Are the famous brands worth it? Choosing a paper supplier for your photos and fine art prints
Вставка
- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- What matters to me when I'm looking for a paper supplier for printing my photos and large fine art prints. What do good suppliers offer and what papers should you get for a new printer. Are the famous brands better?
Based on many years of printing and testing, there are some key indicators that a business wants to help you get great looking prints.
For a deeper look at some of the papers/printers I've looked at see:
www.northlight-images.co.uk/p... - Фільми й анімація
I can’t thank you enough for all the videos of yours I’ve watched on the lead up to starting to print my own images Keith! They’ve been invaluable, I can’t believe you’re not an ambassador and indeed sponsored by a decent company yet! Thank you sir.
Thanks - much appreciated
My independence in reviews has been important to me since my first [written] ones almost 20 years ago. I'll do testing work [often under NDA] with companies, but I'll do the same for their competitors. I've been told that from their POV, not being seen as a shill for one company is important to them.
Someone asked what I'd do about this if this channel became popular, since I only started the videos in 2020? That's a bridge I'll cross if it ever happens, but at 20k subs I suspect it will be a long while coming ;-)
If anyone's reading this and curious, there is a full 'review policy' on my Northlight site
www.northlight-images.co.uk/about/review-and-advertising-policies/
It's taken a while to be 'known' enough for companies to lend [can't afford to buy] camera kit to test.
Still not taking my calls:
Sony - silence, but then again they don't make any tilt/shift lenses ;-)
Thanks to all at Canon, Epson, Fuji, Hasselblad Nikon, Panasonic and Venus Lens who were happy to talk to me!
Absolute DITTO!
Thanks for another really useful video. I like the fact that you are not an “ambassador “ for any company and always feel that your reviews are honest and accurate. I’m hoping to get my printer in the next month or so🤞, and look forward to putting the knowledge into practice
Glad it was helpful!
I do have connections with X-rite and a few others [I've done pre-release testing under NDA], but it was always on the condition that my longstanding (~20 yrs) review policies would apply and that I would be free to look at any other kit I came across! ;-)
Several companies have welcomed that I also work with their competitors - they value the independent views... It's a balance - I'm hoping to keep it going as the channel grows!
I got an XP15000 a couple of weeks ago. I am getting great prints using no name paper from Amazon and default settings in the Epson software.
Good that it works - consider a hefty element of good luck in that ;-)
Very Helpful advice
Thanks
Always happy to accept what you tell us, Keith. Absolute integrity is evident in what you do. Oh, it's blood good as well :)
Thanks - appreciated!
Thanks for another great video. Answered a lot of the questions that were in my mind
Thanks - glad it was helpful!
Great info Keith, I am guilty of sticking with a particular brand. However I think the benefit of that is consistency with every box.
Not a problem if it works for you!
This was more aimed at people who are new or never settle with papers which work for them.
I primarily use Red River. I also use Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper.
Good papers...
In the US, Red River has good papers for reasonable prices, the Luster Metallic is great and their cotton papers, baryta, all their stuff has been working very well.
Yes - I've had a chance to try a few of their papers...
@@KeithCooper Free shipping in the states though, and that makes a lot of difference. I actually live in Mexico and shipping adds 30% to anything, sometimes more.
Thank you Keith, another
very helpfull Video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great conversation here. I purchased the Epson P900 earlier this year, which is when I found your channel initially. Previous to that, my printing experience was on Cibachrome ... which should tell you something. I started with Epson papers, and I too quite like the Lusture paper. However, I switched over to RedRiver Paper as I couldn't get the sizes I wanted from Epson. I've been very happy with them, they have all the sizes I want, and I love their glossy papers (my paper of choice). RedRiver has a lot of good articles on their website and they led me to Frame Destination where I. now get all my frames (both Texas based, like me).
They are the only US company I've actually dealt with, and seemed very helpful
I've just found this video and your website. That's the rest of the day allocated 😀
Thanks! Hope you find something of interest.
I use the Canon Fine Art Smooth paper quite a lot - it's a cotton rag, oba free, very smooth matte paper that is half the price of the major brands here in the US. I wish I knew who makes it, I doubt if Canon does.
Thanks much for your reviews Keith.
Have a look at some of the Innova papers - there may be some similar Red River ones - give them a call...
Keith, you are a gem!!
Thanks!
Thank you for a great video. I think it´s important to find papers you like, get to know them well and dont´t care so much about the manufacturer. And it is important, as Keith says, make sure that the supplier offer good support. They often have some extra information and tricks they share when they know you. In our printshop we only offer six different papers - from Hahnemüle, MediaJET and Awagami. They are all of superb quality. We have spent years with these papers, and really know the papers and the suppliers well. Never any surprises in our production🙂.
And do we belive the famous brands manufacture all of their papers themselves ...?
Thanks glad it was of interest.
Thank you! For my Epson P900, I use papers from Hahnemühle and Ilford after testing numerous manufacturers/vendors.
Yes, finding what works can take a bit of work...
Which papers did you test? I have just begun the journey away from OEM papers, not that I am unhappy with them. Just would like to see how others react. FYI, same printer P900.
@@kimbrunstudio Difficult question, because I tend to forget such things. In any case Canson (not Canon), Epson, Moab, Photolux ... Where I could, test samples have ordered with all fine art papers. At the moment I often print with Ilford Baryta. This is a very good paper to start with. Matte papers are trickier, but challenging.
@@cditfurth Thank Christian! I am looking to run roll paper and the choices are much more limited. I am currently using Epson's UltraPremium Luster in sheets. Not archival and thus my search begins for something with similar color accuracy. Any thoughts?
@@kimbrunstudio Sorry, I don't use rolls. No idea.
