Red River Paper Summer Sale 2018

My friends at Red River Paper are having a sale on some of their more popular papers:

• 68lb. UltraProSatin^® 4.0 - The Top Selling Red River Paper
• 68lb. UltraPro Gloss 2.0^®
• 60lb. Polar Matte^®
• 60lb. Pecos River Gloss™
• 26lb. ColorJet™

Click here to learn more.

See more Red River Paper reviews here:

• Red River Paper vs Epson Papers - Fantastic papers for Canon and Epson printers
• Red River Paper San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 - Just as good as expensive Baryta's
• Red River Paper Palo Duro Etching Fine Art Paper

Interested in printing? Check out my printing series page for more articles and reviews!

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW: Red River Paper Palo Duro Etching Fine Art Paper

If you've followed along in my printing series, you know that I'm a fan of Red River Paper as a suitable alternative to more expensive papers. In fact, my article entitled Red River Paper vs Epson Papers has been one of my more popular articles because I offer my honest opinion on similarities and trade offs for going with Red River over various Epson papers. In fact, my last review entitled Red River Paper - San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 I declared it just as good as the more expensive Baryta's.

It's no wonder that when Red River came out with their Palo Duro Etching paper a few months ago that they immediately reached out to me to get my thoughts on it. I printed with it and liked it right away, but I've been so crazy busy I haven't found time to write about it. Lucky for you and some insomnia after the baby waking me up in the middle of the night means that you'll finally get to hear my thoughts on this hearty fine art paper.

No Epson Comparison

While I've got a lot of Epson papers, for this review I only had 13x19 and 5x7 versions of this Red River paper. I have no other 5x7 papers to compare against and I can't scan 13x19 sheets, so this review will simply judge it on its own merit.

I will say that the closest thing I've used to this paper is the Hahnemühle German Etching, but that is still a very different paper that has no equal that I've seen (yet). I reference that paper because it's one that has a heavy texture, and that is something this paper definitely has - loads of visible texture. If that is something that bothers you, then stop reading as this isn't the right paper for you. However, if you can look at a canvas print and ignore the texture then read on.

Now the feel of this paper reminds me of the gritty feel of Epson Velvet or Epson Ultrasmooth  paper.

Tech Specs

Media: 100% cotton rag
Weight: 315gsm
Thickness: 21mil
Coated: Microporous coated one side
Color: Natural warm white tone
Surface: Heavy textured matte

Pigment Ink Users: This media is designed for Matte Black ink 

Archival Characteristics: Acid free, lignin free, OBA free, museum grade

Color Quality

Click here To get an ICC profile.

Color gamut of Palo Duro Etching (larger) vs Epson Cold Press Natural (smaller)

Matte black ink on fine art matte papers are always going to have a smaller color gamut than photo black on resin coated papers, but the color gamut of the Red River ICC color profile for the Epson SureColor P600 completely consumes that of the excellent Epson Cold Press Natural as shown in the graph above. What this means is that you'll get better color across the entire color spectrum using Red River's profile with this paper than you will with Epson's.

Color gamut of the Canon PRO-1000 (larger) vs Epson P600 (smaller) using the RR ICC profiles

The Canon PRO-1000 had a wide color gamut in the ICC profile that I used for my testing

Now before the hate mail comes in, for the record here's the Epson P800 profile compared to the PRO-1000 and it's smaller too:

and to counteract more conspiracy theories - here's the settings I used for the above graph where the PRO-1000 shows a larger color gamut than the Epson P800:

Here's a scan of 5x7 print made on the Epson P600 using the Red River profile on Paulo Duro Etching and you can see the color gamut is quite impressive for a matte paper:

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P600 Pal Duro Etching Print

It should be noted that my scanner couldn't pick up the full range of grayscale so I had to scan it twice to get the gray squares and the grayscale gradient is better in real life than what's shown in the photo. Simply put, the scan doesn't do it justice compared to what you'll see in real life.

Click here To get an ICC profile.

In The Hand

At 21mil and 315gsm, this is no flimsy paper! It's got a hearty chalky feel with a noticeable texture. It doesn't flex easily and Red River recommends using the fine art media tray, but I was able to run it through the Auto sheet feeder on my P600 without any problem, so it's not unbearably thick!

