That would be very helpful. Also, some of us use commercial printers, especially for large format. I use Costco; they have Epson 7800 series printers and use Fujifilm Photo Satin Paper (270 gsm). ps. Your experience with commercial labs (in general, not specific labs) would be very helpful.
Nigel Danson I’ve only printed one of my ‘final’ images and it was on a glossy format and I can totally see what you’re talking about putting it behind glass. I would love to start experimenting with the Matte to get that subtle and dynamic texture to my landscapes and achieve a more accurate portrayal of color and light and an overall more professional look. Thanks for the super relevant and useful info, Nigel!
I’ve only had a photo printer a month (Canon Pixma Pro 100s). I’m loving it and have gone “all in”. I’m going to to give a shout out to:- Firstcall Baryta Traditional Fibre Fineart This is actually a Firstcall Photographic (UK shop) plain package version of Innova Exhibition Photo Baryta 310gsm. It’s a lustre baryta paper which is good value at 60p an A4 sheet. It had a good printer profile on the Innova website. I’ve also used Firstcall’s even cheaper gloss and satin paper (about 30p an A4 sheet). I’m very happy with the results BUT I needed to make my own printer profile with a Datacolor SpyderPrint as I think the ICC printer profiles for the relevant paper on the Innova site were poor. Neither Innova nor Firstcall seem to offer the profile making service that Fotospeed does as far as I’m can see. Few people are going to go to the expense or bother of doing their own profiles I suspect.
Hi Dave. I have to agree with you on the Epson exhibition fiber ad I also agree with your opinion on the blacks. I have been very happy with the Epson signature series papers. I have just started using the mettalic luster and glossy both. With the right image, the glossy is amazing.
*Loving my **Bestt.Digital** portable Printer. Small enough to carry in my little bag and not at all heavy. Getting a lot of use out of it and having a great time printing on the go. Works for me.*
I love Epson Cold Press Bright as a matt paper for black and white portraits and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag for colour. We can't get Fotospeed paper here in Canada. I shoot with Fuji XT2 so it would be interesting to try Fuji's papers. My printer is the Epson P800. I have a bunch of client work to print today. For that I use Epson Premium Luster. Happy printing!
When browsing some of my favorite websites, such as Magnum Photos, I noticed that the photos are often advertised as being printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive. I think that's the paper I would use. I'd like to start printing soon and am going to use the tips you gave here in this video.
Hi Nigel! Came across your channel recently and have been watching them all day. Absolutely love everything you're doing, and I can't even begin to count how many things I've learned so far from it. Keep up the work and cannot wait to see what you put out in the future!
I'm a solid Red River user as well. Their Palo Duro SoftGloss Rag has impressed me. 310gsm, OBA-free, and that darkroom feel. Similar, I would imagine, to the Canson Plantine rag.
I love my matt paper but it’s just a generic paper off amazon but I will definitely be taking your advice on papers and will looking into the companies you suggested thanks Nigel
🇨🇦/🇺🇸... GREETINGS FROM THE FUTURE, NIGEL! I'm a large-format printing technician here. Lovely images! Great choice of papers! THE WHOLE TIME I was waiting for you to either draw an oval onto your print with your pointing pencil or maybe spill that "beaker" of coffee across your beautiful pastel scene. LOL Good job!!! 🤣 Cheers, bro!
Hi Nigel ..... great informative video ... as usual. Tried lots of papers with mixed success, particularly using LR with its messy settings. Like a few others I have found Calumets' Brilliant Museum Grade Paper excellent..... the Satin Matte is a nice slightly textured bright 300g paper and despite the misnaming Silvergloss White is a finely textured 300g low reflection satin that produces beautiful vibrant and detailed prints. Both are slightly whitened which gives some images a nice 'glow'. Also, I've given up on LR and PS for printing ...... I now use PrinTao 8 (Mac only), which is printer specific and does all the complex stuff automatically in the background resulting in prints exactly as I want them with no glitches and issues. Although relatively expensive I reckon it will eventually pay for itself in the reduction of wasted paper and ink, and up until Imageprint produced a chopped down version (R.E.D) it was a third of their pricing. You've prompted me to brush the cobwebs off the 3880 and print a few of my latest images.
Another great informative video, I have an HP printer but I print on a gloss paper, would love to try the colour etching paper, as it looks amazing on the woodland image with the blue bells.
Loved this.. had been looking at test packs to try various paper. .. I get ok prints from current printer but like the idea of printing more so an upgrade is due. Many thanks for you vlog and inspiration
Great video on the many facets of printing, really like the part about the papers. I am a huge fan of playing with different types of papers, some of my favorites are Epson Hot Press Bright and Hot press Natural, Canson Baryta Photographique was a great one also.
Great video Nigel. I have recently started printing some of my images (only on regular photo paper from hp) I tried printing direct from my editing software but the results were terrible. Using windows photo viewer gave me better results. I still have much to learn about printing and will watch your earlier video.
What do you think about photo books? Do you create any annual photo books in a journal style where you include entries? Any insights about photo books will be interesting to hear.
I printed small pictures many many years ago, perhaps the Epsom equipment i used at the time along with the inks used i found my results very hit and miss, i would get one line across the print from a blocked jet and it would ruin the print, the next print it would be a different colour in a different location! After that used PhotoBox on odd occasions or just didn't bother having pictures printed. If i look at doing my own printing i like the look of the fine textured photo speed paper.
I love the practical information presented in this video. I find many landscape photographers RUclips channels don't address this subject. Quick question, have you had any experience printing on aluminum? Thanks!
