¡ ADOCE DIGITAL IMAGING es ditribiudora exclusiva de la “Colección Digital FineArt” de Hahnemühle !

Papeles artísticos inkjet para imrpesiones FineArt, arte digital y reproducciones de obras artísticas y fotográficas. De calidad museo, resistentes al envejecimiento y premiados en múltiples ocasiones. 

The Art of Expression since 1584

 Hahnemühle FineArt- el molino de papeles artísticos más antiguo de Alemania- fabrica papeles artísticos para las técnicas tradicionales de pintura e impresión desde hace 425 años. Esta colección Digital Fine Art conjuga la elegancia y exclusividad de los papeles artísticos tradicionales con la increíble  óptica y versatilidad  de la impresión FineArt moderna.

  La gama de productos incluye papeles y lienzos (canvas) de diferentes gramajes y estructuras de superficie.  Gracias a la colaboración de Hahnemühle con los fabricantes líderes de impresoras inkjet, se ha conseguido la óptima adaptación entre los papeles, las máquinas y las tintas. Los papeles y lienzos FineArt de Hahnemühle  son libres de ácido y extremadamente resistentes al envejecimiento. Premios otorgados por instituciones renombradas como TIPA, BIPP y American Photo confirman la calidad superior de Hahnemühle.

La colección Digital FineArt está dividida en tres categorías: Matt FineArt – papeles artísticos de superficie lisa o texturada, siempre con acabado mate; Glossy FineArt- papeles artísticos de superficie lisa con acabado brillante y Canvas FineArt – lienzos de algodón y polialgodón.

Para mayor información sobre las distintas categorías, perfiles disponibles, premios otorgados,  informes técnicos, etc.  pueden entrar en http://www.hahnemuehle.com/site/en/169/home.html 

ADOCE DIGITAL IMAGING tiene stock actualmente de la siguiente selección de la Colección Digital FineArt ( para solicitar lista con medidas, gramajes y precios solo tienen que escribirnos un mail)

 Matt FineArt-Smooth ( Terminación Mate-Liso)

• Photo Rag® 100% algodón – blanco

Photo Rag es el papel más popular entre los fotógrafos para crear impresiones FineArt de alta alta “>calidad. Su lisa superficie y su tacto contribuyen a la versatilidad de Photo Rag y lo hacen ideal para imprimir tanto fotografías en blanco y negro como en colores y reproducciones de arte con alta profundidad de imagen.

• Natural Art Duo 256 g/m2 100% alpha celulosa –  blanco natural

Natural Art Duo se puede imprimir por las dos caras y es el soporte ideal para portafolios y álbumes de fotos. Las impresiones inkjet sobre este este “>papel papel “>adquieren una nueva percepción en comparación con las fotos comunes de alto brillo. Los tonos cálidos y grises destacan con este papel. 

• Photo Rag Duo®  276 g/m2 100% algodón – blanco 

Photo Rag Duo se puede imprimir por las dos caras con la misma calidad que el Photo Rag. Ideal para portafolios y álbumes de fotos.

• Bamboo 290 g/m2 – 90% fibra de bambú – 10% algodón – blanco natural 

Hahnemühle Bamboo es el primer papel inkjet FineArt hecho de fibras de bambú. Bamboo representa espiritualidad, naturalidad y una producción ecológicamente sostenible. Es especialmente indicado para impresiones coloridas y monocromáticas con tonos cálidos y que pretenden exaltar la perceptibilidad del motivo.

• Photo Rag Ultra Smooth® 305 g/m2 100% algodón – blanco

La superficie del Photo Rag Ultra Smooth es especialmente interesante para artistas digitales que quieren la calidad comprobada del Photo Rag pero con aun menos textura y en un blanco más claro.

• Photo Rag Bright White® 310 g/m2  100% algodón – blanco claro

Photo Rag Bright White es el mas elegido por los usuarios que prefieren un papel de algodón especialmente blanco. Es ideal para la reproducción de motivos con mucho contraste.

