Can a ink jet printer really resolve all the detail from a Leica image?

[adan]

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2 minutes ago, pippy said:

Conversely prints made using CBP feel exactly like old-school wet-room photographs made on good heavyweight stock such as Agfa's Record Rapid. The texture - and even the smell(!) - of the paper is uncannily like an (un-glazed) fibre-based print. Again; being on heavyweight paper handling a print made on this stock has a reassuring feeling of being a high-quality piece of work.

Personally, I use Epson's own Exhibition Fiber Gloss, because it is always available locally.

But same general features - the "waxed-eggshell" surface and cool-neutral-color of old-school pre-RC single-contrast double-weight fiber bromide darkroom papers, air-dried. (Kodak Kodabromide, Ilford Ilfobrome, Agfa Brovira)

First time I've been able to get that look and feel since, maybe, 1980?

In color, it is also a fair match for dye-transfer color prints - as are pippy's papers, I expect. THE gold standard for high-end color exhibition prints in the Kodachrome era - but ungodly complicated.

https://www.charlescramer.com/dyetransfer.html

https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/dye-transfer-print

.............

Ilford produced their own ink jet paper for a year or two around 2009 (?), marketed as Harman Gloss Baryta FB (because "Swiss Ilford" had exclusive rights to sell inkjet papers under the "Ilford" name - it was complicated). Which was slightly more smooth and glossy (but NOT mirror-gloss). And I would swear looked and smelled as though it came right off the same machines as Ilford's silver-based print paper.

But that got handed off to Hahnemuhle, and eventually discontinued. **sigh**

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[pippy]

27 minutes ago, adan said:

Personally, I use Epson's own Exhibition Fiber Gloss, because it is always available locally......But same general features - the "waxed-eggshell" surface and cool-neutral-color of old-school pre-RC single-contrast double-weight fiber bromide darkroom papers, air-dried. (Kodak Kodabromide, Ilford Ilfobrome, Agfa Brovira)......First time I've been able to get that look and feel since, maybe, 1980?

In color, it is also a fair match for dye-transfer color prints.......but ungodly complicated.

https://www.charlescramer.com/dyetransfer.html

Thanks for the post, Andy; VERY interesting to read about Charles Cramer's Dye Transfer process but, as you suggest, best suited for those with the patience of Job! Still; I will bookmark the link. Probably something fascinating to do during the hours years of one's retirement? ......😸......

And yes; I can completely identify with the "First time I've been able to get that look and feel since, maybe, 1980?" part of your post.

Always open to new suggestions I've just just checked out the Epson Exhibition Fibre paper-stock you mention but unfortunately (for me as a Canon Photo Printer user) it can only be used "exclusively" with their own-brand K3 ink cartridges.

Having said that, however, I am sure that your description and recommendation will be of considerable interest for the Forumites using an Epson printer.

On the subject of 'Papers We Have Loved and Lost From the 1980's'.......

I almost never print in colour but I must admit being a bit curious to try out Hahnemuhle's 'Photo Rag Metallic' which, if we can trust the blurb(!), seems to be able come close to resembling results achieved from Cibachrome prints. Not to everyones taste, of course (😸), but an intersting proposition nonetheless;

https://www.hahnemuehle.co.uk/photo-rag-metallic/10641761

Philip.

[Jeff S]

Epson Exhibition Fiber is brighter white, and has higher OBA content than Canson’s Infinity Baryta Photographique II paper.  I stock both, along with a variety of other papers, some with warmer base.  Different pictures often require different looks.  In addition, the type and quality of the glass (and display lighting, of course) can significantly alter a framed print’s final rendering characteristics, same as in darkroom paper days.

Jeff

[Jeff S]

For those interested, Ctein wrote a series of articles on The Online Photographer about dye transfer and his extensive experience. One includes a link to a very good video where he makes a dye transfer print. (I’d link here, but my recent iOS update apparently eliminated the copy/paste functionality) 😡

Jeff

[hansvons]

21 hours ago, adan said:

Ilford produced their own ink jet paper for a year or two around 2009 (?), marketed as Harman Gloss Baryta FB (because "Swiss Ilford" had exclusive rights to sell inkjet papers under the "Ilford" name - it was complicated). Which was slightly more smooth and glossy (but NOT mirror-gloss). And I would swear looked and smelled as though it came right off the same machines as Ilford's silver-based print paper.

I came across that paper recently and found it outstanding when printing BW. However, it was made for Harman/Ilford by Hahnemühle.