Photo Quality

The following are unedited s of actual 5x7 prints made using my P600 (my dedicated matte black printer). In the first photo, this is Epson's Advanced Black & White mode of a color photo:

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P600 Pal Duro Etching Print
Advanced Black and White Mode (Warm | Dark setting)

It was a little darker than I hoped so some of the details were muddy in the vest, but it looks better in real life than in the scan. Here's the color print which is remarkably close in tone to what I get using photo black and luster paper:

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P600 Pal Duro Etching Print
Photoshop Manages Color using Red River P600 ICC Profile

Here's the actual photo file used for the print  which of course has a much wider dynamic and tonal range:

Gary Original Image printed from Photoshop

In this next photo, the loss of color fidelity in the reds and yellows can be seen fairly easily - as well as the hearty texture of this paper:

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P600 Pal Duro Etching Print using RR ICC

It should come as no surprise, this isn't a great paper for high fashion, but that's not its intent. Landscapes, abstracts, and images with lots of texture are the ones that will benefit the most. 

Model Original Image printed from Photoshop

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P600 Pal Duro Etching Print using RR ICC

Naturally the best type of image for this type of paper is going to be a images with lots of texture, so I've printed my famous Treehouse photo using both the P600 (above) and the Canon PRO-1000 (below) using ICC profiles provided by Epson and I was quite pleased with the real world results.

The wider gamut of the Canon comes through in the form of warmer tones and deeper blacks. In real life under a light box in ideal lighting conditions, the Canon really shines but in normal tungsten lighting conditions the Epson print doesn't feel as dark so it is easier to see some of the detail in the shadows.  Simply put, both look good but if you have great lighting conditions then the Canon will produce the more visually pleasing print.

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a Canon PRO-1000 Pal Duro Etching Print using RR ICC

Epson Driver Settings (Windows)

For Epson SureColor printers, the driver will be basically the same so here's the settings I chose:

I did Cold Press Natural so I could use the sheet feeder, despite Red River's recommendation for using Velvet because 5x7 paper can't be used for the manual feeder (required for Velvet).

No matter what paper you use, you have to set Paper Thickness to 5 in Paper Config(uration):

In all of my testing, I had no issues with the paper being scratched - even when I forgot the paper thickness set to 2. You'll also noticed below that I did LEVEL 4 (1440x1440 dpi) per Red River's guidance. 1440 does variable size dots vs 2880 which uses fixed size, so the lower resolution can still result in higher quality results which was my observation with this paper. As a result, I agree with Red River's recommendations:

In Photoshop I chose to do Perceptual rendering intent (despite my normal preference for Relative Colormetric) for the best results:

Mac settings look different, but the values are all the same so what you see here - despite looking very different - still applies to the Mac.

Canon PRO-1000 Settings (Windows)

For the Cano - PRO-1000 I chose Heavyweight Fine Art Paper so I could use the Rear Tray (for the same reason as above for Epson - you have to do this with 5x7 paper). I also chose the highest quality which with the optional XPS (non-default for Canon) driver can result in better color fidelity:

On this page the key thing to remember is to click Advanced Settings and Color Intensity to Manual (then click Set):

For color you want None so Photoshop can apply the ICC profile without double color management:

For Advanced Settings you have to set Print Head Height to "Avoid Paper Abrasion" which just means this is thick paper:

Conclusion

This paper feels substantial in the hand with a hearty texture so some will perceive that as high quality and others will be think ugh, that's too chalky for me. However, that's the art of choosing the right paper for the right photo. When paired with a texture heavy image like the treehouse shot, it's a great choice that feels good in the hand.

This paper has the fine art "special" feel that separates it from your cheapo prints, so even a novice will know that this wasn't printed at your local discount warehouse or volume online print service. When commanding a premium price for your images, this is important so that's where paper like this really pays for itself!

Red River has done a good job of offering a museum quality paper at a reasonable price with excellent ICC profiles. As a result, this paper is an easy one to recommend to both Canon and Epson fine art printer users.