Really love your great videos. I used to print on Hahnemühle PhotoRag, but now I use the Brilliant Museum SilverGloss White 300gr. from calumet.de. The name is a little misleading, because it is not a glossy paper, but a fine Matte one with a nice subdude texture. I really love this paper, I think it‘s made by Hahnemühle under the Brilliant brand for Calumet. Lookng forward to your next videos. Cheers Markus
Hi Nigel, excellent video mate👍, q: does photo rag 308gsm good for family portraits ? I love the subtle texture, colours and matte finish. I am considering the portrait to be displayed without any glass or laminate finish but on a dinond backing. But is photo rag good for portraits ?
I love holding my own prints in my hands! But I do not have a great printer (yet). Not sure it makes economic sense because I do not sell my prints. So I usually print at a German company on Hahnemûhle Fine Rag and especially my B&W portraits look glorious on that paper.
Hi Nigel, i all ready use Fotospeed paper, i know one of the ladys that promote it, i am yet to get a free sample mind haha i use Pearl290 PFLustre275 & MattUltra240 all great papers, i also use Ilford Satin this has a great white background for mono images, I have also used Matt FineArt Torchon 285 from Hahnemuchle with a good texture to it.
I like to do night photography. My printing experience is non existent, but of what I heard from you, i believe that the mate would be a good option. What do you think?
I'm just into printing lately, do you think investing into a printer at home is a good consideration? My local printing shop charges like $40 for a 40cmx60cm print..
That was very informative Nigel something I've not given a lot of thought to, usually just get the same paper manufacturer of my printer but having watched this a previous videos you have done i would like to move over to photo speed paper its just the cost of it that puts me off and will it work as good on a standard printer mine being an epson xp-960 love to hear your thoughts
A Regular luster paper for test prints. But I have used some metallic paper and My favorite is Rag Satin. Wish I could print at home but this is the paper that the lab uses. I think for the wet process they use Kodak, but not sure on the Rag Satin what brand it is. I never use glossy paper, just don't like the look.
Nigel, I worked in the photo industry for 27 years and have been a photographer for nearly 50 years. FYI, Baryta is not a texture of the paper but a clay like coating laid down before the light sensitive emulsion is laid down and is available on different textures of paper. It has more to do with D-Max or enabling darker/richer colors or greys/blacks. Longer lasting prints than ones printed on resin coated papers.
I really love the Fine Art Museum Etching from Canon! But I only have their pro platinum paper to compare with. I love both of them and really think they have different and superb qualities. I really need to start print more! :)
😳 yikes! Dont go setting the monitor brighter or darker, dont play along with it! The only right way to go is to realy calibrate your monitor according to the room lighting. Then as long as the lighting is not changing, just ajust the print settings, not the monitor
I had really struggled with printing but your previous vlog on printing set me on the right path and this one only adds to my knowledge. I used to use canon paper (the pro platinum) but could never get a print I enjoyed, I've changed to Photospeed and with them providing a colour profile it has made such a difference, the one I am using most of at the moment is the Platinum Baryta 300, for the price it just seems excellent quality. What would be interesting is how you frame your prints without cropping as off the shelf frames all seem to have limited sizes and if you look at the bespoke frame making services it can get very expensive very quickly. Thank you for taking the time to explain the whole printing process in an understandable way.
I gave up printing years ago and quite honestly nearly lost interest in photography altogether, then I found a video on you tube by mistake but it was about printing on Fotospeed paper, after watching your video as well I have decided to try Fotospeed Patinum Etching I loved the way it made your prints look. Its been a while but I carn't wait to get out with my camera again, got my inspiration back.
Another valuable video Nigel! I also love printing - it makes such a big difference! I typically use a "Red River Paper, Ultra Pro Satin, 68lb". After watching your video, I think I will use some different paper types that match the mood of my images! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!!
Another fantastic video, Nigel! Bring on all the printing vids. Personally, I like a bit of a satin finish for most of my landscapes, but I’m starting to experiment with the mattes a bit more lately. We don’t get Fotospeed in Canada, so I currently use: Canson Platine Fibre Rag 310 Canson Baryta Photographique 310 Canson Rag Photographique 310
I loved this, I'm so poor at printing for 3 reasons (a) I'm colourblind and folk make all sorts of comments about weird greens & oversaturated reds (b) I've been almost embarassed to print... you know the lies "I'm not good enough" or "how arrogant" rather than "what joy" (c) without printing, digital photography is almost free, so I've never convinced myself to invest & budget for it. Nigel - you have changed the above! I retire in a year from now - I'm going to research printers & paper and build up to a NEW aspect to my retirement project (photographing, using macro, all the flowers that define ancient woodland)... now I will PRINT each one, mount it properly (another retirement project) and display original signed copies around my teaching room. Thank you for your inspiration in today's video, sometimes the biggest impacts come from the simplest of encouragements.
If you use a colour chart like the Colorchecker passport when you take the image, it is really easy to get the correct colour when you post process. I use on and I bought it after another guy with colour blindness said he used it and it saved his photography as he was only doing B&W because he couldn't trust his colour judgement
Thanks for the confirmation, I'd considered that - I'm hoping that Lr sliders for Vib & Sat adjust each colour evenly - I suppose I should also use the proofing capabilities of Lr to check when individual colours are close to being blown out, too. I prefer matt-cotton or even strongly textured papers - I think it would be a matter of calibrate, calibrate, calibrate, then checking with a friend who is an artist, thus gradually gaining confidence. As papers also influence colour it could take a while..... but hey, that's what retirement should bring :-)
Great Video! Very usefull information and tips! I have a Canon Pixma Pro 10 and have been using Ultra Pearl 295 and Canson Infinity Fibre Rag 310. I love this last one for the texture and details! I am still in the learning process. It would be very usefull if you can talk about the final preparation for sending the printings and how do you frame them. Do you sign them in the front? Do you add white border with another type of paper when you print borderless? Cheers from Chile 🇨🇱!
