Epson Japanese Kozo Thin Paper Availability

[JeffSD]

Actually, I'm now in the process of evaluating these papers (along with some others) and preparing a review. It will be a while till publication. Stay tuned.

Mark, as someone who is considering using washi paper (most likely Awagami Bizan) in a project, I'm looking forward to your upcoming article. Hopefully, you'll be able to add to our somewhat sparse knowledge base about the permanence of these papers.

I did find a piece from Japanese conservator, Yoko Shiraiwa, discussing various uses of Japanese papers in photo conservation and printing that you might find interesting.

http://shiraiwaconservation.com/_src/2839/adapt_and_evolve_poster.pdf

She discusses testing of blended kozo and gampi papers in the context of platinum-palladium printing, and reports that accelerated aging tests "showed excellent permanence."

As an admirer of Takeshi Shikama's platinum prints on gampi paper, these results make intuitive sense, but specifics about the test methodology and findings are not included. It would be great to have the opportunity to read the underlying data, Aardenburg style.

I wonder if Ms. Shiraiwa might be a helpful source of information as you research this very interesting subject.

Good luck with your article.

[Mark D Segal]

Mark, as someone who is considering using washi paper (most likely Awagami Bizan) in a project, I'm looking forward to your upcoming article.

The article was published back in March, here, including Kozo and Unryu but not Bizan: Kozo, Unryu

[JeffSD]

The article was published back in March, here, including Kozo and Unryu but not Bizan: Kozo, Unryu

Thanks, Mark. I'll check it out.

[deanwork]

I've been working with washi papers through inkjet for about 15 years. I started doing them on the Epson 10k and with Cones quad inks and the original ultrachrome on a couple of 9600s. I did many shows for people during those years and we loved them. Usually I used the basic inexpensive mulberry that was used for Asian brush painting, and over the years used many of the cool papers, both coated and uncoated for inkjet by Hiromi out of Santa Monica, especially their expensive gampi. More recently I've used the sharper rolls made by Awagami in Japan. Some of my work was in their exhibition in Japan last year. They have so many nice textures and thicknesses and textures. They were a joy to use . The Awagami Bizan is beautiful.

But then Gary Worell contacted some of us a year and a half ago on this forum and sent us samples of the mulberry he designed and liscenced through Epson. It was never released in the us for me to work with. I was very impressed with the amazing sharpness and dmax , for  black and white especially. However I hadn't printed a show on it or really got into it until this weekend.

I watched Gary's videos on YouTube and mounted 20x30 prints on it in shadowbox frames with PVA book binding glue. All I can say is that I am totally blown away with the quality of the Epson kozo. This work is my own work and is of an ethnically diverse neighborhood in Atlanta that I had started printing on Platine. The matte kozo backlit is even more luminous than the platine and has the added advantage of the amazing organic texture of mulberry. No single media that I have ever used made such a big impression on me . I'm in love with it. It's bizarre that it isn't available in the US ! But I ordered mine on Amazon U.K. And it got here in three days! Course I did have to pay for shipping but it was like $16.00 I believe for that. Mine was shipped from France.

I don't know what the oba content is and we need to find that out, but damn this is a beautiful paper. It looks sharper than my Canson matte media with as good of a color gamut or better. Whatever awards he's won for this kozo he has earned big time . Thank you Gary !

By the way I did do direct comparisons between the Epson Kozo and the Awagami thin and thick,  and in all respects of full color gamut, resolution, and maximum black, Gary's media is in a class all its own. He wasn't bragging about that . It's the truth.

[pearlstreet]

Dean, do you have a link to those videos on you tube? Search isn't helping me. Would love to see photos of your shadow boxed prints.

[Mark D Segal]

I've been working with washi papers through inkjet for about 15 years. I started doing them on the Epson 10k and with Cones quad inks and the original ultrachrome on a couple of 9600s. I did many shows for people during those years and we loved them. Usually I used the basic inexpensive mulberry that was used for Asian brush painting, and over the years used many of the cool papers, both coated and uncontested for inkjet by Hiromi out of Santa Monica, especially their expensive gampi. More recently I've used the sharper rolls made by Awagami in Japan. Some of my work was in their exhibition in Japan last year. They have so many nice textures and thicknesses and textures. They were a joy to use . The Awagami Bizan is beautiful.

