I think it is both "historical" and a matter of convenience for the paper manufacturers.
This makes some sense to me because we have not seen nor found any other reason.
The time afforded us by our new Covid-19 world has allowed my colleagues and me the freedom to explore this issue. We want to try to determine the actual differences between prints and profiles made using various media type settings, why one paper is selected over another and finally to try to answer why Velvet FA and Premium Lustre seem to be the go-to media selections for so many paper manufacturers if indeed there is another reason aside from simple historical convenience?
Back to VFA and Premium Luster: According to Epson's data, the VFA media type has the highest ink load of any of the media types for fine art papers. And the same goes true for the Premium Luster media type: it has the highest ink load for photo papers.
Years ago, a rumour to this effect was in circulation claiming that Premium Lustre was used as a media setting because it produced a greater ink load so as to properly fill the hills and valleys of lustre texture. Velvet FA has also been said to deliver a heavier ink load, as you’ve pointed out. But, I never have found or heard any reasons for that one. Nevertheless, the suggestion was therefore to use those media types for profiling if you wanted to get a better ink load and more punch to your prints.
+1 to the advice that the best way to select media type is to test
To check this out, we decided to run some test prints using various media settings for photo-style (PK) and fine art matte (MK) papers. The purpose was to compare the results in terms of colour, tonal rendering and D-max. The PK prints were made on Canson Baryta and the MK prints on Ultra Premium Presentation Matte.
For the PK prints the settings we tested were: Baryta, Legacy Baryta, Legacy Platine, Exhibition Fibre, Premium Gloss, Premium Lustre, Premium Semi-Matte, Metallic Photo Paper Glossy and Metallic Photo Paper Lustre.
In the realm of matte papers the (MK) print settings we tested were: Hot Press Bright, Hot Press Natural, Cold Press Bright, Cold Press Natural, Velvet FA, Fine Art Matte, Legacy Etching, Legacy Fibre, Legacy Textured and UltraSmooth FA.
The test image was a collage which consists of 9 pics from the Roman-16 collection plus a grey ramp, colour scales and the “RGB Xplorer 8” chart from
HERE.
Using an i1Pro2 we read all grey and colour scales and compared the results in Patch Tool and QTR Data Tool. The prints were also evaluated visually in a D50 viewing booth versus the digital test image on a calibrated display.
With respect to the PK prints first, our tests showed the above mentioned rumour regarding the Premium Lustre media setting delivering a greater ink load to be completely false. Lustre has the same ink load to D-max as every other photo style media setting that we tested. They all provided the same D-max within +/-.02. Virtually identical D-max was also achieved between all matte paper media settings, as well.
Visually it was difficult to distinguish any difference between the PK prints. The results appeared to be identical among all photo-style prints with all of the various media type settings. So, using QTR Data Tool we graphed the grey curves which when overlaid were virtually identical in shape and slope and position. They registered perfectly.
Using Patch Tool we checked the Avg. dE differences between the grey ramps and colour scales. The maximum difference that we found between all the above mentioned media settings was Avg dE 0.89 which was the difference between the Baryta and Legacy Platine media settings. The other media settings were far lower (Avg dE 0.17 to 0.66). Prints with all media settings were, therefore, visually identical. Also the d-max readings from every print were confirmed to be the same regardless of media setting.
Among the matte (MK) papers some slight differences were apparent. For example, the print from the Velvet FA setting is almost identical to print from the Fine Art Matte setting. But both are slightly darker than all other media settings by up to L*3 in the upper quarter-tones down to about the 60% midtone level after which, i.e. in the shadows, they are again equal to all other prints from other media settings.
The maximum difference between Velvet FA and Fine Art Matte is Avg dE: 0.34. Together they differ from all other media settings by Avg dE 2.77 to 3.09. All the other media settings compared to one another well below an Avg dE 0.70. In other words they are visually identical in terms of colour and tone. Using QTR Data Tool we graphed the grey curves which when overlaid were virtually identical in shape and slope. The prints also visually appeared to be identical. The graphs for Velvet FA and Fine Art Matte prints also equated and showed them to be slightly darker in the quartertones down to to 60% after which they aligned with all others. This was also seen to be true by a comparison of the prints.
Visually, the prints made with the Velvet FA and Fine Art Matte media settings appeared slightly darker in the quarter to midtone which agrees with graphs of the grey ramps for those prints in Data Tool. Also, the D-max of all matte prints from all media settings was identical.
I do not see any advantage to the fact that the Fine Art Matte and Velvet FA media settings produced a slightly darker result primarily in the quartertones. We saw no difference in dot shape, formation or image sharpness or tone separation in any of the prints.
At this stage, it appears that there really is very little actual or any visual difference between prints from all the various PK media settings. Also, with the exception of Velvet FA and Fine Art Matte settings which provide slightly darker results in the quarter to midtones, the majority of MK media settings also yield visually identical prints. So, it seems to me that manufacturers probably have based their media type selections upon the ‘historical’ and for 'convenience' but for no other good reason.
At this time, these tests also appear to confirm that the best approach for selecting a reference media type for custom profiling is to select a media for its similarity to the subject paper to be profiled.
All of this is based upon what we have seen so far. These tests were run once on one printer, a SureColor P9570. YMMV. However, I have run the d-max test several times in the past over may selected media settings and found the same result. Nevertheless, we remain open minded. If anyone can provide good reason and evidence to support another finding or approach, I would appreciate it if you would share it.
Be well,
Mick
