Hahnemuhle papers

Have any of you tried the William turner 310 or photo rag 308 line of papers?

I'm looking at a having a couple of prints done at El-CO labs, and they charge more to print on either of those papers. I'm wondering what the benefits of such a paper are, and if its worth it?

Any opinions are appreciated.

thanks,
Kevin

Kevin,

Photo Rag 308 is a classic matte/fine art paper. It outsells any other matte paper by a huge margin, and for good reason. It's a heavyweight paper with a great surface, low amount of optical brighteners, and works well both B/W and color. It offers great blacks (for a matte paper). Photographers choose these papers for the fine art appeal, and the zero glare factor for framed prints. When a client asks for a matte print, this is the paper I use.

I would definitely get a sample to evaluate. William Turner offers a more pronounced texture, but it's a very nice paper for images that call for textured paper.

Thanks Jesse.

So let me ask what type of images call for a textured paper in your opinion?

Thanks again.

In MY opinion, I think textured papers are nice for a variety of nature images, but not for photographs that include open blue skies, smooth water, or other "smooth" features. I think paper textures can really interfere with these aspects of certain photographs. Textured papers like WT are really nice for intimate/abstract nature views. Just my 2 cents. I realize some opinions may differ.

You can get a Hahn. paper sampler pack at ShadesofPaper.com - my paper supplier of choice. I think you're printing at home right? Try printing some samples at home. Cheap way to evaluate papers.

Kevin - The Canon Photo Rag is produced by Hahnemuhle. I haven't tried the Hahnemuhle directly, but I'd imagine they are pretty similar, although I think the Canon branded paper is lighter weight.

Hi Kevin,

I make all of my prints on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag (308 gsm). As Jesse mentioned, it gives you really dark blacks. I find that not only do the prints looks nice once framed, but they also feel wonderful to touch (due to the weight), which works really well for small loose prints.

David, your paper has simply been rebranded ... it's Hahn's 188 version of Photo Rag. Same paper, just not as thick.

Hahnemuhle papers are very nice. The heavy papers have a really nice feel. I've printed on both the Photo Rag and the WT. The rag, as Jesse says, holds drange really well. I also agree with Jesse that the WT is more for abstracts or photos that have a lot of 'texture', if you know what I mean. I wouldn't, for example, print a fine art nude on WT, I would print it on the rag; however.

Hahnemuhle makes papers for a number of other name brands. They're one of the few actual paper manufacturers that sells under their own name. They are more expensive but yes, I'd say they're worth it. Their Torchon is also a very nice paper if you're looking for more of a watercolour texture type of paper. Their Monet and Daguerre canvases are also extremely good.

I also like their Baryta a whole lot, and the Bamboo paper is at least interesting, but I don't see myself using it...

Thanks for all the advice guys.

So I have a foggy forest scene, done in black and white. Somewhat limited drange.

What paper do you think this would work best on?

Kevin

&CGISESSIDI did extensive and expensive testing of a huge number of papers a while back. You can read the results here http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=31386=c3fdaa844a28a95a06feb2d724be2608&u=4631

To cut directly to the chase, there is nothing that holds a candle to Legion Somerset Photo Satin paper for a BW print. There is probably no paper that will cost you more than this stuff either.

For color prints on matte paper I usually use the 308 rag. It's a great paper for most everything. BW competition prints go on the Somerset though.

I have been experimenting with Epson Exhibition Fiber, but so far I've not found that winning combination. The ImagePrint profiles for it don't pass the sniff test. I can't get the Epson profiles for it to install on my Mac. But if I can find a way to get the results I saw at the Epson booth back in April at Photoshop World, I'll be all over it.

What is drange???? I just had a couple of images printed on watercolor smooth, and was very happy with the results. My first dealings with WCI. They are very friendly, helpful, and professional. I also had a couple of prints done on fuji crystal archive from EL-CO and was very happy with them as well.

Chris

Sorry, I meant dynamic range.

I've done one print with WCI and was very pleased as well. Did one canvas print with El-Co and was also happy...

Very helpful info. Thanks to all for sharing your experience.