But then Gary Worell contacted some of us a year and a half ago on this forum and sent us samples of the mulberry he designed and liscenced through Epson. It was never released in the us for me to work with. I was very impressed with the amazing sharpness and dmax , for  black and white especially. However I hadn't printed a show on it or really got into it until this weekend.

I watched Gary's videos on YouTube and mounted 20x30 prints on it in shadowbox frames with PGA book binding glue. All I can say is that I am totally blown away with the quality of the Epson kozo. This work is my own work and is of an ethnically diverse neighborhood in Atlanta that I had started printing on Platine. The matte kozo backlit is even more luminous than the platine and has the added advantage of the amazing organic texture of mulberry. No single media that I have ever used made such a big impression on me . I'm in love with it. It's bizarre that it isn't available in the US ! But I ordered mine on Amazon U.K. And it got here in three days! Course I did have to pay for shipping but it was like $16.00 I believe for that. Mine was shipped from France.

I don't know what the oba content is and we need to find that out, but damn this is a beautiful paper. It looks sharper than my Canson matte media with as good of a color gamut or better. Whatever awards he's won for this kozo he has earned big time . Thank you Gary !

By the way I did do direct comparisons between the Epson Kozo and the Awagami thin and thick,  and in all respects of full color gamut, resolution, and maximum black, Gary's media is in a class all its own. He wasn't bragging about that . It's the truth.

Hi John,

This is indeed very interesting - I wish I had known about that paper (regardless of US availability) before I did my review of the others, as I would have included it. However, never too late, I suppose I can also order some from the UK, give it a try in at least two printers and write it up. Some of the properties you mention would distinguish it from the two I did review, so I'd like to get a first-hand feel for those.

[rdonson]

Sharon...

http://www.garywornell.com/videos/

[pearlstreet]

Thanks Ron!

[deanwork]

It is the real deal Mark. At first I ordered a 17 inch roll and was shocked so l ordered 2 24 inch rolls. Before I even profiled it with x-rite I ran a familiar file through my Canon just using my Canson rag profile and with a little lightening with levels it looked great. So that will tell you something about the quality of the coating. I only wish they offered it in 44" rolls. If so I would certainly used it for my show.

This is the best video and I can't believe it is 2 years old . I am sooo slow these days . I did exactly as he demonstrates only I used pva glue as apposed to the acrylic medium he used and dried mine for 24 hours before trimming the edges but it was tight and dry in a couple of hours. I post sprayed after drying with the hahnemuhle uv spray. https://youtu.be/xgC6OnFLiRk

Hi John,

This is indeed very interesting - I wish I had known about that paper (regardless of US availability) before I did my review of the others, as I would have included it. However, never too late, I suppose I can also order some from the UK, give it a try in at least two printers and write it up. Some of the properties you mention would distinguish it from the two I did review, so I'd like to get a first-hand feel for those.

[JeffSD]

deanwork, thanks for the information.

Regarding OBA content, like you, I haven't seen anything about the Epson Kozo.

While the Awagami website appears silent on the matter of optical brighteners, Freestyle states that their Bizan paper is made without OBA's. Interestingly, their specifications for the Awagami double layered Kozo (which seems very similar to Epson Kozo in that it has a removable backing layer) say nothing about OBA content. I'd really like to get information from Epson and Awagami on this and will pass on what I learn.

Ron, thanks for that link to the videos. Very interesting.

[Mark D Segal]

Anyone who has the paper and an i1Pro2/i1Profiler kit can easily read for the presence of OBA content. Or more simply, a UV flashlight should show it immediately.

[Mark D Segal]

It is the real deal Mark. ...........

Perhaps artistically, but not financially - by the time I land a roll of that in Toronto it's about CAD 130, ouch. Way up there with the most expensive ink-jet paper offerings, but I suppose that's to be expected.

[deanwork]

I just found out.