Where to Buy?

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy today.

Photographer's Choice Sample Kit Special Offer

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Printing Series 
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• Canon PRO-1000 Review
• Canon PRO-2000 Review
• Epson P600 Review
• Epson P800 Review 
• Red River San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 Review
• Dano’s Dictionary of Fine Art and Photography Printing Terms (Concise Edition)
• Getting Great 4x6 Prints Without Any Hassle–Part I of II
• GTI PDV-2020EX Desktop Viewer - 23.5 x 25.3" with Lower Luminaire and Side Walls
• How to ship prints
• Metallic Paper Comparison: Red River Polar Pearl vs LexJet Sunset Photo (Coupon Code Included)
• Printing Your Own Holiday/Greeting Cards (Tutorial Included)
• NEC PA Series Monitors
  • QImage RIP & Layout Software Review – Great image layout solution for dirt cheap and it keeps getting better with every release!
• QImage 2013 – Complex Print Layout Made Easy
• Red River Paper vs Epson Papers - Fantastic papers for Canon and Epson printers
• The PERFECT Print DVD Series by Randy Hufford  - A MUST own series!

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Printing Your Own Holiday/Greeting Cards (Tutorial Included)

Red River Greeting Card Stock Home

If you are like me, you want to send out custom holiday cards with your own photos but often times you find yourself too busy to bother. If you’ve tried it and had horrible results, then you aren’t alone either!

Fortunately, my friends at Red River Paper are experts on this subject and have done an incredible job of providing user education on this topic for use with their papers and envelopes. It’s really the one stop shop no matter if you are using Canon, Epson, or HP papers with just about any software that you can imagine (for both Mac & PC)!!!

I’ve been a fan of Red River Paper for a couple of years and have featured their products on my printing series page, but honestly I’ve never tried their greeting card products – until now. Admittedly, I was very intimidated by this whole process because I’ve had horrific results in the past when I tried to do it all solo. What’s worse, is that I often found myself without paper that could be printed on both sides (especially Luster paper), so I was never really able to do what I wanted. In the end I had to resort to throwing out my hard work and just picking up cards from a discount store. This left me both frustrated and dissatisfied.

How much will it cost to print my card?

Click here to get an estimate from Red River Paper about how much it cost to do your own cards. In most cases, it’s typically under $1 per card.

Templates & Videos (Mac & PC – Aperture, Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements & more…)

Click here to learn more both in written and video form about how to do your own cards in both vertical and horizontal orientation for Canon, Epson, and HP printers using most of the popular photo editing software for both the Mac & PC.

Can I print borderless?

Yes, you can. Click here to learn how.

Can I get envelops and display bags or boxes too?

Yes! Click here to get envelopes, display boxes, Photoshop actions and more.

FAQ’s & Additional Help

Click here to learn more as there’s tons of questions people typically have when trying to do this themselves.

Are there double-sided luster cards?

Yes, and no. There was a 80lb. Red River Luster Card Double Sided paper, but without notice the mill discontinued this paper just as soon as Red River rolled it out.

My Experience

I have Canon iPF6450, PRO-1, PRO-10, and Epson R3000, 3880, and 4900 printers on hand, but I quickly discovered that the 3880 was the best printer for the job due its easy support for custom paper sizes. The paper I was using was 7x10 so that eliminated my printers that didn’t support custom size papers (the PRO series printers). I had no desire to do this on my 6450, so that left the Epson’s. The 3880 is the sheet paper king, so I decided to go with it.

While Red River Paper has instructions for Mac and PC with a variety of software, I decided to stay in my comfort zone and print from Photoshop CC on my Windows 7 PC. You can see my Photoshop settings and how I printed above and below.

Here’s my printer driver settings using the Red River paper profile for my test paper (temporarily not for sale):

To keep my settings handy, I created a custom setting called “Red River 7x10 Card”. This won’t exist on your printer, so don’t go looking for it.

The template was handy and I managed to print on both the inside and outside without any problem. I did heed the warning that you should print your inside text first and save your photos on the outside for the second pass through the printer.