Hi, I have a question about the Canon prograph printers. The pro 300 has a better, higher resolution and the 1000 has a broader color palette. Which printer should I use for premium photo's from a Hasselblad 100 MP camera? Regards. Henry
(Late to the game, but). I have an Epson SC-P800, and previously had a Canon Pro-100 (dye ink as opposed to pigment). I have had very nice results with HahneMuehle Fine Art Baryta Satin. The Satin makes it a close-to-matte finish that has convinced a few matte folks to try it out. Also had very good luck with HahneMuehle Museum Etching & Bamboo. I'm in the process of evaluating a new paper, Canson-Infinity Baryta Photographique II Matte of which I've heard good things. Time will tell.
New hobbyist photographer here... daydreaming about printing and selling my pictures so that I can retire on some deserted island in the Pacific from the sale of the pictures I've taken in the last 2-3 weeks with my Canon 3Ti and a kit lens 😅.
Great video Nigel, I think printing is really important in the digital age. Similar to you I mostly prefer a matt paper and currently use Fujifilm Photo Rag, haven't tried the Fotospeed but it looks nice with the subtle texture. Nice shot of Pebbles :)
march 2023. Im new but have been exploring Red River papers and love them. Easy to get- great customer service and quick delivery. But Im still learning on a Canon pro 200 with eyes on the 1000 when I get better
Also -- 9th (nth?) printing mistake -- not letting the prints dry before evaluating. Many times, prints directly out of the printer are darker than expected. Let them dry/settle overnight (at least) before deciding for sure. Sometimes you can still see differences after a week or more. Also also, if you hang them to dry in your studio, you'll find the dust spots, etc., that you missed :-( And let them dry a while before framing, especially if they're to be under glass. The "fog" you sometimes see is the off-gassing of the solvents, etc., in the inks.
I am currently using a smooth cotton High White 100% Cotton 450gsm by Innova. Really good. I am also just trying out the Soft Textured Natural White 190gsm. I do want to move next to an A3 printer when I can afford it. Point made about monitor brightness as well.
It's best to leave your xRite i1Display plugged in and let the dongle adjust the brightness. No it doesn't adjust the “brightness” of the monitor, but if you have ambient light monitoring enabled and the dongle plugged in, you'd be shocked how much brightness it's able to control from the Color Profile itself. The Color Profile isn't only capable of controlling color. If you don't have Auto Ambient Light Monitoring enabled when you calibrate, it will not adjust the brightness through the profile. If you have that turned on, it WILL do so. That way you don't have to guess with monitor brightness or set your white point as low as it will go.
Nigel, I feel a little ashamed that I’ve only ever used the Canon Semi Gloss! Having seen your prints at HCPS when you talked a couple of weeks ago I’m keen to try the papers you mentioned, particularly the cotton. Belting portrait of Pebbles by the way, I have an old Gordon Setter, Dougie, who’s well known to club members due to the number of times he gets entered into competitions.
Well 4 years to late to win the print 😂 but I’m just getting started with printing my photography and your videos are helping a lot. I am using mostly Kodak paper at the moment although my switch to something like you are using here for the custom ICC profiles. I am having a hard time getting Lightroom classic to print correctly however what ever profile in colour management I pick in lightroom it still seems to be using my printers settings as well which is screwed up a couple of small prints while I get the hang of it. Anyone with any notes on what I may be missing here ? All the best
HI Nigel I have an epson pro 3880 that is over 7 years old. I always printed either on glossy or Matte papers and sometimes on luster. I have a cover to keep my epson pro 3880 clean, that I remove only while printing. A service man from epson in a seminar from adorama said that its mandatory to keep a printer clean all the time , that dust is the prime ennemy to all inkjet printers. 1- What papers (cheap) would you recommend for printing images not for resale ? 2- Can you make a video of how to adjust platter height for printing on rag papers & the printer maintenance following your printing (dust & rollers cleaning) ? regards Luke
Wow your photos are breathtaking! I print family and trips photos on Canon's gloss and semi-gloss for albums. Glossy is amazing for those vibrant bright colors! but the darker colors are great on semi! Thank you for the tips!
Ok I don’t usually make comments.. lol this might be my first .. I am looking forward to the textured type paper. The matte. I took pics of the sequoia trees and the Grand Canyon. Can’t wait to see how they come out..
I think I make all these mistakes quite often! I always use super gloss, but now I'm going to try some alternatives. I just bought some Canon Pro Luster which might look good for some Hawaiian seascapes. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks Nigel. Great seeing some informative video's on printing. I use a Canon Pro-100, but like you did, I was just using the standard settings for quite a while, only last week, I've taken up Fotospeed's offer and just sent off my papers for calibration. My current favourite is NST Bright White, but my experience of all these papers is limited, hence this video being useful in getting some idea of what is available, and the subjects they're best at representing.
I've matched the white of my phone to that of the photo paper I use most in display settings (more yellow than you'd think) and then bring down the brightness to match perfectly.
Thanks for posting this video. Like your 7 printing tips which reinforces my other learning. As a newbie in selling printed photography, I thought using ink like sharpie for signature is better than pencil. Please explain why you sign in pencil.
Hi Nigel - I know this is an old video but it was a good watch and it got me thinking about cropping. I’ve noticed that you sometimes freeform crop as opposed to sticking to a fixed aspect ratio. Does this have any impact / considerations for your printing or social media posts? Thanks
I use X-Rite for measurement from shot to monitor to print. Color passport to get "tint" perfectly neutral for camera, lens and light source. As a starting point. Moving away from there as an artistic decision. Getting neutral fast.
Have you done an episode about printing labs and online printing options? I’d like to set up a website eventually to sell some prints but I don’t have a printer and know close to nothing about printing.