Some of the Awagami papers are natural while others are brighter. This is the case with all the kozo papers I have used for many years. The Epson is a brighter white than a natural kozo fiber that is fairly warm. But it doesn't appear too bright.
It just so happens that I have recently set up a 12 tube black light bank for printing alternative process . I just put several papers underneath it to see if they glow brightly - the sure sign of oba content. What I found was the follows- regular typing paper glows like crazy as does my Canson premium gloss and also my Hahnemuhle fine art pearl ( which surprised me given its minimal brightness compared to others. The papers that Did Not glow are the following - Canson rag photo, hahnemuhle William turner , the Awagami kozo thin which is almost as white as the Epson kozo, and the Epson Kozo ! Yes. That means both of these kozo are good. The Epson kozo appears very slightly bluer than the Awagami but neither glow. So if the Epson has any dye brighteners at all they are so minimal that they don't show up under black light bulbs. I'm very happy about that. It looks like either Gary has used pigment whiteners or more likely this kozo was bleached, a common feature of previous mulberry products marketed for printmaking. 

deanwork, thanks for the information.

Regarding OBA content, like you, I haven't seen anything about the Epson Kozo.

While the Awagami website appears silent on the matter of optical brighteners, Freestyle states that their Bizan paper is made without OBA's. Interestingly, their specifications for the Awagami double layered Kozo (which seems very similar to Epson Kozo in that it has a removable backing layer) say nothing about OBA content. I'd really like to get information from Epson and Awagami on this and will pass on what I learn.

Ron, thanks for that link to the videos. Very interesting.

[deanwork]

Mark, have it shipped to ny and pick it up there. You can think Epson for that.

Perhaps artistically, but not financially - by the time I land a roll of that in Toronto it's about CAD 130, ouch. Way up there with the most expensive ink-jet paper offerings, but I suppose that's to be expected.

[JeffSD]

deanwork, nice detective work!

Thanks for the information.

[Mark D Segal]

Mark, have it shipped to ny and pick it up there. You can think Epson for that.

That would cost about the same and cause complications - NAFTA or no NAFTA there's still an international border to deal with - ugh. Easiest just to Click BUY and gulp.

[deanwork]

Mark , if you just want some for tests I'll be happy to send you some cut from my roll of 17 inch. I have quite a bit left.


quote author=Mark D Segal link=topic=116219.msg978251#msg978251 date=1495414440]
That would cost about the same and cause complications - NAFTA or no NAFTA there's still an international border to deal with - ugh. Easiest just to Click BUY and gulp.
[/quote]

[Mark D Segal]

Mark , if you just want some for tests I'll be happy to send you some cut from my roll of 17 inch. I have quite a bit left.


quote author=Mark D Segal link=topic=116219.msg978251#msg978251 date=1495414440]
That would cost about the same and cause complications - NAFTA or no NAFTA there's still an international border to deal with - ugh. Easiest just to Click BUY and gulp.

That's very good of you John and I much appreciate the offer; but I just ordered a roll. I figure by the time I finish profiling it, testing it and making a selection of different kinds of prints I can probably pretty much justify it. Many thanks anyhow.

[Richard Man]

Resurrecting an old thread...

As a US photographer, I have been ordering the Epson Kozo from Amazon UK for the last couple years. Epson Kozo is my absolutely favorite paper, with its high DMax, brilliant colors. and scratch resistance, it behaves more like a glossy baryta than other matt paper, let alone other kozo paper from other vendors.

I have a couple projects in the next few months that I need to make 60-80 24" prints. So I was going to order 10 rolls, and to my surprise, it appears that the paper has been discontinued.

I am really devastated by this. I have just perfecting wet-mounting Kozo print on traditional rice paper, to really show off its translucent quality, and now.... unless somehow there remaining rolls available for affordable prices, I must look for lesser alternatives.

I hope Epson reconsiders the decision. I cannot be the only photographer / artist who is missing this paper?

This is one of the sample images I am testing the wet mounting on.

[Kevin Raber]

Sad news indeed.  I still have 2 rolls and have a few images I want to make prints using it.  Guess I'll have to print wisely.  I have some connections regarding this paper and will see what I can learn about inventory etc.