MattFineArt-Textured ( terminación mate rugoso)

• William Turner 190 g/m2 190 · 310 g/m² · 100% algodón · blanco

Este papel de tina tradicional tradicional “>tiene la textura mate y el tacto de un papel de acuarela tradicional. William Turner es ideal para reproducciones de obras de arte tradicionales así como para reproducciones fotográficas extraordinarias y llenas de efecto.

• Sugar Cane 300 g/m2 · 75% fibra de caña de azúcar · 25% algodón · blanco natural

Hahnemühle Sugar Cane combina la alta calidad de un papel inkjet FineArt con la utilización responsable de las materias primas. La pulpa del “bagazo” es un subproducto de la producción de azúcar. El algodón viene de nuestro propio reciclaje de residuos de papel. Con la textura fina de un papel pastel, Sugar Cane ofrece a cada imagen un aspecto artístico.

• Museum Etching 350 g/m2 - 100% algodón · blanco natural

Canvas FineArt ( lienzos)

• Canvas Artist 340 g/m² · polialgodón · blanco natural

La estructura de lino del lienzo Canvas Artist se ve y se siente. El acabado inkjet mate permite una excelente definición de imagen y graduación de colores con efectos tridimensionales. 
Otros items. 

• Photo Rag® y Bamboo Anniversary Edition 

Una exclusiva edición de aniversario se ofrecerá en 2009 con papeles de la Colección Digital FineArt de Hahnemühle. Photo Rag^® Ultra Smooth, FineArt Baryta y Bamboo estarán disponibles en formato DIN A3+ en un estuche negro de alta calidad. El estuche de aniversario contiene 50 hojas y es la presentación ideal para portafolios elegantes. Ha sido diseñado exclusivamente para Hahnemühle por Prat, París.

• Certificado de Autenticidad 

ADOCE DIGITAL IMAGING–  Alfredo L. Palacios 1119 C.A.B.A., Argentina. Tel 54 11 4303 0955 – www.adoce.com – info@adoce.com

  ADOCE  S.A. se presenta como distribuidor exclusivo de Hahnemühle Fine Art en Planeta Digital, 7mo Salón de Técnología para la  Fotografía Digital, en paralelo con  Exposign & Serigrafía. 

Fecha: 22 al 24 de Octubre

Lugar: Centro Costa Salguero 

Horario: 14 a 21hs. 

¡Los esperamos!

Here is a quick informal review of a new offering by Canson, Baryta Photographique 310 gsm… this paper exhibits many of the qualities of a air dried darkroom print but how does it compare to other Baryta papers tested here at Indian Hill Imageworks. Give a listen…

Link to information on Canson Baryta Photographique.

This audio blog is on alternative hanging solutions and how the tactile quality of some printed artworks changes the viewers relationship to the art. Give a listen!!

Links:

http://figitalrevolution.com/2009/01/31/beyond-the-frame-and-glass-alternative-print-display-solutions/

http://www.posterhanger.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“The Mortal Landscape” Art Opening at Indian Hill.

Indian Hill Imageworks in Pawlet, Vermont is holding a special opening reception Friday October 9th from 5 to 7 pm, and an open house Saturday, October 10th from 9 to 4 pm. This Columbus Day weekend event will celebrate the introduction of an exciting new body of photographic artworks by hybrid artist and master printer Stephen M. Schaub.

The show reception and open house are free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served.

“The Mortal Landscape”consists of works shot in and around Vermont in 2009, and continues Schaub’s emotional investigations of the world around us. The artworks incorporate a series of striking hand-made papers, and make full use of Schaub’s groundbreaking mastery of hybrid photographic technologies.

All works on display will be available for purchase, each offered as an edition of one.

Viewings are also available by appointment. The gallery is located three miles north of Pawlet Village, look for the directional sign on Rte 30 which points to the River Road  turn. For more information please call 802-325-2274 or visit www.indianhillimageworks.com.

Click here to download the show statement (3.7 MB file).  The Mortal Landscape Promo

I typically print my photos on Moab Entrada Rag Natural 300 paper which has a slightly textured matte surface. The 300gsm is nice and heavy in your hand, the texture feels rich and “fabric-ey”, and it lays flat before and after printing – no curling or waving. However, the Entrada is not really designed for rough handling. The soft open surface can pick up oil from fingers and is relatively easy to scratch and dent. It is best to put the prints under glass soon after printing.