Keith, I've been a naughty boy 🤣
I got an offer on "a few" papers from Ilford, but of course, I started with OEM paper... But I jumped to Ilfords Smooth Pearl very fast as I like the surface/texture, and it's very reasonable priced :)
And having a variety of papers from matt with an pronounced texture, to smooth matt, to pearl surface, to semi-gloss and high gloss, is a nice luxury as I do some "print/coffee/photo talk"-aftermoons with some friends. And the variety seems to peek an interest as how different pictures looks on different papers.
Therefore I have done prints on all the different papers with both my Canon Pro 200 (the first one I bought used), and then my Canon Pro 1000 (the first one bought used, and second one from new, as the first one died, and there weren't any up for sale for a reasonable price), using your "classic" test print - So my guest could which printer/paper combination they liked the best :)
Today I sold my Pro 200 (with some OEM paper, and some Ilford Studio Paper which did not have icc-profiles for my Pro 1000) to an elderly bloke. I had of course referred to your YT channel, as I would like him to know to pros and con on the Pro 200 :) And of course gave him a crash course on printing based on my experience, and what I've learnt from you :)
Just to let you know, that your great work makes a difference for me :)
But since I'm getting a bit into portraits, I'm thinking of trying some "baryta" papers from Hahnemühle from their "rag" line up... But what to choose? And I'm thinking of trying their Photo Pearl too... And for the fun of it, their "fine art" photo Pearl to see if I can tell a difference...
Anyway, thanks for you contributing to photo printing ❤️
Thanks - glad to have been of some help!
An interesting perspective, Keith. Thank you. Paper must be similar to other products that can be "white labelled". Even if the paper is made by a well-known, highly respected company, it may or may not be the same as the name/national brand. Many manufactures of products produce products for other companies. These may not be identical to their own brand. A visit to any supermarket will confirm that the house brand may be equal to, or better than, the national brand. Or maybe worse. The trial and error of finding an alternative to a big brand paper is something to consider in deciding which paper to get.
Yes, my only suggestion in this respect is to go to 'good' suppliers who offer support. It's often a sign that their papers are from well known sources.
I can often tell a lot about who originally supplied a paper just from the packing paper inside a box, or the type of tape used on the protection layer of a roll ;-)
Very timely video, Keith 😁.
Thanks
@@KeithCooper No, thank you (so very much).
Thanks for the caveats. I'd certainly hope that when you buy things like paper from third-party sellers (at least the well-known ones, such as Amazon, B&H, and Adorama in the US) and they arrive in OEM boxes, that they're in fact the "real deal" (as it would be outright fraud otherwise)! Sometimes the OEM sites actually offer better deals, but usually not. When it comes to ink, I only ever buy OEM (and Epson's prices are the same on their site as I've seen elsewhere, plus it's possible that other sites may be selling older stock, although I wonder what the actual "shelf life" of ink is).
I've never had any reason to doubt the veracity of any paper I've been sent (that's just the UK), but that's usually with suppliers I know and have talked to at shows
Hello Mr. Cooper. I enjoy a lot your vast knowledge of printing. I purchased an Epson P900 for my prints and I am really happy. I would like to ask about wich option to select when profiling a multicolor printer like this when using i1 x-rite software...should I run a normal CMYK profile o it would be more accurate using 6 colors?..
Thanks a lot for your time and effort doing your videos.
Happy new year!
Thanks - Unless you have a specialist CMYK RIP to drive the printer, there is no use at all for CMYK. If using the printer driver, then the device acts as and should be profiled as an RGB device.
See this video (and notes) for example:
ua-cam.com/video/wX3ZcAiLg-4/v-deo.html
@@KeithCooper Hi, understood 100%.
Thanks a lot!
Video idea - you have an image on screen with highly saturated colours. You want to print it on a glossy paper. You know those on screen colours will not translate well onto the paper. How would you go about managing the colours to get best/most saturated print?
I did a video covering the essence of this the other day
See here and the linked article covering it in even more detail
www.northlight-images.co.uk/video-printing-strong-colours/
I think you have mention this in earlier videos. I dumped my paipers after that
Yes, I have crossover in videos - I never assume anyone has watched them all!
@@KeithCooperI'm working at it so I'm prepared for my next printer. What about getting to saturated pictures and not be able to correct it when I use a printing service?
Ah, I have no current experience of printing services...
hey I just got an Epson, does anyone know where I can buy A1 glossy?
Not a commonly stocked size for sheet media. Prints that size are usually cut from roll media.
Oh, and where are you? Makes a big difference...
what brand and paper is good to print a panoroma on canon pro 200 ? tks
Brand is somewhat meaningless - what sort of paper do you want and what size?
@@KeithCooper like the pro platina from canon and the size are the same of your review of pro-200. : "Note that double A4 size (210mm x 594mm) - that’s what I used for the borderless panoramic print here. along
with a custom size for the big panoramic print. (254mm x 990mm here)" : Keith Coopers Canon Pixma PRO-200 A3+ 13_ desktop printer review
Ah, I see [the review was some time ago]
The pano paper [half of A2 sheets lengthways] came from Paper Spectrum in the UK
No idea if anyone else produces this size...
@@KeithCooper tks alot
@@KeithCooper i need to find another possible supllier. :( 45 £ delivery...
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Slightly off topic couple of questions! (1) Paper storage: is there a recommended way to store A2/A3+ fine art papers? vertically or horizontally? (2) can anyone recommend a suitable matt paper for making initial test prints before final tweaks on the full weight paper. (some kind of matt proofing paper that does not need to be 300gms and maybe even capable of printing double sided)
1 I keep it in boxes horizontally
2 lots of equivalent matt papers to Epson Enhanced Matte around the 240 gsm mark
@@KeithCooper thanks Keith