Greets ...
Wondering if some of you could provide me with a list of your favorite papers, what you use them for (the benefits of these papers) and why.
The reason is I am fairly new to all this and am in the process of ordering the Z3100, but am overwhelmed with the amount of choice there is for papers. I want to buy say 5-6 including a canvas that will give me the BEST results in different circumstances, like which is best in a gallery, which is best with glass in front, or no glass - that sort of thing... Something that covers the broad range of what pro protographers and studios like, and why.
My criteria is 'HP recommended', it being HP own brand or Hahnemuhle - I am not interested in using (say) Epson papers at this point until I get my head around colors and profiles and stuff.
It would be a great help if I could get a list, of "This paper is best in these circumstances becasue..." type thing.
Much appreciated,
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Okay, I'll bite. Everyone has their own criteria and your mileage may vary. But for me...
1) HP's professional satin photo paper. Excellent deep black, bright colors, and an unobtrusive surface texture compared to other "satins". I find it excellent for neutral to slightly cool B&W prints that benefit from the very dark D-max.
2) Hahnemühle Photo rag satin. A bit of an unusual paper, in that it looks a lot like standard HPR until you print on it. Once ink hits the page, it takes on a subtle satin sheen that varies with ink load. For black & white prints there is a subtle gloss differential in the shadows and 3/4 tones that increases apparent tonal separation, improving perceived shadow detail. Very cool. For color prints, blue skies take on an almost crystalline appearance that can add something to the right image. Probably an acquired taste, but it's my favorite paper.
3) HP's Hahnemühle smooth fine art. To my eyes it looks a lot like Epson's ultrasmooth fine art paper, which is a good thing. Slightly warm paper base, very nice cotton "hand feel" and weight. Some folks have griped about poor reproduction of vivid reds on this paper, but it's good enough for the landscapes I print unless you demand unrealistic screaming neon red fall foliage.
4) Epson premium luster. I know, some folks don't like the surface stippling. And it's from Epson. But it profiled just fine with the on-board spectro, and I get a deep black and good color gamut. And it's cheaper than most of the alternatives for color printing.