Photography News 14

Papers review

29

DaVinci Fibre Gloss 300gsm

Innova FibaPrint Baryta 310gsm

Hahnemühle Glossy FineArt Baryta 325gsm

SPECS

SPECS

SPECS

PRICE £25.20 A4 25 sheets, £48 A3 50 sheets CONTACT

PRICE £26.84 A4 25 sheets, £52.60 A3 25 sheets CONTACT innovaart.com AVAILABILITY A4, A3, A3+, A2, roll sizes 17in, 24in, 36in, 44in,50in WEIGHT 310gsm DOWNLOADABLE ICC

PRICE £28.88 A4 25 sheets, £63.55 A3 25 sheets CONTACT hahnemuehle.com AVAILABILITY A4, A3, A3+, A2, roll sizes 17in, 24in,

chaudigital.com AVAILABILITY A4, A3, A3+, A2, rolls 17in, 24in, 36in, 44in, 60in WEIGHT 300gsm DOWNLOADABLE ICC GENERIC PROFILES Yes (Epson printers only)

36in, 60in WEIGHT 325gsm DOWNLOADABLE ICC GENERIC PROFILES Yes (Canon, Epson, HP)

GENERIC PROFILES Yes (Canon, Epson, HP)

A fine quality performer. Our test prints came out with an impressive tonal range from the brightest highlights to the deepest shadows. Its base is clean white and its surface finish has a very fine texture. Print quality is up among the best of the materials here, with good depth in the shadows and clean highlights. If there is any downside it’s possibly that the light mid-tones don’t seem to glow like those in other papers. Nevertheless, it is a highly capable material and a very decent price too.

Try this paper and it’s difficult not to be very impressed, from initial handling to finished print. It lies very flat out of the box and its fine sheen finish is probably the smoothest of all those on test here. Its base is marginally cream but that’s not a detraction. Print quality is outstanding, giving pictures with plenty of punch and the shadows and blacks looked tremendous. But it did equally well at rendering more subtle tones and the highlights looked great too. Quality product, attractive price and worth trying.

With a pure white base and smooth sheen finish, this paper will show off your monochrome masterpieces in the best light. Our test prints displayed plenty of depth and the blacks were very rich. Contrast was slightly high too but it handles this well without sacrificing tonality so if you like your black & white photographs punchy, this is definitely a paper for your shortlist. It’s good, high-quality material at a reasonable price, which is typical of the brand.

EpsonTraditional Photo Paper 330gsm

PermaJet FBRoyal 325gsm

Museo Silver Rag 300gsm

SPECS

SPECS

SPECS

PRICE £31.12 A4 25 sheets, £77.33 A3+ 25 sheets

PRICE £31.95 A4 25 sheets, £62.95 A3 25 sheets CONTACT permajet.com AVAILABILITY A4, A3, A3+, A2, roll sizes 17in, 24in, 36in, 44in, 60in WEIGHT 325gsm DOWNLOADABLE ICC

PRICE £32.50 A4 25 sheets, £78.57 A3+ 25 sheets CONTACT on-linepaper.co.uk AVAILABILITY

CONTACT epson.co.uk AVAILABILITY A4, A3+, A2, roll sizes 17in, 24in,

A4, A3+, 17x22in, 24x36in, 35x47in, roll sizes 17in, 24in, 36in, 44in, 50in WEIGHT 300gsm DOWNLOADABLE ICC

44in, 64in WEIGHT 330gsm DOWNLOADABLE ICC GENERIC PROFILES Yes (Epson printers only)

GENERIC PROFILES Yes (Canon, Epson, HP)

GENERIC PROFILES Yes (Canon, Epson, HP)

It’s the heaviest weight paper in this group so it has plenty of heft and has an impressive feel and look with a smooth, slightly textured sheen. Print quality is good, particularly with high key images, and if you want excellent separation of lighter tones this material appeals. A nice touch is that the paper comes in a black polythene bag á la darkroom papers. It’s one of the more expensive papers here and the lack of an A3 option might put a few people off but nonetheless it’s a quality, very capable paper.

PermaJet’s FB range has options for all tastes including an excellent warm-tone version and you certainly can’t go far wrong with FB Royal 325gsm. It’s a superb paper that gives deep, rich blacks, sparkling highlights and a wonderfully smooth range of grey tones. Contrast is good too if you like your monochromes with an extra bit of punch. The heavier weight also gives prints an extra feeling of quality although there is slight edge curl. Surface finish is a textured sheen. A lovely material that comes highly recommended.

In direct comparison with its rivals, this is the paper with the creamiest base colour which gives prints a gentle, very pleasant warmth. Packaging is very good in that each sheet of paper is interleaved with a sheet of plain paper so surface protection is excellent. The glossy surface has a lovely sheen and it’s slightly textured. Print quality is top drawer too, with superb rendition of the monochrome tonal range from the brightest highlights to the deepest shadows.

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Issue 14 | Photography News

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