This week I needed something a little different. The Wayne County Council for the Arts is having a show of photos taken within our county. All entries need to be submitted mounted and unframed. I decided to submit some photos, but I didn’t know how the prints would be handled or stored or presented once I turned them in, so I thought I had better use a glossy paper that would better resist smudges and scratching. The glossy would also look better since matte prints not under glass can sometimes look a little flat.  Plus I was planning to go black and white which I like best on a gloss type surface in order to have the look and feel of traditional wet process prints.

Usually I would order something like this through the Internet, but I didn’t feel like waiting for shipping so I needed to find a local supplier. I stopped by my local art supply shop to pick up some photo mounting adhesive and some board (permanent mounting is also something I don’t usually do). This gave me another idea. What if I printed on matte paper and then applied a gloss finish over the top?

I had heard of people doing this, but I never saw the point since I always frame my prints. So I picked up a can of glossy Krylon “Preserve It!” digital photo protectant and headed home to try it out. Of course the can warned me about flammable harmful vapors, but I figured how bad could it be?

The stuff worked great at putting a glossy surface over my prints. It was an interesting effect – a matte textured surface with a glossy sheen. Unfortunately the smell was over powering. I sprayed two roughly 8×10 prints out in my garage – not the cleanest environment, but well ventilated. After letting the prints dry for 15 minutes or so, I brought them inside. Holy Cow! In no time I could not stand to be in my office. I opened the window and closed the door in a vain attempt to keep the fumes out of the rest of the house. After a couple of hours I could not take it anymore. The prints had to go back out to the garage. It took all afternoon to air out my office to the point it was habitable again and I could still smell it the next day because just laying the prints on my desk caused the odor to impregnate the wood! After several days in the garage the prints still reeked so I threw them away.

Back to the drawing board – looks like real honest to goodness glossy paper is the way to go. I decided to head over to Booksmart Studio to see what paper they had on hand. Booksmart specializes in high end art book type printing, but they also sell stuff for photo printing and even carry a line of inkjet printable metal for those adventurous types.

They several brands of paper; Canson, Innova, Lumijet, etc., and a large selection of Hahnemühle. I always wanted to try Hahnemühle, but it is expensive and I got used to the Moab so I just never bothered. One nice thing at Booksmart is that they have sample prints on dozens of different papers so you can spread them all out on the counter and compare them. I messed around trying to decide on the right combination of print quality, texture, and gloss for about twenty minutes. I finally decided on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Pearl 320gsm.

This is a cotton based paper with no optical brighteners and a gloss coating with a little bit of a dimpling texture that gives it a sparkle when held at the right angle to the light. Although there are no brighteners, the white is still a little brighter than the Entrada Natural. I like how deep and dark the blacks become and the warm grey lighter tones in black and white photos. I have not printed much color on it yet, but so far it seems to need the saturation boosted a little in order to match the colors of the Entrada. There is a slight curve toward the coated side, but nothing serious. It feels good, it looks good, and it seems to take handling very well.

So I fiddled around a bit until I got it to look the way I wanted it and then I printed my photos. I sprayed the back of the prints with 3M Photo Mount Adhesive. I did the spraying in the garage again, but the odor was nothing like the preservative. Once the prints dried a couple of minutes, I took them inside and mounted them on foam board using a hard rubber roller to press them down. Presto! – mounted unframed prints.

I could enter 3 photos and had planned to use one of a canal lock at night, one of a barn with vines growing over it, and one of some bolts in a local railroad tower. After I got them all printed and mounted, I noticed that the entries had to be all taken within the last 5 months. The barn and the canal lock were taken back in January so they were out. I ended up just using three bolt photos; two of which I have included in this post.

Oh well.

MDW

The audio portion of this post contains my thoughts and test information on the following papers:

• Crane Silver Rag
• Canson Platine Fibre Rag
• Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta
• Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Pearl

Gamut projections of tested papers in Chromix Color Think.

All tests were done on the Epson 9900 using RIP and profiling software by Ergosoft.