Cropping for paper size is an issue :/ I can't crop the photo down because as you said, the entire photo is essential. But when I add a border in photoshop before going to the store to try and print it- the border is uneven. Disgusting :l
I have always been put off printing myself due to extortionate ink costs. Which online printing services provide these paper options? I would love to see some of my images on Fotospeed cotton etching.
I was inspired to get a printer but a major disadvantage I can see is the issue of clogged print heads. How do you deal with this? I've heard you should print several times a week to avoid clogging
I have my Canon printer from the beginning of this year. I’m also convinced by you, Thomas Heaton and Peter McKinnon to print my images. By owning a printer the threshold to print my images is mutch lower than when I have to use a print service. Beside the learning curve of printing (settings, color management, papers,..), it’s a lot of fun! I’m now using PermaJet papers and I’m very happy with the results. They also offer the free service for profiling your printer.
Very helpful and fully agree with the tips. For many months I had my monitor too bright and couldn’t understand why everything printed dark. I’ve tried many of the papers you mention and certainly like the matte best. A paper I do like is the Canon Pro Premium matte. Would be interested in others views on this but I don’t think it’s far off the brands you have mentioned and prints well without ICC profiling. Cheers, Simon
Hi Nigel. I have definitely committed error # 7, which is a crime because my Canon Pixma printer is excellent. I currently use Canon's Photo Paper Pro Luster paper to print portraits and bird photos. But I see the value of quality matte or textured paper as I am getting into landscape photography. I look forward to trying out your preferred brand, should you grace me with a free pack (wink wink, nod nod). I'll try it regardless. Thanks.
Oh, bother. It appears the major photo outlets in my area don't carry Fotospeed paper. Neither does Amazon. This is a Europe-only product? Guess I'm depending on you. *BIG WINK*
I've only used a few different papers but my favorite so far is Canon Pro Platinum. I just ordered a sample pack from Moab Paper and I'm excited to see what they have to offer.
Great video Nigel, love your vlog! Same as you I prefer to print my images. I had been wondering about what paper type to use in any particular case, so this video was just what I needed, thanks for that! What I'm struggling with at the moment is the cost of printing my images at home compared to having the prints done in a lab. The original ink for my Canon Pixma 10S Pro is ridiculously overpriced and since it's got 12 ink tanks the "low ink" warning is up 9 out of 10 times I start the printer. I'm wondering if you've had the same issue and this might well be a topic for a future video, what do you think? On a sidenote, do you really have to wave images with bluebells in them in front of my eyes? :D :D :D I won't be in the Lake District for another 2 weeks and will probably miss out on the bluebells, which really sucks ;) Favorite papers? Canson Infinity, Photo High Gloss Premium RC - although after watching this video I think I'll be moving away from glossy paper.
The picture of pebbles and the one of the tree amongst the bluebells were really striking. Printing is an area Ive not delved into but liked the look of the Fotospeed cotton etching paper. Do you darken your studio when you are editing your images for printing to get the colour balance right in Lightroom? Very informative episode Nigel and always enjoy learning from your experiences
Great video, I also started to use Fotospeed and it’s been a great help learning from your mistakes (your journey), used roll paper mostly but have now changed to A3plus, I’m using the two you have mentioned, NST 315, platinum Baryta 300 and the platinum lustre 270. My favourite is the NST. Love the honesty, keep those videos coming
Yeah, still doing a couple of those mistakes, even after all this time... One day I'll kick myself into gear and sort out custom profiles! haha Reminds me, need some ink. I've been using the Fotospeed Artfibre 300 for a year now, I love it! Yes its a bit glossy, but love the texture of it and it handles the reds and darks that dominate my work so much better than any other paper I've tried.
Good afternoon Nigel! I didn't use none yet, but i think (almost in your vídeo) i would use the fotospeed cottonetching because of the texture. It seems like you could smell it, like an old book. Keep the good work!
I think the idea of using the matte even for more shadowed images is a great concept. I'm still at the beginning of my photography adventure and learning everything I can. I've been able to learn so much from your videos. I think I'd like to try the matte paper. Do you have recommendations for online print services? Thanks a lot!
Let get a great list of papers types and ideas on what to use for different types of photography. Pebbles didn’t think much to her portrait 🤣👊
That would be very helpful. Also, some of us use commercial printers, especially for large format. I use Costco; they have Epson 7800 series printers and use Fujifilm Photo Satin Paper (270 gsm).
ps. Your experience with commercial labs (in general, not specific labs) would be very helpful.
Nigel Danson I’ve only printed one of my ‘final’ images and it was on a glossy format and I can totally see what you’re talking about putting it behind glass. I would love to start experimenting with the Matte to get that subtle and dynamic texture to my landscapes and achieve a more accurate portrayal of color and light and an overall more professional look.
Thanks for the super relevant and useful info, Nigel!
I’ve only had a photo printer a month (Canon Pixma Pro 100s). I’m loving it and have gone “all in”. I’m going to to give a shout out to:-
Firstcall Baryta Traditional Fibre Fineart
This is actually a Firstcall Photographic (UK shop) plain package version of Innova Exhibition Photo Baryta 310gsm. It’s a lustre baryta paper which is good value at 60p an A4 sheet. It had a good printer profile on the Innova website.
I’ve also used Firstcall’s even cheaper gloss and satin paper (about 30p an A4 sheet). I’m very happy with the results BUT I needed to make my own printer profile with a Datacolor SpyderPrint as I think the ICC printer profiles for the relevant paper on the Innova site were poor. Neither Innova nor Firstcall seem to offer the profile making service that Fotospeed does as far as I’m can see. Few people are going to go to the expense or bother of doing their own profiles I suspect.