For my test prints I did leave high speed (bi-directional) printing on and it seemed to be okay. I also didn’t wait any time before flipping the paper and printing both sides, but I managed to insert the paper in the wrong way – twice!!! This was carelessness on my part, so a heads up that you really need to pay attention when reloading your paper! I chose the sheet feeder since that was the only one that the driver would allow me to use a custom size.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to test borderless because my driver complained that I had to use a supported size if I wanted borderless.

Overall it worked great and I’m thrilled with the results. The scored groove made folding super easy, so my results look like they came from a pro print shop – just what I wanted! Here’s a snapshot photo of how my card turned out (colors displayed inaccurately due to photo of a print):

Test Card - Outside

 

Test Card - Inside

I didn’t have any envelopes to test with, but you can buy them here.

Conclusion

Overall, I’m happy enough that I plan to do all my cards on my own this year. Heck, I may even get creative and start doing my promo cards and create some fine art cards too! I’m also thrilled that I don’t have to cut the paper or fight to get the perfect fold thanks to the pre-scoured fold groove.

I highly recommend Red River Paper’s card products.

Where to order

Click here to learn more on Red River Paper’s web site.

Looking to buy a printer?

If so, then check out these articles:

• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• Printing Series
• Choosing the right Epson printer
  • Epson SureColor P600 Review
  • Epson SureColor P800 Review
• Canon PIXMA PRO-10 Review
• Canon PIXMA PRO-1 Review

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Red River Paper vs Epson Papers - Fantastic papers for Canon and Epson printers

• Getting Great 4x6 Prints Without Any Hassle–Part I of II

• QImage 2013 – Complex Print Layout Made Easy
• Printing 101 eBook 
• Color Management 101 - How do I get prints to match what I see on my display?
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• How to print a 4x6 strip of prints without wasting paper
• Understanding Epson’s Printable Area Feature to Avoid Uneven Margins on the 4900
• See my Printing Series for much more like this

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW: Red River Paper - San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 - Just as good as more expensive Baryta's

If you've followed along in my printing series, you know that I'm a fan of Red River Paper as a suitable alternative to more expensive papers. In fact, my article entitled Red River Paper vs Epson Papers has been one of my more popular articles because I offer my honest opinion on similarities and trade offs for going with Red River over various Epson papers.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I have to state up front that San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 is the best Red River Paper that I've ever tested. The colors and blacks just wow you just as much as the best Baryta's on the market that I've had the pleasure to use and/or examine in real life.

Print Comparisons vs Epson

Now I've said a hundred times, but I'll say it again - if you want to make a print look terrible, try to scan or make a photo of it. No matter how good the scanner or the print, NOTHING beats seeing a print in real life.

With that disclaimer out of the way, to best illustrate the differences/similarities of two papers, I scan them in using my Epson v850 scanner using identical software and setting so you can at least get an apples to apples comparison. It should be noted here though that the San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 images may be slightly skewed due to them being printed on 11x14" paper and my scanner not being able to accommodate that size.  This has a mild impact on edge brightness and sharpness since the edges aren't as flat against the bed as the letter size Epson prints. However, they are close enough for casual viewing distance comparisons.

Click the images below to see a full-size TIF scan of the paper. All images are copyright Ron Martinsen - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may view them while this article is open in your browser, but you may not print, edit, save, distribute, etc... them without signed written consent.

Epson Advanced Black & White Mode Test

These prints are both doing the ABW Dark, Warm setting which you can see the print settings / tutorial in video form in my Legacy Baryta review.

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 Print using Epson Advanced Black & White Mode

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 Legacy Baryta Print using Epson Advanced Black & White Mode

In real life the print was identical in temperature. Since no ICC profile comes into play, these were basically two identical prints.

Color Print Evaluation

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 Print

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 Legacy Baryta Print

Even using separate ICC profiles, these prints felt almost identical. There were a couple spots where I wondered if one was better than the other, but then I realized my eyes were probably playing tricks on me as they were both excellent prints.

Compared against Epson Legacy Platine

This is another new Legacy paper from Epson that I love, so I decided to do a comparison here as well...

