EEM is a wonderful paper, with only one flaw, which really precludes
using it for prints that will be sold. It yellows over time. But if
you're selling VFA (Or Hannemuhle Photo Rag, another fine paper that's
very similar to EEM, but Acid Free) and showing EEM, you'll be good.
I do most of my printing on EEM, for personal use and showing in a
portfolio. I actually prefer Moab Kayenta, which is colder and
dual-sided but otherwise similar to EEM, but it's about 50% more expensive.
-Adam
Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote:
Getting ready for the exhibition, I've been printing up a storm the
past week or two.
The HP 7960 has done yeoman service to print announcement postcards
(for the hundred or so I need, it's cheaper than I've found as yet to
print decent quality color at a print service), business cards, exhibit
tags, all manner of collateral things. I'm surprised at the quality I'm
getting out of it as well as the economy ... I've hardly touched the
two color cartridges, barely touched the black ink tank, and used about
1/2 of a grayscale cart to output everything so far.
It's operated flawlessly and quickly. The only hitch I've encountered
so far has been the juggling of paper due to the u-turn paper path,
particularly for the announcement post cards. I've been unsuccessful at
making a custom paper size that would print the cards in one run, so
each sheet (two cards per sheet) gets run through two times to print
the addressing information on upper and lower cards, and then once
again to print the announcement on both.
The Epson R2400 is making the final presentation prints. It also has
operated flawlessly and with extreme consistency. I've consumed one
whole set of ink carts in the making of perhaps 160 prints from 5x7 to
A3 in size. I'm very glad I bought this printer.
I did some testing with Fine Art Velvet vs Epson Enhanced Matte papers.
There's no question whatever that the Fine Art Velvet is a nicer paper,
producing a more brilliant result, but I found that with suitable minor
adjustments to the tonal curve I can produce results that are so nearly
as good on Epson Enhanced Matte, once you put both behind glass with a
matte, that I am producing the show prints on EEM. (My plan is to
provide Fine Art Velvet prints on orders rather than for the exhibit
itself.)
This allows me to use automation more effectively since I can stack
load the printer for the show prints and reduces production costs
substantially. I wrote actions for Photoshop which automate printing
three different sizes of prints for the whole set. I must be getting
lightheaded at having this stuff come out because I'm getting a thrill
out of seeing a very nice, fully finished stack of 20 custom- cut 5x7s
pop out of the printer in a half hour or so.
I produced three sets like this so far and have been using one of them
to help organize and arrange the photos. And let me tell you, there is
such a huge difference between looking at a nice print and looking at a
photo on even an excellent computer screen. The tactile qualities of
the paper, the micro interaction of the surface texture with the ink
and image, the dynamics of handling the print ... Although I love
looking at photographs on a good computer screen, there's simply
nothing like a good print. And an modest size print, something in the
5x7 to 11x14 range, is a much more intimate viewing experience than the
big ones too.
fun stuff. I'm in the bomb run now, waiting for the clouds to clear.
There's a lot of work yet to do before Sunday when I do the
installation, but it's all getting done in an efficient manner without
rushing. This is fun.
Godfrey
- "Ramsey" - http://www.gdgphoto.com
