First test
PermaJet Smooth Rag 310 The paper’s name is spot on. Run your finger over its surface (away from the printing area, of course!) and you’ll hear a gentle rustle, enjoying the sensation of a smooth, matte-finish material. It has a great look, too, with a creamy base typical of non-OBA paper. Plus, there’s no reflective sheen or surface texture, so you can enjoy great shots without any distractions. Despite Smooth Rag 310 being a matte paper, it delivers punchy performance, with impressive colour saturation and solid shadows. My colour test shots came out well, with decent levels of saturation, contrast and depth. Accuracy rated highly, and the only minor negative I could find was in my test portrait image, where the flesh tones were marginally too pink. Its lively character was visible in the black & white shots, too. “DESPITE BEING A MATTE PAPER, IT DELIVERS PUNCHY PERFORMANCE”
Verdict Photographers looking for high-performing matte paper with a smooth and non-textured finish should give this product a good, close look. It’s versatile – capable of either bold or restrained performance, depending on your images. PROS Lovely surface, deep blacks for a matte paper, coped well with a broad range of subject matter CONS Flesh tones of my test portraits looked too pink SPECS › Prices £34.95 for 25 sheets A4, £1.40 per sheet. £64.95 for 25 sheets A3, £2.60 per sheet › Availability A4, A3, A3+, A2 sheets. 24in, 36in, 44in, 60in rolls › Paper surface Smooth matte › Acid-free Yes › Base fibre 100% cotton › Weight 310gsm › OBAs No › Paper thickness 0.44mm
TEST COMMENT Healthy levels of colour saturation, lovely tonality and good contrast were the Smooth Rag 310’s key qualities
GENRE HOPPING This paper suits a wide range of subject matter
PermaJet Watercolour Rag 310
“SHADOWS WERE SOLID, WITHOUT BLOCKING UP”
restrained, but only marginally. In any case, this is handy if your preference is for a subtle rendition. My test portraits looked a little on the pallid side, but I felt the paper handled nature and scenic shots very nicely indeed. The way it dealt with greens was very impressive, allowing good separation between shades. Black & white images had good reproduction of the full tonal range. Shadows were solid, without blocking up, while highlights looked clean. WC
The Heritage range caters for a wide variety of tastes. If your preference is for a more obviously textured finish, this should be your choice from the new quartet. The paper has a lovely, card-like heft, thanks to its 0.5mm thickness. My test results looked very good: colour-accurate, natural and pleasantly saturated. A direct comparison with the other two new matte surfaces showed its approach to colour and contrast was more
SHIPSHAPE Nothing to complain about with Watercolour Rag 310
SURFACE WATCH The paper’s textured finish gives images an obvious identity
SPECS › Prices £34.95 for 25 sheets A4, £1.40 per sheet. £64.95 for 25 sheets A3, £2.60 per sheet › Availability A4, A3, A3+, A2 sheets. 24in, 36in, 44in, 60in rolls › Paper surface Textured matte › Acid-free Yes › Base fibre 100% cotton › Weight 310gsm › OBAs No › Paper thickness 0.50mm
Verdict I’ve always liked the notion of using watercolour-finish paper to give images a less photographic look. My shots are probably not the ideal candidates for this material, but if yours are more painterly, they could look fabulous on this PermaJet paper. It is definitely worth trying. PROS Raised texture, good heft, nature’s greens skilfully delivered CONS Flesh tones looked slightly pallid on my images
TEST COMMENT This paper showed great skills with colour and mono images, delivering a good level of contrast and accurate reproduction
62 Photography News | Issue 101
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