Bad batch numbers for Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta 315 gsm:

• 601.098-A
• 601.099-A
• 601.100-A
• 601.208-A
• 601.211-A

Note: As I mentioned in the audio portion of this post the new batch of paper supplied to me by Hahnemuhle is perfect and the issue of the black specs has now been corrected from what I can see. I was informed that the issue was “fixed” back in May/ June but unfortunately the bad stock does still exist so check before you buy!

Here are some great prints from artist Isaac Bushkin. I love these, they are GREAT, I love the wood grain background. The above print is called ‘The Roots Bear Roots That Rise’ and it is a 17 x 22 inch archival print on Hahnemuhle paper limited edition of 50 comes signed and numbered by the artist for $125 each. The below print is called ‘Friendly Encounter’ and it is a 17 x 22 inch archival print on Hahnemuhle paper limited edition of 50 comes signed and numbered by the artist for $125 each. Check it out HERE

Isaac Bushkin 'Friendly Encounter' Size: 8.5 x 11 Inches $20 Each

Heute ist ein turbulenter Tag. Das Atelier ist voll – Andreas hält einen Malworkshop. Danach geht es gleich weiter zu meiner Vernissage zur Kirche am Tempelhofer Feld. Andreas hält dort die Laudatio für mich.
So habe ich hier im Atelier gesessen und einen Krieger gezeichnet. Den habe ich auch “ganz in echt” gesehen. Er steht vor dem Alten Museum in Berlin und ist eigentlich eine Frau. Ich habe vor 2 Wochen dort ein Foto gemacht und es heute als Inspirationsquelle benutzt.
Auch habe ich die Gunst der Stunde genutzt und einen der vielen Bögen von Hahnemühle ausprobiert. Leider habe ich nicht darauf geachtet, welchen ich gegriffen habe. Aber wenn ich die einzelnen ausgebreiteten Bögen anfasse, dann kann ich leicht herausfinden, welchen ich benutzt habe. Ich finde, Papier ist sinnlich.

Krieger - Zeichnung von Susanne Haun

Altes Museum - Foto von Susanne Haun

Hahnemühles nye kunstpapir, Baryta FB er en “Bright White” fine art  inkjet-fotopapir med en ekstra glatt overflate og blankt belegg. Det nye Baryta FB papiret har angivelig blitt produsert på forespørsel fra fotografer som ville ha noe som minner om den tradisjonelle fiber baserte Barytt papir. Dette nye Hahnemühle papiret vil bli offisielt lansert på Photo Plus Expo i New York i slutten av oktober. Samtidig vil Photo Rag ® 460 g bli erstattet av et nytt Photo Rag ® med en base vekt på 500 g, dette vil bli tilgjengelig i følgende formater: 24 x 30 “og 35 x 46.75″, i 25 arks pakker.

Estão abertas as inscrições para a sétima edição do concurso Leica-Fotografe.

Foto de Domingos Martins Costa, vencedor da categoria P&B da edição 2008 do Concurso Leica-Fotografe

A promoção do concurso vem da parceria entre a Marinho Comércio Ltda, representante oficial no Brasil de marcas como Leica, Ilford, Metz, Gossen, Hahnemühle, entre outras, e a revista Fotografe Melhor.

Serão três categorias a serem disputadas: Cor, P&B e Ensaio. O tema comum a todas elas vem como o título de Cena Brasileira, e procura assim, valorizar imagens feitas no Brasil que destaquem a cultura, o povo, bem como manifestações folclóricas, artísticas, religiosas, sociais e esportivas.

O ensaios deverão ser compostos de 10 fotos. Já nas categorias Cor e P&B, devem ser enviadas três fotografias para cada categoria. Diferente da categoria ensaios, estas fotos não precisam ter qualquer relação entre si.

As inscrições vão até 14 de Agosto e o carimbo dos Correios valerá como comprovação de envio dentro do prazo estabelecido.

Para mais informações e regulamento, clique aqui.

Ich suchte heute einen neuen Block Aquarellpapier in unserem Schrank. Hierbei bin ich über angefangene Blöcke und auch leeren Pappen gestolpert. Doch welches ist das richtige Papier?

