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Vælge det rigtige papir: En vejledning til inkjet-udskrivning af Elaine Estelle

For most serious photographers, creating an image ends with the final print.

Photography has long been an art where the final product ends up hanging

in a gallery or at home . Photographers spend time researching what camera

and lenses to purchase. Exposure, shutter speed, depth of field, and lighting

are carefully chosen, then each image is post-processed to achieve a certain

look. Selecting the paper that the image will be printed is equally important.

With the ever-growing number of papers and surfaces available, selecting

one or two can become a confusing and overwhelming task. For the

dedicated photographer, the rewards of producing the perfect print are well

worth the journey. I have put together this guide to help your selection

process.

There is no one “perfect” paper for that special image. Disappointed after

all that buildup? It really comes down to how you want your printed image

to look, then narrowing down your choice, and trying a couple to see which

give the best impression. So where do you start your search?

Before you go out and buy a truckload of different papers to try, here are

two suggestions. To actually see and feel a variety of papers, head on down

to your local camera store. In the paper section there will be one or two

dog-eared booklets containing printed example images on a variety of

papers. That is the best way to see, touch and evaluate what you are buying

beforehand. Why each producer doesn’t make these booklets easier to

come by is beyond me. It is in fact the best selling tool but manufacturers

are very stingy with these sample books. They apparently are worth their

weight in gold.

Your second option is to buy a “Sampler Pack”. What a concept. With one

single purchase you can experiment with half a dozen or so papers to see

what you like. Every paper maker makes these available, often grouped by

application, say Black and White papers, or Fine Art Rag papers.

Surface and Texture. Papers come in a variety of surfaces, from a shiny

gloss to a completely unreflective matte and everything in between. Since

there are no defined standards for gloss, semi-gloss and matte don’t be

surprised if you see other descriptions that describe sheen and texture.

Descriptions like Hi-Gloss, luster, pearl, satin, silk or velvet are relatively

unhelpful if you can't see the final result. It’s best to refer to an example

print for guidance. Here are some broad descriptions.

Gloss is often a good choice for an image that has deep blacks and vibrant

colors. Gloss paper gives the sharpest detail, a number which describes

how deep the blacks are, and a high gamut, which describes the color range

and brilliance. Together, these elements impart the WOW! to the right

image. So why not use Gloss for all your images? Depending on your

lighting setup, a glossy surface can cause some unwanted reflections that

might interfere with seeing the print’s detail. Here your framing and display

setup may be critical. If for example your print will be going into a frame

behind glass, be aware of reflections bouncing between the paper and the

two glass surfaces.

RC papers are coated with a thin layer of polyester to insulate the fiber base

from the ink receptive layer. The term RC (Resin Coated) is a holdover

from traditional silver paper manufacture, and prevents the ink droplets

from penetrating and wicking into the fiber (see the diagram below) .

Printer development engineers have taken great pains to continuously

reduce ink droplet size to a few picoliters. One picoliter is one billionth

of a milliliter. RC papers help to keep those small drops from spreading

and improve the overall print sharpness. The polyester coating also gives

the paper more rigidity.

Thickness and Density. Larger prints require a more substantial paper, and

that is evaluated two different ways. Paper density or GSM, is measured in

grams per square meter and is usually published in the paper specs. Thicker

papers have a GSM in the range of 250 to315. Less than that, and large

prints become floppy and harder to work with. GSM has become the

evaluation standard, and it is uncommon to see thickness or caliper

measurements in the specs for inkjet paper.

Paper Color and Whiteness is often another consideration for paper

selection. Just as you would adjust color temperature when taking a photo

with your camera, paper color can affect the final print.

Whiteness is a measure of how close the paper comes to being “pure white”

and while I don’t know exactly what the gold standard for “pure white” is,

papers can be compared in relative terms.

And speaking of stability or Longevity, inkjet papers now are at least as

stable as their silver chemistry predecessors. Standard testing methods

established by Wilhelm Imaging Research predict that your inkjet prints

will remain unchanged for many decades to come.

For more information, click here: http://fayepaper.com/

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Vælge det rigtige papir: En vejledning til inkjet-udskrivning af Elaine Estelle