Hi Dave. I have to agree with you on the Epson exhibition fiber ad I also agree with your opinion on the blacks. I have been very happy with the Epson signature series papers. I have just started using the mettalic luster and glossy both. With the right image, the glossy is amazing.
That sounds great to me. But right now I will need to use the paper that I already have. Is there somewhere I can send images?
*Loving my **Bestt.Digital** portable Printer. Small enough to carry in my little bag and not at all heavy. Getting a lot of use out of it and having a great time printing on the go. Works for me.*
I love Epson Cold Press Bright as a matt paper for black and white portraits and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag for colour. We can't get Fotospeed paper here in Canada. I shoot with Fuji XT2 so it would be interesting to try Fuji's papers. My printer is the Epson P800. I have a bunch of client work to print today. For that I use Epson Premium Luster. Happy printing!
When browsing some of my favorite websites, such as Magnum Photos, I noticed that the photos are often advertised as being printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive. I think that's the paper I would use. I'd like to start printing soon and am going to use the tips you gave here in this video.
Fuji Crystal Archive is not an inkjet paper. It's exposed with light and developed in chemicals.
Hi Nigel! Came across your channel recently and have been watching them all day. Absolutely love everything you're doing, and I can't even begin to count how many things I've learned so far from it. Keep up the work and cannot wait to see what you put out in the future!
I’d really like to try out the textured or the matte. I’m just getting into photography and your videos are a big reason. Thanks for the inspiration.
I'm a solid Red River user as well. Their Palo Duro SoftGloss Rag has impressed me. 310gsm, OBA-free, and that darkroom feel. Similar, I would imagine, to the Canson Plantine rag.
I love my matt paper but it’s just a generic paper off amazon but I will definitely be taking your advice on papers and will looking into the companies you suggested thanks Nigel
🇨🇦/🇺🇸... GREETINGS FROM THE FUTURE, NIGEL! I'm a large-format printing technician here. Lovely images! Great choice of papers! THE WHOLE TIME I was waiting for you to either draw an oval onto your print with your pointing pencil or maybe spill that "beaker" of coffee across your beautiful pastel scene. LOL Good job!!! 🤣 Cheers, bro!
Hi Nigel ..... great informative video ... as usual. Tried lots of papers with mixed success, particularly using LR with its messy settings. Like a few others I have found Calumets' Brilliant Museum Grade Paper excellent..... the Satin Matte is a nice slightly textured bright 300g paper and despite the misnaming Silvergloss White is a finely textured 300g low reflection satin that produces beautiful vibrant and detailed prints. Both are slightly whitened which gives some images a nice 'glow'. Also, I've given up on LR and PS for printing ...... I now use PrinTao 8 (Mac only), which is printer specific and does all the complex stuff automatically in the background resulting in prints exactly as I want them with no glitches and issues. Although relatively expensive I reckon it will eventually pay for itself in the reduction of wasted paper and ink, and up until Imageprint produced a chopped down version (R.E.D) it was a third of their pricing. You've prompted me to brush the cobwebs off the 3880 and print a few of my latest images.
Another great informative video, I have an HP printer but I print on a gloss paper, would love to try the colour etching paper, as it looks amazing on the woodland image with the blue bells.
Loved this.. had been looking at test packs to try various paper. .. I get ok prints from current printer but like the idea of printing more so an upgrade is due. Many thanks for you vlog and inspiration
My favorite paper so far is the epson velvet fine art paper. Though I haven't have much of a chance to do my own prints.
Great tips Nigel, nice usage of the slider in the video... shows the textures of the papers in a good way.
Regards,
Ben
Great video on the many facets of printing, really like the part about the papers. I am a huge fan of playing with different types of papers, some of my favorites are Epson Hot Press Bright and Hot press Natural, Canson Baryta Photographique was a great one also.
Great video Nigel. I have recently started printing some of my images (only on regular photo paper from hp) I tried printing direct from my editing software but the results were terrible. Using windows photo viewer gave me better results. I still have much to learn about printing and will watch your earlier video.
Top advice as always. Printing is something I'm looking to explore more so I found this very very useful. Thanks 👍
What do you think about photo books?
Do you create any annual photo books in a journal style where you include entries? Any insights about photo books will be interesting to hear.
I printed small pictures many many years ago, perhaps the Epsom equipment i used at the time along with the inks used i found my results very hit and miss, i would get one line across the print from a blocked jet and it would ruin the print, the next print it would be a different colour in a different location! After that used PhotoBox on odd occasions or just didn't bother having pictures printed. If i look at doing my own printing i like the look of the fine textured photo speed paper.
I love the practical information presented in this video. I find many landscape photographers RUclips channels don't address this subject. Quick question, have you had any experience printing on aluminum? Thanks!
at the moment the canon selphy paper cos its the only way I print as yet--I like matt paper though or maybe a silk effect
Really love your great videos. I used to print on Hahnemühle PhotoRag, but now I use the Brilliant Museum SilverGloss White 300gr. from calumet.de. The name is a little misleading, because it is not a glossy paper, but a fine Matte one with a nice subdude texture. I really love this paper, I think it‘s made by Hahnemühle under the Brilliant brand for Calumet. Lookng forward to your next videos.
Cheers Markus
Hi Nigel, excellent video mate👍, q: does photo rag 308gsm good for family portraits ? I love the subtle texture, colours and matte finish. I am considering the portrait to be displayed without any glass or laminate finish but on a dinond backing. But is photo rag good for portraits ?
B&W images has to be Permajet Gold Silk, very close tones to a wet multigrade print.
I love holding my own prints in my hands! But I do not have a great printer (yet). Not sure it makes economic sense because I do not sell my prints. So I usually print at a German company on Hahnemûhle Fine Rag and especially my B&W portraits look glorious on that paper.