Papierauswahl

Ich musste an Susanne Haun denken, sie hatte in Ihrem Artikel Ziegenfamilie über Ihre Erfahrungen und Ihre Auswahl geschrieben. So fing ich wieder an über die Bedeutung des Papiers für meine Bilder nachzudenken.

Für meine Aquarelle kann ich sagen, dass ich am liebsten auf Papieren von Canson und Hahnemühle male. Alle anderen Versuche zum Beispiel auf “Hausmarken” von Boesner oder Gerstäcker haben nicht die Ergebnisse gebracht, ich ich erwartet habe. Es fehlt den Bildern an Brillianz und Tiefe. Doch auch die Papiere von Hahnemühle und Canson unterscheiden sich gewaltig.
Ich werde in den nächsten Wochen über meine Erfahrungen mit den Papieren schreiben und versuchen die Unterschiede dazustellen.

I’ve recently created a new series of images (you can see them in the “Winter Simplified” gallery on my site).  They are black and white scenes of farmland in winter.  Lots of snow and sky, and then some simple details of grasses, or a fence, or a tree.  I decided that I needed a matte paper to print them on, rather my usual pearl finish paper.

My default paper for the last year or more has been Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl.  I really like the Hahnemühle papers, so I decided to stick with them, and I bought a sample pack of their matte papers to test.  I printed two of my winter images on five different papers to compare them.  The main differentiators between the papers were colour and texture.  The papers had a range from bright white to very creamy, and very smooth to highly textured.  I decided I didn’t want anything with too much texture (snow and sky don’t have much inherent texture!).  That narrowed down my choice a bit.  I was left with four smoother papers.

Since the Fine Art Pearl I had been using was so white, I assumed I would naturally be drawn to the bright white for my matte paper too.  Wrong!

Photo Rag Bright White just looked too cold and stark — even for my winter scenes.  It seemed clinical somehow.  The regular Photo Rag created an odd, greenish colour cast in the greys.  That left me with two warmer toned papers to choose from: Museum Etching, and Bamboo.  I liked both.  Visually, I probably preferred the slight extra texture of the Museum Etching, but only by a hair.  In the end, however, the idea of using paper made from bamboo, an easily renewable resource, was appealing enough to sway me to that choice.  I’m very happy with it!  It’s turned out to be a lovely paper to work with.

I found it a highly educational experience to print my images on several different papers, and compare them, to arrive at a well thought-out choice.  I hadn’t really done that when I chose the Fine Art Pearl for my colour images.  At that point, I knew I wanted a pearl or lustre finish, because my colour images tend to have quite saturated colours that just don’t come out on matte paper.  And glossy paper was just too “shiny” for me.  I chose Hahnemühle’s Fine Art Pearl on a recommendation from a fellow photographer.  I have been happy with the Fine Art Pearl, but I decided I owed it to myself to try a comparison for my colour prints too.

I’m now using the Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta.  It has very similar printing qualities to my old Fine Art Pearl.  However, it’s a warmer toned paper that matches better with the Bamboo I chose for my black and white images.

Neither the bamboo nor the Photo Rag Baryta has any optical brighteners, which I’m also pleased about.

I must admit, I was tempted by the brand new Sugar Cane paper by Hahnemühle (for the same environmental reasons as I like the Bamboo).  It’s a little whiter than the Bamboo (still without the optical brighteners), however, it has too much texture for my taste.

So – I’ve given up my addiction to bright white, and am now thoroughly enjoying my new warm-toned papers!

Bamboo

In a continuous effort to keep our studio green, we now stock:

Hahnemühle’s new Bamboo Paper 290gsm, 90% Bamboo Fiber, 10% Cotton Natural White

Bamboo is the world’s first digital fine art inkjet paper made from bamboo fibers with resource-saving paper production.

We are starting to test this paper and are very happy with the results.  Call us or stop by to give this paper a try.

All my best and keep it green.

Ken

Apparently, making a public commitment to work does have a positive tendency to push you on. Completed this weekend was Tricks and Treachery, a triptych piece which took around 35 hours to complete. It’s a bit of a whopper (for me, anyway). This is the second piece towards the planned collection, the first being Before the Storm.

