Are fine art rag papers worth it?

[JDArt]

I just can't get over the prices of some of these fine art rag papers. The Hahnemuhle and Epson Velvet Fine Art papers, for example, are almost $2 per 8x10 sheet. I'd need two just to print out test patterns so that I could profile the papers.

Does anyone use these or think they end up being worth the cost?

[scoundrel1728]

I haven't used them myself, but even the basic vanilla stuff cost about 60 cents per 8-1/2 x 11 inch sheet in quantities of 50 the last time I bought any.

[mikej]

I've not used them, but I have seen prints done on both and they look pretty good... Especially some large prints done on the Hahnemuhle paper.

If those are too expensive, make your own. It takes time, but it can be just a matter of old scrap cotton linen, scarp paper or even grass and other things soaked and then put into a press with a plate that has the texture you want pressing it down. I have some homemade water color paper that did pretty good on my 2200. A bit thick and soaks up the ink, but not bad.

Mike

[scoundrel1728]

It's still a few years too early to tell from field experience, but how do the images stand up over time on these homemade papers and what conditions/chemicals do you need to avoid?

[mikej]

Well, when you consider that some "home made" paper is still around after hundreds if not thousands of years... I think it lasts pretty long.

It's not the paper so much as the ink anyway. If you use long lasting ink and the paper is non-acidic (which home made shouldn't be), it should last just as long as anything else. But nobody really knows how long the current ink jet stuff is going to last. They've done tests, but that isn't like going through real years in a shoe box in the closet. So who knows.

Mike

[ChrisD]

I have bought Hahnemuhle PhotoRag and Epson Velvet Fine Art papers at the time of buying my Epson 7800 and was too surprised with the difference of cost compared to Epson Watercolor and Enhanced Matte. The papers are both very nice with my preference going to the Hahnemuhle. One thing ive been learning is that you need to choose a paper that suits the image your planning on printing in order to get most out of it.