Has this ever happened to you?

[uintaangler]

All of my prints are of Landscapes and lately if I'm not using the Photo Black ink on either my Epson 3880 or 4900, I'm not happy with the results
The guy who taught me how to make a decent print, never used anything but Matte papers and that's how I started
I started trying some of the Lustre papers about 8 months ago and now whenever I use a Matte paper ( with the exception of Breathing Color Lyve Canvas ) - it seems uninspiring.
Lately I have been particularly enamored with Ilford Gold Fibre Silk
Is there a particular matte paper I should try to attempt to snap out of this or just go with the Lustre flow?

[DeanChriss]

All of my prints are of Landscapes and lately if I'm not using the Photo Black ink on either my Epson 3880 or 4900, I'm not happy with the results
The guy who taught me how to make a decent print, never used anything but Matte papers and that's how I started
I started trying some of the Lustre papers about 8 months ago and now whenever I use a Matte paper ( with the exception of Breathing Color Lyve Canvas ) - it seems uninspiring.
Lately I have been particularly enamored with Ilford Gold Fibre Silk
Is there a particular matte paper I should try to attempt to snap out of this or just go with the Lustre flow?

It's really a matter of personal taste and subject matter combined. There are some landscapes I'd only print on matte paper but they are few and far between. For those I've used Epson Hot Press Natural and like it a lot. But as I said, it's a matter of personal taste. I stay away from papers that exhibit any noticeable surface texture. If I didn't I'd probably like Canson Platine better. It uses PK ink but is a rag paper and sort of a cross between a matte and luster paper. Very nice but for the texture. OTOH it's very well suited for certain subjects. Ilford Gold Fibre Silk (or Canson Baryta Photographique which identical) is the paper I use most.

[hugowolf]

What matte papers are you using now?

Brian A

[uintaangler]

Moab Entrada Natural
Hahnemuhle German Etching

[dwswager]

All of my prints are of Landscapes and lately if I'm not using the Photo Black ink on either my Epson 3880 or 4900, I'm not happy with the results
The guy who taught me how to make a decent print, never used anything but Matte papers and that's how I started
I started trying some of the Lustre papers about 8 months ago and now whenever I use a Matte paper ( with the exception of Breathing Color Lyve Canvas ) - it seems uninspiring.
Lately I have been particularly enamored with Ilford Gold Fibre Silk
Is there a particular matte paper I should try to attempt to snap out of this or just go with the Lustre flow?

Both the Hot and Cold Press Epson papers are very nice.  The cold press has a resonable texture to it while the hot press is smooth.  Comes in Bright (very white with UBAs) and Natural that has a much warmer tone.  I find a lot of matte papers sit in between these two as far a tone is concerned.

[hugowolf]

Moab Entrada Natural
Hahnemuhle German Etching

I really like Hahnemühle German Etching, it preserves a lot of detail for a textured paper. The canned profile isn’t too accurate, but works fine for color images, not so much for B&W. If you wan the most from this paper, then you need a custom profile.

The Best smooth matte cotton paper I have used is Canson Rag Photographique 310, and I have used a lot of smooth matte papers.

The Epson Cold and Hot pressed papers offer very good value, but they are not the best around.

Brian A

[uintaangler]

Been looking online for the Canson papers recommended here, wow, that is some expensive paper
Any recommendations for where to purchase would be appreciated

[na goodman]

+1 for Hahnemühle German Etching. It can flake a bit but one of my all time favorite papers. Epson Cold Press and another alternative that some of my artists like is Innova Cold Press, cheaper than the other 2.

[howardm]

Been looking online for the Canson papers recommended here, wow, that is some expensive paper
Any recommendations for where to purchase would be appreciated

Some are, many are not but Canson is a premium brand.  Papers like BFK Rives are really expensive.  Some of their
other papers are close to it in texture and less $$.

I usually get my papers from BH, ShadesOfPaper or ITSupplies/Atlex

[mcbroomf]

I would recommend looking for images in your portfolio to match the look of your matt paper, Perhaps something with lower contrast/saturation. 

While I now also print on lustre papers I still have a pair of 17x40 images hung above my fireplace printed with my Epson 4000 on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag from Antelope Canyon.  They don't give anything up to the 30 or so other photos on my walls.

[artobest]

Whatever matte paper you choose, you may need to add a bit of extra punch in either mid-tone contrast or colour (or both). Also, work at achieving your deepest blacks - either a custom profile or special curves may help. Shadow separation can require special attention, too. Lastly, never put the matte print next to a lustre print - they are two different beasts, and the comparison won't flatter the matte print. Done right, matte prints have their own beauty - not least in the lack of sheen that, in real-world viewing, can outweigh the nominal benefits of the lustre print.