Grainy Area When Printing on Etching Paper (ipf8400)

[Concord]

(actual size ~1" across each)

The Heavyweight coated print looks very close to the original, excellent quality.

The Sunset Etching print looks good, but with a grainy face, as pictured.  Other areas are more grainy as well, but much less noticeable.

It is a reproduction of a poster, so the poster is naturally grainy however the face area pictured seems to be the only part of the print that has this problem.

Both prints were made with supplied paper/printer profiles.

Any advice on how to improve this?

[Landscapes]

Photoshop blur filter! LOL...

All kidding aside, my guess is that its like the different between a luster paper and a canvas... the canvas will never show as much detail because of the surface.  It seems the second paper has a much rougher surface.  But just an uneducated guess.

[Concord]

One thing I should add: I had this image printed a while ago on the same etching paper using an Epson printer, and the problem I'm seeing here did not occur.  It was printed from the same file.  Although I don't know if there were other settings used.  So it is possible, using this etching paper, to get a print without the graininess.

[aaronchan]

One thing I found from my previous 8300 is the Canon produce a bit more grain under the skin tone compare to the Epson.
I believed this is the differential of the screening technology between both companies.
But still, I love the 8300 much more than any Epson's

Aaron

[JRSmit]

(actual size ~1" across each)

The Heavyweight coated print looks very close to the original, excellent quality.

The Sunset Etching print looks good, but with a grainy face, as pictured.  Other areas are more grainy as well, but much less noticeable.

It is a reproduction of a poster, so the poster is naturally grainy however the face area pictured seems to be the only part of the print that has this problem.

Both prints were made with supplied paper/printer profiles.

Any advice on how to improve this?

First impression is that perhaps on the etching paper some inkpooling is occuring. This can appear as increased grain. In the blueish area left of the face there appears to be some ink lumping and inkbleeding. Also appears to be a bit greenish.

[Concord]

How does one lessen ink pooling?  Other that switching paper (which I will probably do after this roll is done)?

Also, I was doing some reading and realized that I was printing bidirectionally (it's like that by default).  I will switch to unidirectional and see if that makes any difference.

[JRSmit]

How does one lessen ink pooling?  Other that switching paper (which I will probably do after this roll is done)?

Also, I was doing some reading and realized that I was printing bidirectionally (it's like that by default).  I will switch to unidirectional and see if that makes any difference.

Depends on the mediasettings chosen per paper. Usually the paper provider settings are a good starting point. Uni of bidirectional is not giving the real difference other than a bit of drying time extra per pass.