EPSON 2200, Ultrasmooth, & archival printing

[kirk_thompson]

Here's a report/reaction to using the new Epson Ultrasmooth paper in a 2200

printer:

 

Wilhelm Imaging Research recently posted new print permanence ratings for

Ultrachrome inks & Epson papers. The occasion for the new data is release

of the Epson 4000 printer, & Ultrasmooth paper to go with it. The 4000 uses

the same Ultrachrome inks as the 2200, so the figures should apply equally

well to 2200 prints. See:

 

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/epson_sp4000.html

 

The Wilhelm ratings are often said to be exaggerated, but they're probably

'relatively accurate' - that is, while the number of years may be optimistic (see

Stephen Livick's website), paper/ink combinations are probably durable in the

rank-order of the Wilhelm ratings.

 

The news is the new Ultrasmooth paper, which tops the list by a considerable

margin (except for Watercolor Radiant White, which has a limited gamut).

Anyone who wants to make "archival" prints on an inkjet printer will

presumably gravitate toward this paper/ink combination.

 

It's available so far only in sizes for large format printers, but you have two

options for your 2200:

 

1. You can buy a 17"x50' roll (made for the 4000) & cut it into >50 11x17"/

USB-sized sheets. (You'll need a paper cutter with an 18" blade & an 11"

measuring scale.)

 

2. You can order a package of 24x30" sheets & quarter them, so that you

have 80-12x15" sheets (also a nice size for 9x13.5" or 10x15" prints). Then

you have to make a custom paper size (under "Print with Preview") for 12x15".

This may be the cheaper way to go because the sheets are coated on both

sides, & all failures get recycled as work prints.

 

I've taken the trouble to cut up a 50' roll & have learned a few things about

printing on it:

 

1. It looks a lot like Hahnemuhle Photo Rag, without whiteners. (The

absence of whiteners is apparently related to its permanence.)

 

2. The Epson website seems to say there's an 2200/Ultrasmooth profile

available for download, but nobody has been able to find it. So you set the

media type to Watercolor Radiant White & use the new Epson 2200

Watercolor Radiant White profile (until you get a custom profile).

 

3. You load the paper manually (because it's thick), with the printer head in

the high position (see 2200 manual for loading Velvet Fine Art).

 

4. When loading cut sheets in the 2200, you load it in the printer with the

curve (from the roll) toward you - i.e., a convex curve. (This is counterintuitive

for anyone who's used gelatin silver paper, which curves in the opposite

direction).

 

5. You can buy smaller & cheaper precut sheets of an almost identical paper

called Museum from Inkjetart.com. While the coating is said to be a little

different on Ultrasmooth, you can make work prints on this paper with the

same settings, & then move to the heavier & more expensive paper for final

prints.

 

Besides being more permanent, Ultrasmooth accepts ink more smoothly than

Enhanced Matte. The prints look sharper than on EM, but because it's rather

absorbent, they aren't quite as sharp as some other papers. As I mentioned

above, it looks like a creamy version of Hahnemuhle PR. My subjective

opinion: it's not quite as pretty as Velvet Fine Art, my personal favorite. But it

should last longer - and often the subject matter calls for smooth, not textured,

paper.

 

Kirk

[beepy]

Thanks for the report! Just ordered a roll the other day to take for a spin.