Digital Pigment Editions Technical information
Papers used in Digital Pigment Editions prints
Photo Rag™, 308 g/m2
The Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection Photo Rag™,308 g/m2 Bright White,100% rag content, smooth surface
A smooth bright white 100% rag based paper specifically designed to meet the need of photographers or artists using digital photographic output.The heavier 308 gsm paper provides the weight of an art paper with a smooth calendared surface,which picks up every detail captured in the photograph. The coated side of this paper provides excellent image sharpness and optimum color graduation. The coating also offers a very high level of water resistance.
These papers are designed specifically to meet the needs of digital photographic output, photographic reproduction and exhibition and presentational print display requirements.
Use care in handling printed material, surface susceptible to abrasion. Store papers in archive quality envelopes, folders, and boxes. Use only archive grade tapes and glues for mounting & framing.
Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection German Etching, 310 g/m2 Natural White,Genuine ‘mould-made’ 310 gms- oft textured, bright white, heavy weight - (coated one side)
310 gsm mould-made,acid free etching paper,with the smoothest surface in the artline range making it ideal for images which are highly detailed and photographic imagery. Also,as the name suggests a surface similar to an etching paper which will also reproduce traditional prints excellently.
The printed side of this paper has been specially coated to offer excellent image sharpness, optimal color gradation. The coating also offers a very high level of water resistance. These papers are designed specifically to meet the needs of digital photographic output, photographic reproduction and Presentational prints for exhibition display requirements.
Use care in handling printed material, surface susceptible to abrasion. Store papers in archive quality envelopes,folders,and boxes. Use only archive grade tapes and glues for mounting & framing.
The Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection William Turner,190 g/m2
Natural White,Genuine ‘mould-made’,100% rag content - toothy textured, medium weight - (coated one side)
The printed side of this paper has been specially coated to offer excellent image sharpness, optimal color gradation. It still offers the esthetical view accustomed with Traditional Fine Art Papers. The coating also offers a very high level of water resistance. These papers are designed specifically to meet the needs of digital photographic output, photographic reproduction and Presentational prints for display requirements.
Use care in handling printed material, surface susceptible to abrasion. Store papers in archive quality envelopes,folders,and boxes. Use only archive grade tapes and glues for mounting & framing.
Digital Pigment Editions uses Jon Cone's PiezoTone selenium tone pigment inks. These quadtoned pigment inks provide a very close match to what can be obtained via traditional silver print processing that uses a selenium toning bath after the second fixing bath.
These pigment inks exhibit a very even [linear] response from maximum black to paper white producing open shadow detail and soft, filled highlights. The blacks are rich and velvety, and the whites do not exhibit any banding or blockage at the high transition levels to pure white.
At normal viewing distances [with a framed, matted, hung and equally lighted print] it is almost impossible to distinguish a well executed, traditional silver toned print from a well printed [toned] digital pigment print. Upon close examination, the prints display differently, mainly due to the semi-matte finishes obtained from the gelatine coated silver halide photographic papers and the matte finishes obtained from the fine art coated digital printing papers. These variances are not undesirable, just different! Additionally, these pigment based grayscale inks should stand up very well to the test of time, based on the information presented below.
PiezoTone inks are made with 100% pigment and have exceptional light-fastness.
Test results for Selenium Tone PiezoTone Inks as stated by the manufacturer.
PiezoTone Selenium Tone Pigment Inks |
Initial O.D. |
After Test O.D. |
O.D. Volume Decrease |
Percentage of Fade |
Delta E Difference |
| Dark Gray | 0.689 | 0.680 | 0.009 | 1.31% | 2.140 |
| Medium Gray | 0.243 | 0.240 | 0.003 | 1.23% | 1.230 |
| Light Gray | 0.149 | 0.152 | -0.003 | -2.01% | 0.340 |
| Museum Black | 1.720 | 1.630 | 0.090 | 5.23% | 1.120 |
Test Condition:
1. Printer: All inks tested with EPSON 1160 with the exception of UltraChrome inks which were tested in EPSON Photo 2200.
2. Paper: Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Paper
3. Lightfastness: Irradiation UV light (Xe) 10,000 KJ/m2 / 1000 hours
4. Measuring Instruments: X-Rite 938 Spectradensitometer / LMT 1210 Colorimeter
Remarks:
1. DeltaE value lower than 2 is acceptable as non-visible difference from color changing.
2. Optical Density (OD) decreased percentage of 5% is acceptable as non-visible difference.
PiezoTones are designed to perform without perceptible fade and color shifting in equivalent tests which give greater than 100 year longevity ratings to inks which have perceptible amounts of fade
PhotoRag 308gsm matte finish paper
Measurement: X-Rite-310TR Color Densitometer. 11/3/03
Printed on a CIS modified Epson 1280 with PiezoTone Selenium inks and Museum Black
Air dried 1 hour before reading
This paper was printed with an image containing 21 equally spaced density values from 0-255. The PiezoTone Selenium tone inks overall curve is generally linear and does not exhibit the shoulder and toe compressions one would expect to see from a silver halide photographic print. For a matte paper the O.D. of 1.6 is good and the overall perceived tone is very close to selenium toned silver prints.
Coating the paper with two light applications of a protectant (Print Guard) reduces the O.D. from 1.6 to 1.53 but adds a UV and water resistant coating to the final image.