Hi Nigel, i all ready use Fotospeed paper, i know one of the ladys that promote it, i am yet to get a free sample mind haha i use Pearl290 PFLustre275 & MattUltra240 all great papers, i also use Ilford Satin this has a great white background for mono images, I have also used Matt FineArt Torchon 285 from Hahnemuchle with a good texture to it.
Pebbles, the unsung hero of the show. 😍
I like to do night photography. My printing experience is non existent, but of what I heard from you, i believe that the mate would be a good option.
What do you think?
I'm just into printing lately, do you think investing into a printer at home is a good consideration? My local printing shop charges like $40 for a 40cmx60cm print..
That was very informative Nigel something I've not given a lot of thought to, usually just get the same paper manufacturer of my printer but having watched this a previous videos you have done i would like to move over to photo speed paper its just the cost of it that puts me off and will it work as good on a standard printer mine being an epson xp-960 love to hear your thoughts
hi i like your videos i think they are very infomative
Hanemuhle Platinum Rag for Pt/Pd prints.
A Regular luster paper for test prints. But I have used some metallic paper and My favorite is Rag Satin. Wish I could print at home but this is the paper that the lab uses. I think for the wet process they use Kodak, but not sure on the Rag Satin what brand it is. I never use glossy paper, just don't like the look.
Which is the best paper for wedding album? Here we have colorful marriages.I'm confused with lustre and Hi gloss. Please help. Thank you.
Very helpful, thanks Nigel!
What Pencil do u use to Sign the Artwork?
I use Permajet paper, what do you think of their paper, as you don’t mention it
What printer are you using?
Love the casual insta plug lol... Followed :P
Nigel, I worked in the photo industry for 27 years and have been a photographer for nearly 50 years. FYI, Baryta is not a texture of the paper but a clay like coating laid down before the light sensitive emulsion is laid down and is available on different textures of paper. It has more to do with D-Max or enabling darker/richer colors or greys/blacks. Longer lasting prints than ones printed on resin coated papers.
Hi Nigel. Just a thought have you considered doing a video on mounting, framing and displaying your photos?
We need more PRINTING videos from you! Great video ! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I really love the Fine Art Museum Etching from Canon! But I only have their pro platinum paper to compare with. I love both of them and really think they have different and superb qualities. I really need to start print more! :)
😳 yikes! Dont go setting the monitor brighter or darker, dont play along with it! The only right way to go is to realy calibrate your monitor according to the room lighting. Then as long as the lighting is not changing, just ajust the print settings, not the monitor
I don't print my own photo's but the best papers I used to like years ago were Zig Zags!....lol
I had really struggled with printing but your previous vlog on printing set me on the right path and this one only adds to my knowledge. I used to use canon paper (the pro platinum) but could never get a print I enjoyed, I've changed to Photospeed and with them providing a colour profile it has made such a difference, the one I am using most of at the moment is the Platinum Baryta 300, for the price it just seems excellent quality. What would be interesting is how you frame your prints without cropping as off the shelf frames all seem to have limited sizes and if you look at the bespoke frame making services it can get very expensive very quickly. Thank you for taking the time to explain the whole printing process in an understandable way.
I gave up printing years ago and quite honestly nearly lost interest in photography altogether, then I found a video on you tube by mistake but it was about printing on Fotospeed paper, after watching your video as well I have decided to try Fotospeed Patinum Etching I loved the way it made your prints look. Its been a while but I carn't wait to get out with my camera again, got my inspiration back.
Another valuable video Nigel! I also love printing - it makes such a big difference! I typically use a "Red River Paper, Ultra Pro Satin, 68lb". After watching your video, I think I will use some different paper types that match the mood of my images! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!!
Red river ROCKS...try polar pearl metallic for an amazing BW print..they glow. And not as$$ as Hahnemuhle or others
I really like Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315g, a very versetile paper.
Another fantastic video, Nigel! Bring on all the printing vids. Personally, I like a bit of a satin finish for most of my landscapes, but I’m starting to experiment with the mattes a bit more lately. We don’t get Fotospeed in Canada, so I currently use:
Canson Platine Fibre Rag 310
Canson Baryta Photographique 310
Canson Rag Photographique 310
Working with a tight budget I've found "Epson Premium Presentation Paper Matte" to be a good all around choice.
I loved this, I'm so poor at printing for 3 reasons (a) I'm colourblind and folk make all sorts of comments about weird greens & oversaturated reds (b) I've been almost embarassed to print... you know the lies "I'm not good enough" or "how arrogant" rather than "what joy" (c) without printing, digital photography is almost free, so I've never convinced myself to invest & budget for it.
Nigel - you have changed the above! I retire in a year from now - I'm going to research printers & paper and build up to a NEW aspect to my retirement project (photographing, using macro, all the flowers that define ancient woodland)... now I will PRINT each one, mount it properly (another retirement project) and display original signed copies around my teaching room. Thank you for your inspiration in today's video, sometimes the biggest impacts come from the simplest of encouragements.
If you use a colour chart like the Colorchecker passport when you take the image, it is really easy to get the correct colour when you post process. I use on and I bought it after another guy with colour blindness said he used it and it saved his photography as he was only doing B&W because he couldn't trust his colour judgement
Thanks for the confirmation, I'd considered that - I'm hoping that Lr sliders for Vib & Sat adjust each colour evenly - I suppose I should also use the proofing capabilities of Lr to check when individual colours are close to being blown out, too.
I prefer matt-cotton or even strongly textured papers - I think it would be a matter of calibrate, calibrate, calibrate, then checking with a friend who is an artist, thus gradually gaining confidence. As papers also influence colour it could take a while..... but hey, that's what retirement should bring :-)
Great Video! Very usefull information and tips!
I have a Canon Pixma Pro 10 and have been using Ultra Pearl 295 and Canson Infinity Fibre Rag 310. I love this last one for the texture and details! I am still in the learning process.
