Thirty-one new samples entered testing this morning, all contributed by AaI&A members in recent months. The first results at the 10 Megalux hour exposure interval will appear in the light fade database in about two months. The samples are itemized below in order of printer/ink/media and coating (where applicable):
Black and White Print Samples
1) Epson Stylus Pro 7900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ (ABW mode) / Canson Infinity BFK Rives 310gsm
2) Epson Stylus Pro 7900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ (ABW mode) / Canson Infinity Rag Photographique 310gsm
3) Epson R1800 / MIS Associates “Eboni” MK (3 ink channels) / PremierArt™ Fine Art Smooth 205gsm / Premier Art Print Shield
4) Epson Stylus Pro 10000 / Cone Piezography Neutral K6 / PremierArt™ Alise Bright White
5) Epson Stylus Pro 10000 / Cone Piezography Neutral K6 / Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 gsm
6) Epson Stylus Pro 7000 / Cone Piezography Carbon Sepia K6 / PremierArt™ Alise Bright White
7) HP Designjet Z3100 44″ / HP Vivera Pigment (Grayscale) / Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 gsm
8) HP Designjet Z3100 44″ / HP Vivera Pigment (Grayscale) / Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 gsm / Premier Art Print Shield
9) HP Designjet Z3100 44″ / HP Vivera Pigment (Grayscale) / HP Pro Satin Photo Paper
Color Print Samples (plus one B&W sample) ..
10) HP Designjet Z3100 44″ / HP Vivera Pigment / Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 gsm
11) HP Designjet Z3100 44″ / HP Vivera Pigment / Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 gsm / Premier Art Print Shield
12) HP Designjet Z3100 44″ / HP Vivera Pigment / HP Pro Satin Photo Paper
13) Epson Stylus Pro 9800 / Epson (K3 Ultrachrome) / Arches Watercolor Cold Press Bright White
14) Epson Stylus Pro 9800 / Epson (K3 Ultrachrome – ABW mode) / Arches Watercolor Cold Press Bright White
15) Epson Stylus Pro 4880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta / Breathing Color Elegant Velvet
The Hp Pro Satin Paper is a true independent replicate for a sample already in test. It was printed on a different Z3100 unit with a different batch of HP Pro Satin paper and ink. We also now have a grayscale test sample of the HP Pro Satin in test as listed above.
The pair of color and B&W samples printed on the Arches Cold Press paper are excellent examples of a paper that is sized but not coated. Color gamut is usually muted on uncoated papers, but these samples have impressive print quality given that they are printed on a classic artist’s watercolor paper rather than a paper specifically treated for inkjet inks. An advantage to an uncoated paper is the unique beauty of the paper texture is usually more apparent than with coated papers.
And the Special Study
16) Epson Stylus Pro 9900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ (B&W via imageprint) / Epson Hot Press Natural 330 gsm
17) Epson Stylus Pro 11880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta(B&W via Imageprint) / Epson Hot Press Natural 330 gsm
18) Epson Stylus Pro 9900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ (ABW mode) / Epson Hot Press Natural 330 gsm
19) Epson Stylus Pro 11880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta(ABW mode) / Epson Hot Press Natural 330 gsm
20) Epson Stylus Pro 9900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ (B&W via Imageprint) / Epson Hot Press Bright White 330 gsm
21) Epson Stylus Pro 11880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta(B&W-Imageprint) / Epson Hot Press Bright White 330 gsm
22) Epson Stylus Pro 9900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ (ABW mode) / Epson Hot Press Bright White 330 gsm
23) Epson Stylus Pro 11880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta(ABW mode) / Epson Hot Press Bright White 330 gsm
24) Epson Stylus Pro 9900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ (via ImagePrint) / Epson Hot Press Natural 330 gsm
25) Epson Stylus Pro 11880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta(via ImagePrint) / Epson Hot Press Natural 330 gsm
26) Epson Stylus Pro 9900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ / Epson Hot Press Natural 330 gsm
27) Epson Stylus Pro 11880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta / Epson Hot Press Natural 330 gsm
28) Epson Stylus Pro 9900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ (via ImagePrint) / Epson Hot Press Bright White 330 gsm
29) Epson Stylus Pro 11880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta(via ImagePrint) / Epson Hot Press Bright White 330 gsm
30) Epson Stylus Pro 9900 / Epson UltraChrome HDR™ / Epson Hot Press Bright White 330 gsm
31) Epson Stylus Pro 11880 / Epson UltraChrome K3™ with Vivid Magenta / Epson Hot Press Bright White 330 gsm
The samples in this special study were contributed by one AaI&A member. The original sample submission inquiry was a request to test two new Epson papers, Hot Press Natural and Hot Press Bright White printed with the Colorbyte ImagePrint Rip. As it turned out, this AaI&A member is a professional printmaker with two Epson wide format printers, an Epson 9900 running the new HDR inks, and and Epson 11880 running Epson K3 with vivid magenta inks. Our good fortune afforded AaI&A the opportunity to create a unique paired comparison study. So, an experiment has been designed with print sample pairs all made on the same batch of papers under identical printing conditions. The study will look for subtle differences between the two printer/ink sets, the two paper types, B&W versus color output, and lastly any differences between the Imageprint output and the standard Epson OEM driver output to these two printers. Once these samples accumulate about 100 megalux hours in test (one year+), I will write a special report to AaI&A members about the results. I will also with permission give credit in the report to the AaI&A member who so generously contributed these samples of outstanding quality.
The ability to work closely with AaI&A contributors and match up tightly controlled samples side-by-side in light fade testing is a unique advantage of the collaboration that AaI&A enjoys with its members. Thanks to all for the test sample submissions and the unique pictorial prints that also accompany some of the samples. They are a greatly welcomed addition to the Aardenburg Imaging Archives.
Mark H. McCormick-Goodhart
Director, Aardenburg Imaging & Archives
