decor Art Paper a while ago, but it was discontinued.  It was a 300gsm smooth bright white paper with a matte finish.  It seemed just like Optica One, except it was alpha cellulose instead of 100% cotton.  It had OBA's, and wasn't archival certified.

They don't have a new product to fill that area, for a really inexpensive smooth art paper, that was decent except for not being archival.  They have 28MT which is priced similarly, but that's a thinner (220gsm) and textured paper.  Sticking with smooth is Optica One or Pura Smooth, both of which are much more expensive (but still a great price for what they are.)

Any recommendations?  I know there's cheap paper rolls, but what I loved about 30MS is that it wasn't "junk", it was much better than something like a doubleweight paper of inexpensive price.  It was something decent for clients more concerned about price than longevity.  It was still thick and still had a nice color gamut (near that of Optica One, but I never had custom profiled so can't check in ColorThink Pro).

EDITS: MHMG corrected me that Optica One wasn't OBA free, so I fixed that, and Mark Segal's right that I shouldn't be calling what I'm looking for fine art paper, that must be why Breathing Color called it decor art paper, so I fixed my title and removed references to "fine art" paper.

[Mark D Segal]

There's no such thing as a "really cheap" fine art paper. When you say "fine art paper", you are talking about quality and quality doesn't come "cheap" in this business. You want cheap, you can buy cheap but it won't be "fine art". "Fine art" should be archival, flawless and consistent from sheet to sheet, and it should have good DMax and wide gamut. So manufacturing it to consistent standards with high quality materials costs money and that gets conveyed in prices. Good values in such papers, for example, are Ilford Gold Fibre Silk and Canson Baryta Photographique. "Good value" here means there are costlier papers which are not necessarily technically better, but it doesn't mean "cheap". Also be aware that each paper is somehow unique, and personal preference is an important factor in paper choice.

[MHMG]

Breathing Color used to sell 30MS Decor Art Paper a while ago, but it was discontinued.  It was a 300gsm smooth bright white paper with a matte finish.  It seemed just like Optica One, except it was loaded with OBA's so wasn't archival certified, and it was alpha cellulose instead of 100% cotton.

They don't have a new product to fill that area, for a really cheap smooth fine art paper.  They have 28MT which is priced similarly, but that's a thinner (220gsm) and textured paper.  Sticking with smooth is Optica One or Pura Smooth, both of which are much more expensive (but still a great price for an OBA free smooth paper.)

Optica one is not OBA-free. In fact, it has high levels of OBA. I don't have any data on Pura Smooth.

cheers,
Mark
http://www.aardenburg-imaging.com

[darlingm]

Optica one is not OBA-free. In fact, it has high levels of OBA. I don't have any data on Pura Smooth.

cheers,
Mark
http://www.aardenburg-imaging.com

Dangit, you're right, typed my original post too fast, and it's been too long since I used Optica One.  Breathing Color does say Pura Smooth is OBA free.  I'm going to edit my original post.

Pura Smooth is so close to the price of Optica One, I haven't seen a point of using Optica One since Pura Smooth came out.

[MHMG]

Very good, but while we are on the subject of "fine art paper", I don't believe there's any official definition that a "fine art" paper has to be made from 100% cotton linters. Hahnemuhle German Etching, for example, is made with an alpha cellulose rather than 100% cotton linters pulp, and "100% cotton" only refers to the cellulose fibers going into the manufacturing of the cotton paper. The final sheets have far more chemistry than just the cotton linters in them.  Also, high quality alpha cellulose fibers (processed to be lignin-free and near-neutral pH) already have a 100+ year history in fine art photographs, so the larger questions regarding "archival" and "fine art" designations would appear to rest more squarely on all the new-fangled "microporous" coatings that give these inkjet-compatible papers their higher color gamut with modern inkjet printers.

best,
Mark
http://www.aardenburg-imaging.com

[Mark D Segal]

I should add to my post that the two examples I provided are not matte. I stopped using matte since these became available, so I don't have first-hand recommendations on good value for fine-art matte.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I should add to my post that the two examples I provided are not matte. I stopped using matte since these became available, so I don't have first-hand recommendations on good value for fine-art matte.

Good value is difficult to define.  That being said, I really like printing on Canson Rag Photographique for those prints that look good on matte paper.  The other Mark makes an excellent point, alpha-cellulose papers can perform just as well as cotton fiber papers.  Paper is paper, and as long as the chemistry gets rid of lignin and corrects the pH, all is well.

[Mark D Segal]

Hi Alan,

I wouldn't attempt to define "good value" except in the sense that it is a completely relative concept. If product A does the same thing as product B and it's say 20% cheaper, well that's "good value". Taking this any further is impossible, as it gets so subjective. Almost as elusive as defining what "Fine Art" means, though I stuck my neck out above to take a stab at it.