It would be very usefull if you can talk about the final preparation for sending the printings and how do you frame them. Do you sign them in the front? Do you add white border with another type of paper when you print borderless?
Cheers from Chile 🇨🇱!
You blew all credibility when you spoke of paper thickness rather than weight!!! Shoddy......
I know of a way where you don't have to adjust screen brightness or color calibration. It works every time.
Hi, I have a question about the Canon prograph printers. The pro 300 has a better, higher resolution and the 1000 has a broader color palette. Which printer should I use for premium photo's from a Hasselblad 100 MP camera?
Regards.
Henry
Great video! Thanks.
Which paper would you recommend for more graphic/colourful images?
Also, what's your accent? Can't place it!
(Late to the game, but). I have an Epson SC-P800, and previously had a Canon Pro-100 (dye ink as opposed to pigment). I have had very nice results with HahneMuehle Fine Art Baryta Satin. The Satin makes it a close-to-matte finish that has convinced a few matte folks to try it out. Also had very good luck with HahneMuehle Museum Etching & Bamboo.
I'm in the process of evaluating a new paper, Canson-Infinity Baryta Photographique II Matte of which I've heard good things. Time will tell.
New hobbyist photographer here... daydreaming about printing and selling my pictures so that I can retire on some deserted island in the Pacific from the sale of the pictures I've taken in the last 2-3 weeks with my Canon 3Ti and a kit lens 😅.
Great video Nigel, I think printing is really important in the digital age. Similar to you I mostly prefer a matt paper and currently use Fujifilm Photo Rag, haven't tried the Fotospeed but it looks nice with the subtle texture. Nice shot of Pebbles :)
Thanks Wayne - yeah it really is important.
march 2023. Im new but have been exploring Red River papers and love them. Easy to get- great customer service and quick delivery. But Im still learning on a Canon pro 200 with eyes on the 1000 when I get better
Also -- 9th (nth?) printing mistake -- not letting the prints dry before evaluating.
Many times, prints directly out of the printer are darker than expected. Let them dry/settle overnight (at least) before deciding for sure. Sometimes you can still see differences after a week or more. Also also, if you hang them to dry in your studio, you'll find the dust spots, etc., that you missed :-(
And let them dry a while before framing, especially if they're to be under glass. The "fog" you sometimes see is the off-gassing of the solvents, etc., in the inks.
Great info Nigel - 1 Question, do you have to service the printer? P.S Fotospeed NST bright white is my favourite, I have it in A4.
I am currently using a smooth cotton High White 100% Cotton 450gsm by Innova. Really good. I am also just trying out the Soft Textured Natural White 190gsm. I do want to move next to an A3 printer when I can afford it. Point made about monitor brightness as well.
It's best to leave your xRite i1Display plugged in and let the dongle adjust the brightness. No it doesn't adjust the “brightness” of the monitor, but if you have ambient light monitoring enabled and the dongle plugged in, you'd be shocked how much brightness it's able to control from the Color Profile itself. The Color Profile isn't only capable of controlling color. If you don't have Auto Ambient Light Monitoring enabled when you calibrate, it will not adjust the brightness through the profile. If you have that turned on, it WILL do so. That way you don't have to guess with monitor brightness or set your white point as low as it will go.
Nigel, I feel a little ashamed that I’ve only ever used the Canon Semi Gloss! Having seen your prints at HCPS when you talked a couple of weeks ago I’m keen to try the papers you mentioned, particularly the cotton. Belting portrait of Pebbles by the way, I have an old Gordon Setter, Dougie, who’s well known to club members due to the number of times he gets entered into competitions.
Well 4 years to late to win the print 😂 but I’m just getting started with printing my photography and your videos are helping a lot. I am using mostly Kodak paper at the moment although my switch to something like you are using here for the custom ICC profiles. I am having a hard time getting Lightroom classic to print correctly however what ever profile in colour management I pick in lightroom it still seems to be using my printers settings as well which is screwed up a couple of small prints while I get the hang of it. Anyone with any notes on what I may be missing here ? All the best
HI Nigel
I have an epson pro 3880 that is over 7 years old. I always printed either on glossy or Matte papers and sometimes on luster. I have a cover to keep my epson pro 3880 clean, that I remove only while printing. A service man from epson in a seminar from adorama said that its mandatory to keep a printer clean all the time , that dust is the prime ennemy to all inkjet printers.
1- What papers (cheap) would you recommend for printing images not for resale ?
2- Can you make a video of how to adjust platter height for printing on rag papers & the printer maintenance following your printing (dust & rollers cleaning) ?
regards
Luke
Wow your photos are breathtaking! I print family and trips photos on Canon's gloss and semi-gloss for albums. Glossy is amazing for those vibrant bright colors! but the darker colors are great on semi! Thank you for the tips!
Ok I don’t usually make comments.. lol this might be my first .. I am looking forward to the textured type paper. The matte. I took pics of the sequoia trees and the Grand Canyon. Can’t wait to see how they come out..
I think I make all these mistakes quite often! I always use super gloss, but now I'm going to try some alternatives. I just bought some Canon Pro Luster which might look good for some Hawaiian seascapes. Thanks for the inspiration.
I use pro luster for my cityscape photos. especially night ones.
Thanks Nigel. Great seeing some informative video's on printing. I use a Canon Pro-100, but like you did, I was just using the standard settings for quite a while, only last week, I've taken up Fotospeed's offer and just sent off my papers for calibration. My current favourite is NST Bright White, but my experience of all these papers is limited, hence this video being useful in getting some idea of what is available, and the subjects they're best at representing.
I've matched the white of my phone to that of the photo paper I use most in display settings (more yellow than you'd think) and then bring down the brightness to match perfectly.