Tricks and Treachery, 2009 (approx 46cm x 106cm)
Graphite, coloured pencil and acrylic wash on Hahnemuhle hot-pressed watercolour paper

I’ll be blogging more about the process for the piece in the not too distant future, and am planning to release prints at a later date.

Epson 4880 Pro with Vivid Magenta Inks

Today’s post is not a structured formal review – there will be plenty of those coming in the weeks ahead as new products will begin to ship from the manufacturers.  Instead, today’s article is just a casual discussion about the wide format printer I have been using for the past year: the Epson 4880 with Vivid Magenta Inks.  I have owned the printer for 13 months, 12 of which I have actually used the printer.  Much to my dismay, when the printer initially arrived it sat in its box for about a month as there were other projects going on, and quite honestly no place to put it yet as we really had no idea how large this sucker actually was!  By the way, in case you are wondering – it’s heavy too, about 90lbs!

Upon finally setting up the printer, there were a few driver issues that I had to overcome, as the setup is much more complex that your standard home printer.  I think the issue was since I have it running off of a network connection, it was quite finicky getting detected.  Upon going to the Epson website to read some support issues, I found that two days prior, Epson released a firmware update for the printer to better ensure networking capatability.  I found this amusing, downloaded the update, and I was off an running.

The initial priming of the print head sure does consume a lot of ink.  If you recall from my previous article about the cost of ink, you too would have been scared when you saw your ink level drop to 50% after the unit was done making noise!  However,  I was so delighted to see that it took a very long time before the ink levels dropped any lower, and I was ever-so surprised that it took me the better part of two months, doing a decent amount of print work 4 times a week before I had to even change my Light Magenta for the first time.  Light magenta is usually the color to go first, as it is the primary ink used to render skin tones.  After the light magenta, light cyan, then cyan are usually the next to go, as they are the primary component of most scenic photos.  Unless you are doing black & white photographs, the blacks inks are usually last to go.  Of course, this will vary from user to user based on the image content one is printing.

The standard paper that I print on is the Epson Ultra Premium Luster 260.  I purchase this paper rolls at a time, as roll paper is so much more cost effective than cut-sheet paper.  Even when using the Epson 2200, R1800, & R800 in the past, Epson Premium Luster was always my standard go-to paper.  It’s heavy-weight, quite durable, has the feel of N-finish darkroom papers, does not give nasty reflections like junky glossy paper does, and delivers rich and luscious color saturation.  Subtle details in the deepest blacks and the brightest highlights are still discernable on this top-grade paper from Epson.  In addition to the Premium Luster, I print my fine-art exhibits photographs exclusively on Hahnemuhle Fine Art photo papers for a few reasons: 1) they have a 425-year reputation for creating fine art-specific papers with archival quality of over 200 years, 2) their wide selection of paper surfaces, 3) their commitment to protecting artist copyright and valuation through myArt Registry and the Certificate of Authenticity system, and 4) their attempt to advance research and development for the manufacture of digital art papers from renewable resources such as bamboo and sugarcane.  I have been testing these papers for sometime now and they produce interesting results.

The reason for this segue, of course, is that a client of mine began to share the excitement of Hahnemuhle papers with me and decided that he wanted me to print a series of his images for his next exhibit on the Hahnemuhle Photo Rag paper which is a matte paper, and most of his images were black & white.  Now, I knew about this when I purchased the printer – it does not auto-switch photo black and matte black inks.  One must drain the photo black throug a series of commands, install the matte black ink and let the printer run it through its system.  This whole process takes nearly 20 minutes and sucks up some of your color inks too.  Now, financially this wasn’t really a problem as the print job was more than paying for this loss in ink, however, it was time consuming and really puts a damper on the impulse to going back and forth between paper surfaces.  I am aware the Epson 3800 has auto-switching and prints 17″ wide.  However, I was not impressed with the build quality of the 3800 – it remind me of the 2200, 1800, etc and I figured if I was going to buy a printer that I might as well buy a printer.  The 4880 is so much stronger built – the printhead itself a heavier-duty, has an ink repelling coating to help prevent nozzle-clogging, can maintain a 16-bit workflow from file to output, and of course accepts larger ink cartridges.  I would love to purchase the 11800 which uses 700ml ink cartridges, however the price tag on the printer is a little cost prohibitive for the volume I do, not to mention – where do you even put a printer that size?

