Metallic Inks

[Mike Sellers]

Is it possible to use metallic inks such as found in the Roland printers to print fine art output on canvas/ How would this look?

[Mike Sellers]

I mean,if manufacturers offer "metallic" papers then which would look better? Those printed on metallic surface papers or with metallic inks?

[jimabels]

How about a metallic printer all together because then you couldn't mix inks. Interesting if they made a printer for that specifically.

[Ernst Dinkla]

My bet is that several inkjet suitable metallic media surfaces beat metallic ink inkjet prints (on non-metallic media) on the metallic look-a-like scale.  To the degree that a a metallic ink print on metallic media may actually downgrade the last on the metallic look-a-like scale. Wonder whether you can do much with this Alice in Wonderland line. What is your goal?

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
April 2014, 600+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[Mike Sellers]

Hi Ernst,
My goal is to print beautiful landscape photos. I have a Canon 44 inch printer but I keep wondering if there is something "more" out there.
Mike
www.mikesellers.gallery

[shadowblade]

What about a metallic varnish - something along the lines of Glamour II, Eco Print Shield or Timeless - to give a metallic or pearlescent sheen to any image?

[Ernst Dinkla]

What about a metallic varnish - something along the lines of Glamour II, Eco Print Shield or Timeless - to give a metallic or pearlescent sheen to any image?

On top of the image? If metallic you will see that metallic colorants belong to the most opaque we have, very hard to control the density overall. Pearlescent might work but my bet is that the inkjet inks are more transparant en by that applying them on pearlescent media with the printer's consistencies is delivering a better result than by adding a pearlescent varnish. If the goal is control and not making monoprints with random effects.

Which also addresses the ..... is there something "more" out there .....  In my opinion: out there are beautiful landscapes that gain more from very good photography, excellent processing from RAW to the best paper choices than from translating them to media on the edge of kitsch. Heavy metals should not spoil landscapes. The Canon can do the job. It might be the older European in me that has that gut feeling on media choices like that. Not that I could resist the embossed metallic monochrome cards they sell in the Empire State building showing its Deco origins in the best way.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
April 2014, 600+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[shadowblade]

On top of the image? If metallic you will see that metallic colorants belong to the most opaque we have, very hard to control the density overall. Pearlescent might work but my bet is that the inkjet inks are more transparant en by that applying them on pearlescent media with the printer's consistencies is delivering a better result than by adding a pearlescent varnish. If the goal is control and not making monoprints with random effects.

Which also addresses the ..... is there something "more" out there .....  In my opinion: out there are beautiful landscapes that gain more from very good photography, excellent processing from RAW to the best paper choices than from translating them to media on the edge of kitsch. Heavy metals should not spoil landscapes. The Canon can do the job. It might be the older European in me that has that gut feeling on media choices like that. Not that I could resist the embossed metallic monochrome cards they sell in the Empire State building showing its Deco origins in the best way.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
April 2014, 600+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

I'm thinking an effect along the lines of what you see in Fuji Pearl, Kodak Endura Metallic or even Fujiflex (although that's more ultra-glossy than truly metallic/pearlescent). It works very well for landscapes, particularly those which are high-contrast, or which contain water or ice, or are cityscapes.

[Ernst Dinkla]

It is a matter of taste. Several years ago I have seen landscape images by Joseph Holmes done with Diasec laminated prints on a slightly metallic surface, DiBond at the back. At that time I though it used the alu DiBond or AlucoBond surface + translucent inkjet media. Could have been wrong though and a metallic inkjet media was also in the sandwich. It was decently done and the images were perfect. Often I find it overdone.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
April 2014, 600+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[Mike Sellers]

Ernst,
Thanks for the info. What are your favorite inkjet papers and why?
Mike
www.mikesellers.gallery

[Ernst Dinkla]

My personal taste; mainly matte art papers, textured and smooth, Hahnemühle, Canson, Innova.  For gloss, RC papers like Ilford Smooth Pearl. That said I have used about 25 qualities and similar in stock as the customer can ask for 56 gr newspaper, films, foils, baryta, low weight matte up to 350 gr Museum Etching, their images, their taste. I have a soft spot for semi rotary gravure  B&W quad inkjet prints on uncoated offset papers, low Dmax, warm paper. There is no why but nostalgia.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
April 2014, 600+ inkjet media white spectral plots.