I recently wrote an article discussing how to create great landscape prints, this article had tips on settings , profiles and papers to use based on my experiences and I hope it saved you some time and expense by pointing you in the right direction.
Obviously some experimentation will still be needed to see what works for you and your style of photography but at least you can eliminate some choices without having to spend your hard earned cash
I am always on the hunt for ways to improve my prints and ensure they are the best that they can possibly be. This includes looking at new papers from time to time and seeing if any can match the beautiful quality of landscape prints on Harman gloss baryta 320 paper.
Well after a glut of orders my last batch of Harman paper was running dangerously low so I had a quick look around to check out any alternatives.
The usual suspects were there, Ilford Gold fibre Silk, which I find a bit flat and also find it has a little too much stipple. Fotospeed Baryta which for me just didnt have the sharpness or saturation of the Harman and hahnemuhle photo rag baryta which I find too warm. I have also considered Crane Museo Silver rag but sourcing it is too much of a hassle. Finally I saw Canson Baryta Photographique Ive known about this paper for a while and it gets rave reviews but it is also said to be very similar to Ilford GFS which put me off.
However I thought it was about time I tried some, so I put my order in for a pack.
Now let me firstly say that I have no problem whatsoever with the prints that the Harman paper produces, they are better than anything I have seen up until this point. My dream I guess was to find a paper with the same look as the Harman but with an improved surface, both in terms of consistency and durability.
I have had some issues with the harman flaking after printing and although using a horse hair brush and a blower on the paper before printing reduces the problem significantly I have also noticed a number of flaws in the paper surface such as dents and cracking.
Now if there is no alternative then I am happy to work around these flaws as the end result justifies it but this means I have to bin a higher rate of prints than I would like to but obviously if I can find a replacement without the flaws then all the better.
The Canson paper arrive nicely packaged and when I first got it out of the box I was pleasantly surprised by the consistency of the surface. I checked it over and over and compared sheets and I couldnt see any of the debris or inconsistencies that often were to be found on the harman paper.
The surface which I feared would have the similar stipple of Ilford GFS was actually smoother while also being slightly less glossy than the Harman. It’s definately more of a semi-gloss/satin finish than the Harman.
The whole package was of reassuringly high quality.
Of course this counts for nothing if the prints dont match the Harman paper so I began testing using several standard images and those of Data colour.
The first print that came out of the printer surprised me somewhat, it was clearly sharper than the Harman paper and the shadows were darker and yet showed more detail. The highlights were bright although not quite as bright as the harman but very close. The Canson paper doesn’t contain any Optical Brightening Agents (OBA’s) so this was surprising that the highlights came close to the Harman paper which certainly contains them. I sell into the fine art market and so the lack of OBA’s can be seen as a benefit. Many people argue that OBA’s limit a papers archival nature becasue they can yellow in an uneven manner over time, however many papers with them still do well in Aardenburg imaging tests so its not a decisive factor for me.
One point to note is that I was using Cansons generic profile for my printer vs a custome profile I had made for the Harman paper. I am very impressed with the quality of Canson’s profile and will be intrigued to see if a custome profile can improve on it, and if so will the difference be noticeable.
To output such great prints with a generic profile is very impressive indeed.
After having printed tests with this paper for over a week now I can declare it is the best printer paper I have ever seen.
Canson infinity Baryta Photographique not only produces better prints than my previous favourite Harman paper but it also seems to have a less fragile surface. The prints come out of the printer and just look more durable, the surface is consistent accross the page and I havn’t noticed any flaking issues as yet.
I have also noticed that it doesn’t seem to scratch as easily as the Harman, although I’ll still be handling it with care it gives me more confidence knowing the surface is a little tougher.
So to all those who went out and bought Harman Gloss Baryta 320 paper, should you now throw it away and start again? Certainly not, the Harman is still a superb performer producing prints that would fit in any gallery. I still have a roll which I will be using up on various prints.
However if you like the Harman paper I would suggest that when your supplies are running low give Canson Baryta Photographique a look you may well be amazed with the results.
I know I was, which is why I’ve ordered a nice large batch of it.
I’m now using it for all my fine art prints.
It is worth noting that in the UK the Canson paper is more expensive than the Harman paper. Whether the differences between the papers are worth the extra cost is something only you can decide. For me it is definately a price worth paying.