It is unfortunate they could not incorporate the auto-switching black-ink technology into a printer of a higher-class than the 3800, but it just forces me to be more selective with media for my personal work.  It helps me narrow and focus my projects.

Every once in a while I end up using cut-sheet paper, especially for many of the specialty Hahnemuhle papers I print on.  They are such specific-use, one-time prints that it doesn’t make sense to purchase an entire roll of the paper surface.  Something I have been noticing lately (within the past 3 months) is that the sheet feeder does not perform the paper take-up correctly all the time.  The suction seems to be fine, but let’s say I have a stack of 10 sheets in the tray and I hit print.  One sheet will run completely through, spit out blank, the printer will make some noise, suck in a second sheet and send it out right away again, and then it will finally print the image on the third sheet.  This is truly odd and I can’t quite explain it.  It happens with all different paper thicknesses and even the Epson Premium Luster sheets.  Its annoying, but its not a deal-breaker.  It worked fine in the beginning and there has never been an issue with suction or take-up on the roll papers.  I will say since first setting the printer up, I had reservations about the quality of the paper tray.  For such an expensive printer, the tray just seems so darn cheap and fragile.  I know this has nothing to do with how the paper is being sucked in, but I just thought I would comment on the lack of quality I noticed in this component of the printer.

With specific regard to print quality – what is there to say?  It is quite ridiculously amazing.  Assuming one has done the appropriate prep work and output sharpening to your digital files (even images you may have digitized from slides or negatives) you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between inkjet and chemical – especially with the black & white prints.  I still prefer to perform all black & white conversion by hand through Photoshop Channel Mixer or by layering and blending the channels by hand, but the Advanced Black & White mode built into the Epson print driver does an extremely good job in the way it decides on converting color tones to grayscale and then rendering the relative contrast of each particular color value to another.  The use of three black inks allows a finer gradation of blacks & grays in addition to eliminating metamerism, which is the phenomena of color-shifting when viewed under different lighting conditions.  Goodbye black & white film, goodbye darkroom, goodbye chemical prints.

The Vivid Magenta ink system provides access to a color space which approaches the ProPhoto RGB color space, the color space in which RAW files are captured.  This means that the Epson 4880 and all other printers with the Vivid Magenta system are capable or reproducing close to 95% of the color tones and gradations that the human eye can perceive!  On top of that inkjet prints have an archival rating upwards of 200 years which is about three times as long as chemical print.  Many people’s chemical prints haven’t even lasted 25-30 years without fading, warping, cracking, & peeling.

If you want a good printer, purchase an Epson R1900 or 3800.  If you want a great printer that will last you 10 or more years, purchase a 4800-series Epson.  If you have tons of spare cash that you don’t know what to do with purchase an Epson 11800 – hey they have a $4000 rebate going on right now!  If you can afford one for yourself, you can surely afford to purchase one for me too .  Or, you can make a donation to the continuing funding of a photography school for talented youth in Terni, Italy where we teach photo & imaging courses.

Also, if you are in the area, you might be interested in attending my inkjet printing workshop on May 17, 2009.  Go to the Workshop page for all the details.

If you are interested in any of the custom print services I offer including color or black & white enlargements, color management, printer calibration and custom paper profiles, please send me an e-mail inquiry.  eric@kazarts.com

El fotógrafo extremeño Lucas Garra (Badajoz, 1971)  muestra en Gijón parte de su proyecto ‘La memoria del Sahara’, una visión personal sobre la conservación y el mantenimiento de un modo de vida en los campos de refugiados saharauis (Tinduf-Argelia). ‘Smara’, ‘Auser’  y ‘Rabuni’ son algunas de las wilayas hacia donde Garra ha dirigido su objetivo.

