Review Ilford Smooth Gloss at Epson 4900
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Ilford Smooth Gloss is a glossy paper with a somewhat higher weight than usual. Ilford aims at professional users, the range of sizes is therefore large. This Ilford paper belongs to the Ilford Galerie series and the printer used for this test is the Epson 4900. This is a professional A2 printer which makes use of pigmented ink. Specifications Ilford Smooth GlossWeight: 290 grams
Available sizes: A6, A5, A4, A3, A3+ and A2
Used ICC color profile: stemming from Ilford’s website
Test printer: Epson 4900
Test mode: see FAQ
Recommended retail price as of 01-01-2012: € 21.90 for 25 sheets A4 size
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What is different compared to the other Ilford Galerie paper types? |
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What are the differences with other glossy paper types? |
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ICC profile and color space |
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The test machine, an Epson 4900, is known for its very large color space and uses pigmented inks. Because the reproduction of the colors is strongly determined by the used ICC color profile we use a special ICC color profile. It is made for this paper and the Epson 4900, and stems from Ilford’s website. ICC profiles for a large number of printers can be downloaded from this site. When downloading, you should be careful that you place the ICC profile in the correct folder. If you do not, the printer program cannot find it. The color space is 929,821, which is hefty and also larger than the 739,821 to be achieved with the Canon PIXMA PRO-1 on this Ilford paper.
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Test result color on Ilford Smooth Gloss |
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Most colors with the Epson 4900 are a little too dark. You can see that mainly in yellow and red. The blues, however, are displayed very well again and the brown is fortunately not pale in tone. With a color photo, it is important that the black is deep, otherwise a color photo seems lifeless. At this point, the Ilford Smooth Gloss does very well; the black is powerful.
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Test result black and white on Ilford Smooth Gloss |
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The different shades of gray appear almost neutral in the default settings of the Epson 4900. This is also true for the black, which is very deep. If you want a black and white picture that is cool or somewhat warm instead, that is possible using epson’s Advanced Black and White Mode. In short, the Ilford Smooth Gloss paper is very suitable for the black and white workers among us.
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Gloss and surface of Ilford Lustre Duo 280 grams paper |
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The Ilford Smooth Gloss feels strong and the paper is almost white. The gloss is quite strong but will be stronger if dye ink is used when printing. There is only some gloss differential and bronzing, similar to the Ilford Gold Fibre Silk. The paper lies flat in the printer, also with A3 + size.
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Conclusion |
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| Ilford Smooth Gloss
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Pros
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Cons
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The Ilford Smooth Lustre Gloss Photo Paper shines nicely and feels solid. For many printers, ICC color profiles are available. The color space using an Epson 4900 is large but the colors are displayed a bit too dark. Shades of gray are neutral in tone and the black is powerful. For the black and white worker, the Ilford Smooth Gloss is a must. If you use Ilford’s ICC color profile, and you go and edit the color files a bit, you will also obtain very good results in color with the Ilford Smooth Gloss.
Website: www.Ilford.com
