Photography News Issue 44

Photography News | Issue 44 | absolutephoto.com

First tests

PermaJet FBMono Gloss Baryta320 Look at PermaJet’s website and you will see an extensive collection of inkjet papers to suit all tastes. If a textured finish is up your street then try Museum Heritage 310, for a smooth matte there’s Portrait 285 and if you want a paper that has a darkroom feel there is the FB collection that includes my favourite, FB Gold Silk 315. This last-named collection iswhere this new paper Mono Gloss Baryta 320 resides. Its 320gsm base means this is one of heavier papers in PermaJet’s range and it does feel great out of the box and lies flat so there shouldn’t be any issues with headstrike. The base itself is a natural white, with a hint of warmth so it’s not a cold paper. Close inspection of the surface shows that this material has a smooth gloss which is more of a silky lustrous sheen than a high gloss. If you look very, very closely and give it some strong oblique lighting (see the picture below) then you can see its surface indentations so it’s not a perfectly flat finish but in normal viewing conditions it is. In practice, it is gloss finish that can be viewed from an angle without reflection issues (depending on the lighting of course), but the finish is glossy enough to make the most of paper’s claimed 2.38DMAX rating. If you are a darkroom printer, this paper’s finish has a greater gloss than a typical air-dried fibre paper but more restrained than a glossy resin- coated paper. I printed a wide selection of images using an Epson SureColor SC-P600 printer with its standard inkjet and the free generic profile from

PermaJet’s website. Images included high- and low-key portraits, fully toned landscapes, infrared mono and scenics with a more sombre feel. The finished prints were then checked out under a daylight-balanced lamp. In addition, while this product is targeted at the black & white worker that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t suit colour use so I tried out a range of colour images on this paper too. I was very pleased with this material, especially with my black & white images. The colour results were quite impressive too with clean highlights and rich colours, but perhaps the saturation was too rich for some subjects – that’s easily corrected, of course. If you want punchy colour prints, though, it is a very fine paper. Ultimately, I thought that it was with black & white images that this paper felt most at home. The high DMAX rating did make the most of

Specs

The high DMAX rating did make the most of the deep blacks that I like my images to have

Prices 25 sheets A3 £59.95, £2.40 per sheet, 25 sheets A4 £30.95 £1.24 per sheet Availability A4, A3, A3+, A2, 17in, 24in and 44in rolls Paper type Glossy finish with acid-free fibre base with baryta coating DMAX reading 2.38 Weight 320gsm Thickness 0.35mm Whiteness 104 Contact permajet.com

the deep blacks that I like my images to have, while the highlights stayed clean and crisp. Midtone gradation was very smooth too with subtle changes of greys looking very good and not appearing flat. A fewprints had a very slight green tinge in the midtones, but that was probably due to using a generic profile. Overall, it is difficult not to be impressedatthispaper’sperformance, especiallywith images that rely on the impact of rich shadows and sparkling highlights to shine. WC

Above PermaJet FB Mono Gloss Baryta 320 handled a broad range of subject matter very skilfully especially with its deep, rich shadows and solid blacks. Left With the help of a macro lens and some strong lighting, you can see the faint surface indentations of PermaJet’s new paper aimed at the black & white photographer. Viewed under normal lighting, the surface is a smooth glossy sheen that looks and feels fabulous.

Verdict

PermaJet FB Mono Gloss Baryta 320 is a very welcome addition to its already extensive collection of inkjet media. Its finish, feel and ability to deal very well with a wide range of subject matter will make this material a ‘must try’ for black & white workers. But you colour photographers shouldn’t feel left out either because despite the product’s name, it’s a material equally adept at full colour images too. In all, this PermaJet paper comes highly recommended as a quality, versatile and capable material with a gloss finish that is not overstated and will suit a wide range of subject matter and viewing situations.

Pros Finish – lovely, lively sheen, quality feel, gives great blacks Cons Finish – too glossy for some tastes