Parte de este proyecto podrá verse del 1 al 15 de abril de 2009 en la Galería Mediadvanced (c/ Ezcurdia, 8 – Bajo. Gijón. Asturias. Telf. 985170100)

Comentario del fotógrafo:

‘La memoria del Sahara’ no nació como proyecto. Un reportaje para prensa sobre la educación infantil en los campos de refugiados saharauis me conduce hacia un planteamiento más profundo sobre la conservación y el mantenimiento de la vida diaria de un pueblo en el exilio, más allá de la fotografía turística ajena al reflejo de un problema internacional.

En mis fotografías los niños nacen para olvidar lo que está ocurriendo en una hamada argelina… prestada. Los jóvenes nacieron para recordar pero poco a poco olvidan y sueñan con ese pasaporte que los identificaría como ciudadano de algún país. Los adultos transmiten, ayudan a recordar… y se desesperan. Los ancianos recuerdan, maldicen… y se resignan.

Se trata de una reflexión sobre un pueblo cuya situación le obliga necesariamente a mantener la memoria viva, aunque los verdaderos ideales de su causa se alejan definitivamente con la llegada de cada nueva generación.

Este proyecto no solo busca mi interpretación personal. No es solo lo que quiero mostrar. Hay que ir más allá de ese horizonte caído, de esa mirada directa, de la muleta, del niño enfermo, de la toma trepidada, del coche averiado. Esa es mi propuesta para el espectador.

Se trata, por tanto, de reflexionar sobre la historia de un pueblo y de quienes la transmitirán, tal vez debido a su precaria situación, como se hacía hace miles de años, bajo uno de los soportes más perecederos, la memoria.

La historia debe sobrevivir a cualquier conflicto, porque ésta nos hace ser, nos hace comprender, nos dirige y nos orienta. Sin memoria no hay historia.

Otra información:

Título: ‘La memoria del Sahara’
Numeración: No numeradas.
Nº de obras expuesta: 38
Formarto: 40×27 cm.
Marco: 50×40 cm.
Papel: Hahnemühle FineArt Photo Rag 188 gr m2 (100% algodón)
Impresión: Epson R2400. Tintas pigmentadas K3.

OBRAS EXPUESTAS

Título: ‘Primeras letras’

Título: ‘Majala’

Título: ‘Habba’

Título: ‘Gaici’

Título: ‘Castigado’

Título: ‘Entrada al colegio’

Título: ‘Confidencias’

Título: ‘Meile’

Título: ‘Smara’

Título: ‘Naha’

Título: ‘Rueda’

Título: ‘El amigo de Majuta’

Título: ‘Pachanga’

Título: ‘Pachanga 2′

Título: ‘Calle Mayor 1′

Título: ‘Calle Mayor’

Título: ‘Museo’

Título: ‘Guateque’

Título: ‘Siesta 1′

Título: ‘Siesta 2′

Título: ‘Siesta 3′

Título: ‘Telenovela’

Título: ‘Sin título’

Título: ‘Sin título’

Título: ‘Salek Mohamed’

Título: ‘Sin título’

Título: ‘Marian’

Título: ‘Supervivientes’

Título: ‘Sala de espera 1′

Título: ‘Sala de espera 2′

Título: ‘Ingreso’

Título: ‘Sala de espera 3′

Título: ‘Radiografía’

Título: ‘Manina y Abbdi’

Título: ‘Mohamed’

Título: ‘Hafdla’

Título: ‘Carretera Rabuni-Smara’

Título: ‘Alali y Sidiya’

COLECCIÓN CAJA CON TARJETAS ‘LA MEMORIA DEL SAHARA’

Unidades a la venta: 100. Numeradas.
Tipo de caja: Cartón texturado color hueso.
Contenido de la caja: 38 tarjetas en formato 8×6 cm.
Papel: Hahnemühle FineArt Photo Rag 188 gr m2 (100% algodón)
Impresión: Epson R2400. Tintas pigmentadas K3.

Puedes ver la colección completa y a mayor tamaño AQUÍ

No olvides que

This audiobog features my thoughts on the best digital printing papers for 2008. Some of these papers have been around for a while but this list gives reasons for why I selected them, thoughts on paper technologies and where should the paper industry go from here. Give a listen!