Thanks for posting this video. Like your 7 printing tips which reinforces my other learning. As a newbie in selling printed photography, I thought using ink like sharpie for signature is better than pencil. Please explain why you sign in pencil.
Hi Nigel - I know this is an old video but it was a good watch and it got me thinking about cropping. I’ve noticed that you sometimes freeform crop as opposed to sticking to a fixed aspect ratio. Does this have any impact / considerations for your printing or social media posts? Thanks
Have you used Ilford Galerie Prestige smooth gloss 310 gsm. If you have what is your opinion.
I have not used papers yet. I am about to buy a Canon Pro-1000 and some papers. So I really enjoyed your video so that I can avoid mistakes.
Just bought my cannon pixma 8750 and the photos are coming out with horrible lines across them- very annoying
I use X-Rite for measurement from shot to monitor to print. Color passport to get "tint" perfectly neutral for camera, lens and light source. As a starting point. Moving away from there as an artistic decision. Getting neutral fast.
Have you done an episode about printing labs and online printing options? I’d like to set up a website eventually to sell some prints but I don’t have a printer and know close to nothing about printing.
Cropping for paper size is an issue :/ I can't crop the photo down because as you said, the entire photo is essential. But when I add a border in photoshop before going to the store to try and print it- the border is uneven. Disgusting :l
I have always been put off printing myself due to extortionate ink costs. Which online printing services provide these paper options? I would love to see some of my images on Fotospeed cotton etching.
I was inspired to get a printer but a major disadvantage I can see is the issue of clogged print heads. How do you deal with this? I've heard you should print several times a week to avoid clogging
I have my Canon printer from the beginning of this year. I’m also convinced by you, Thomas Heaton and Peter McKinnon to print my images. By owning a printer the threshold to print my images is mutch lower than when I have to use a print service. Beside the learning curve of printing (settings, color management, papers,..), it’s a lot of fun! I’m now using PermaJet papers and I’m very happy with the results. They also offer the free service for profiling your printer.
Very helpful and fully agree with the tips. For many months I had my monitor too bright and couldn’t understand why everything printed dark. I’ve tried many of the papers you mention and certainly like the matte best. A paper I do like is the Canon Pro Premium matte. Would be interested in others views on this but I don’t think it’s far off the brands you have mentioned and prints well without ICC profiling. Cheers, Simon
Hi Nigel. I have definitely committed error # 7, which is a crime because my Canon Pixma printer is excellent. I currently use Canon's Photo Paper Pro Luster paper to print portraits and bird photos. But I see the value of quality matte or textured paper as I am getting into landscape photography. I look forward to trying out your preferred brand, should you grace me with a free pack (wink wink, nod nod). I'll try it regardless. Thanks.
Oh, bother. It appears the major photo outlets in my area don't carry Fotospeed paper. Neither does Amazon. This is a Europe-only product? Guess I'm depending on you. *BIG WINK*
Wow tnx for this video. How did you get your black to look so clear 6:03? What printer do you use for B&W photos?
I've only used a few different papers but my favorite so far is Canon Pro Platinum. I just ordered a sample pack from Moab Paper and I'm excited to see what they have to offer.
Great video Nigel, love your vlog! Same as you I prefer to print my images. I had been wondering about what paper type to use in any particular case, so this video was just what I needed, thanks for that! What I'm struggling with at the moment is the cost of printing my images at home compared to having the prints done in a lab. The original ink for my Canon Pixma 10S Pro is ridiculously overpriced and since it's got 12 ink tanks the "low ink" warning is up 9 out of 10 times I start the printer. I'm wondering if you've had the same issue and this might well be a topic for a future video, what do you think? On a sidenote, do you really have to wave images with bluebells in them in front of my eyes? :D :D :D I won't be in the Lake District for another 2 weeks and will probably miss out on the bluebells, which really sucks ;)
Favorite papers? Canson Infinity, Photo High Gloss Premium RC - although after watching this video I think I'll be moving away from glossy paper.
I wish I could afford my own printer and this incredible paper.
The picture of pebbles and the one of the tree amongst the bluebells were really striking. Printing is an area Ive not delved into but liked the look of the Fotospeed cotton etching paper.
Do you darken your studio when you are editing your images for printing to get the colour balance right in Lightroom?
Very informative episode Nigel and always enjoy learning from your experiences
Hi Nigel quick questions about fotospeed did you use there free profile service and do you need to send on different fotospeed paper styles
Monitor should be no brighter than your paper in the same light = wysiwyg.
Great video, I also started to use Fotospeed and it’s been a great help learning from your mistakes (your journey), used roll paper mostly but have now changed to A3plus, I’m using the two you have mentioned, NST 315, platinum Baryta 300 and the platinum lustre 270. My favourite is the NST. Love the honesty, keep those videos coming
Hi, are you selling printer images from this printer or you are using something else?
use colormunki photo to custom calibrate your monitor and printer and inks. imho
The paper is crazy expensive, do y'all have any options that are less pricey?
Yeah, still doing a couple of those mistakes, even after all this time... One day I'll kick myself into gear and sort out custom profiles! haha Reminds me, need some ink.
I've been using the Fotospeed Artfibre 300 for a year now, I love it! Yes its a bit glossy, but love the texture of it and it handles the reds and darks that dominate my work so much better than any other paper I've tried.
Good afternoon Nigel! I didn't use none yet, but i think (almost in your vídeo) i would use the fotospeed cottonetching because of the texture. It seems like you could smell it, like an old book. Keep the good work!
Good analogy
I think the idea of using the matte even for more shadowed images is a great concept. I'm still at the beginning of my photography adventure and learning everything I can. I've been able to learn so much from your videos. I think I'd like to try the matte paper. Do you have recommendations for online print services? Thanks a lot!