I like your comment about the chemical properties that need to be looked after. Frankly, I could care less whether the backing is cotton fiber or alpha-cellulose because the feel of the paper backing doesn't turn me on or off - I'm focused on what the image looks like and how long it will last. But I realize this is a personal perspective and for other people the "paper experience" is a more "holistic" issue. The one technical point I would make however is a concern about running large volumes of fiber-based papers through our printers. What happens when micro-fibers shed and collect in the mechanisms and on the print head? I somehow feel that I'm more protected from this risk with alpha-cellulose backings, but then again, it may be my imagination.

[neile]

This kind of question is exactly why I put together my inkjet paper list I did a few quick filters and came up with Moab Entrada Rag Bright 300gsm. It's the cheapest on my list that meets your requirements at $130 for a 24x40' roll.

If you were willing to sacrifice weight you could try the Red River 60lb Polar Matte at 229gsm. It's $60 for a 24x100' roll. They also have a 90lb/320gsm paper that appears relatively new but isn't available in rolls.

Neil

[TSJ1927]

May want to try Canon Fine Art Bright White 330gsm 100% cotton. $91.50 USD for 24"x50' roll ( Price from IT Supplies )  They also have a 230gsm.

[I.T. Supplies]

We have the same Moab Entrada Rag in 300gsm for less than $100.  Like others mentioned, a nice paper in that weight but inexpensive will be a little hard to find.  These are normally the Fine Art papers like Moab, Hahnemuhle, Canson.  Epson, HP and Canon offer decent Matte papers, but not in the 300gsm range; more around 120-170gsm.

Epson Matte papers are pretty good quality and come in longer lengths but are around 130gsm and fairly inexpensive already.

The Moab Entrada Rag Natural product number is R08-ERN3002440R which doesn't contain optical brighteners.  This is one of Moabs top selling papers.

[Alan Goldhammer]

The one technical point I would make however is a concern about running large volumes of fiber-based papers through our printers. What happens when micro-fibers shed and collect in the mechanisms and on the print head? I somehow feel that I'm more protected from this risk with alpha-cellulose backings, but then again, it may be my imagination.

Mark,

I don't think that the paper really sheds much whether it is cotton or alpha-cellulose.  Matte papers are more problematic in my view because of dust accumulation on the coating and the reverse side of the paper if it is not packed with an interleave sheet.  For these papers one really needs to brush both sides of the paper with a drafting brush prior to printing to minimize dust accumulation in the printer.  Of course if you are only printing on a gloss or luster paper like Ilford Gold Fiber Silk you don't have that problem.

[Mark D Segal]

Thanks for the clarification Alan. Dust of course is a similar concern, and yes I do avoid it by not using matte papers. I also prefer the wider gamut and DMax of the Baryta lusters. But again, that's me. I used to like matte and used it all the time until the range of non-matte papers on the market really became interesting. Anyhow I digress - the OP is looking for advice on affordable matte.

[Martin Ranger]

Having tested quite a few matte papers, one of the ones I like best is the Epson Hot Press. It comes both in a OBA and OBA-free version. It might be at the top of your price range, but it is an amazing paper.

[Bill Koenig]

This kind of question is exactly why I put together my inkjet paper list I did a few quick filters and came up with Moab Entrada Rag Bright 300gsm. It's the cheapest on my list that meets your requirements at $130 for a 24x40' roll.

If you were willing to sacrifice weight you could try the Red River 60lb Polar Matte at 229gsm. It's $60 for a 24x100' roll. They also have a 90lb/320gsm paper that appears relatively new but isn't available in rolls.

Neil

Yes indeed, Red River did come out with a new Matte paper just got a email this morning. I ordered a 20 pack of 11"x 8.5" to try out, and it was only $18.20



>96lb. Polar Matte® Magna Heavy Card

>The heaviest, highest quality photo matte available today.

    Paper Tone: Bold Bright White
    Paper Weight: 96lb (320gsm)
    Thickness: 19 mil
    Reverse Side: Plain paper

[Ernst Dinkla]

Breathing Color used to sell 30MS Decor Art Paper a while ago, but it was discontinued.  It was a 300gsm smooth bright white paper with a matte finish.  It seemed just like Optica One, except it was alpha cellulose instead of 100% cotton.  It had OBA's, and wasn't archival certified.

There is a very affordable alpha cellulose paper distributed by Innova (also) called Decor Art, code IFA24 roll + sheets and IFA25 (dual side coated sheets). Weight is around 210 grams. Light texture. Prints very nice in my experience with the HP Z3200. No OBAs but a high white reflectance. Lab 97.7 -0.3 1.9. Spectral Plot in SpectrumViz.


--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

340+ paper white spectral plots:
http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
update july 2012: Moab changes, paper sorting by name