My all-time favorite paper for printing my images is Epson Exhibition Fiber. It has a weight, look, and feel of real silver-based paper and produces some of the most spectacular prints I have ever seen. It is the only paper I use now for printing my fine art subjects. That being said, Epson has just announced two new fine art papers in what they call the Signature Worthy line.
The new papers, called Hot Press and Cold Press, are acid-free, 100% cotton rag inkjet papers. They have been optimized for use with Epson Stylus Pro Printers and inks, including new Epson UltraChrome HDR ink technology and are said to “yield richer blacks, smoother tonal transitions and an expanded color gamut to produce the most advanced fine art prints.” The difference in the papers is in the surface, with Hot Press having a smooth surface while Cold Press is more textured. The papers also come in two flavors. A Bright, which yields a brighter white point and Natural, which is slightly warmer. The papers aren’t cheap, going for about $32 US for 25 sheets of 8.5×11 or $90 US for a 25 pack of 13×19. That’s almost as much as the Exhibition Fiber but if they are comparable in quality, they are well worth the price. You can order the new papers from B&H or where ever you buy your Epson Fine Art papers.
Savings Alert -
Here’s another little nugget that I discovered while checking paper prices at B&H. Right now, through the end of the month, you can buy Epson Exhibition Fiber paper for more than half off the retail price. A pack of 25 sheets of 13×19 is going for $42.29. That’s $52 off the regular price! The 8.5×11, 25 pack is selling for $13.95 for a savings of $25. That’s a pretty incredible deal on some amazing paper. I have to warn you though, once you print on this stuff, you will never want to print on anything else. It’s that good.
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Printing black and white photographs on silver papers is particularly impressive. I use Museo Silver Rag with my HP 9180, and love the results.