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 Print

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 Legacy Platine Print

Again, phenomenal results for both that made me again say this was close enough that no mere mortal is going to ever know the difference. In the hand the Platine as a little more flex and surface texture that attracts light, but color wise both are delicious!

Tech Specs

Media: 100% alpha-cellulose base stock with pure Baryta whitener layer
Learn a little more about the amazing properties of barium sulphate (Baryta, Barite) here
Weight: 315gsm
Thickness: 12.2mil
Coated: Microporous coated one side
Color: Slightly neutral white
Surface: Satin like texture with medium reflectivity

Pigment Ink Users: This media requires Photo Black inks.

Archival Characteristics: Acid free, lignin free, buffered with calcium carbonate, FOGRA Certified ISO 9706 (paper aging standards)

In The Hand Comparison

You won't have any problems picking out the San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 versus the competition because it feels sticky / ready to print on both sides. This is probably my biggest negative I can say about this paper. Beyond that, this paper has a little less flex and visible texture than the Epson paper, but none of these are issues for framed prints.

ICC Profile Quality

The ICC profile that Red River created for the Epson SureColor P800 (here) is almost a clone to Epson's profile for the Epson Legacy Baryta. While comparing both the Epson and Red River under my GTI light box, my only observation was that the Epson profile was slightly better in the reds and for ABW was slightly better in the lightest grays which means softer highlights. It was subtle, but something only a trained eye under a light box will notice as this paper and profile is simply phenomenal.

To get an ICC profile for your printer, visit here.

The Differentiator

My wife doesn't give one <expletive> about big prints - she wants 4x6 and that's it. However, it frustrates me that most 4x6 papers are mediocre at best, so I keep trying to do a larger print (because I'm too lazy to cut and too cheap to waste bigger paper <g>). She turns her nose up at it and ask me to print again, so for a while now I've just settled on the fact that if she's happy then it doesn't matter if the print is mediocre.

Goodbye mediocracy, because unlike other brands Red River makes a 4x6 version of San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0, so my wife can have her favorite print size and I can get the maximum quality of out of the print.

I can't emphasis how excited I am about this because for about 43 cents US (as of the time this was written) I can print a 4x6 print on a true fine art paper!

Want a video tutorial?

Check out my Epson Legacy Platine and Legacy Baryta reviews for video tutorials on how to use both products in Lightroom and Photoshop on the PC and on the Mac. The only thing that changes when you are on a Epson SureColor printer is that you'll specify the

Conclusion

This is truly an exceptional paper at a bargain price. I'd have no issues using it for clients, an exhibit or a physical portfolio. While I tested it on a Epson P800, I'll definitely use it on my Canon PRO-1000 and PRO-2000 printers.

Where to Buy?

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy today.

Photographer's Choice Sample Kit Special Offer

Other Articles You Might Enjoy

• Printing Series 
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• Canon PRO-1000 and PRO-2000 Reviews
• Epson P600 and P800 Reviews
• Red River Palo Duro Etching Review
• Dano’s Dictionary of Fine Art and Photography Printing Terms (Concise Edition)
• Getting Great 4x6 Prints Without Any Hassle–Part I of II
• GTI PDV-2020EX Desktop Viewer - 23.5 x 25.3" with Lower Luminaire and Side Walls
• How to ship prints
• Metallic Paper Comparison: Red River Polar Pearl vs LexJet Sunset Photo (Coupon Code Included)
• Printing Your Own Holiday/Greeting Cards (Tutorial Included)
• NEC PA Series Monitors
  • QImage RIP & Layout Software Review – Great image layout solution for dirt cheap and it keeps getting better with every release!
• QImage 2013 – Complex Print Layout Made Easy
• Red River Paper vs Epson Papers - Fantastic papers for Canon and Epson printers
• The PERFECT Print DVD Series by Randy Hufford  - A MUST own series!

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission.

REVIEW: Epson Metallic Photo Paper Glossy & Luster

Epson Metallic Glossy & Luster Photo Papers

I’m delighted to finally get a chance to bring you my review of Epson Metallic Glossy & Luster Photo Papers. This blog was made famous in the printing community for my previous metallic papers reviews, and I had been encouraging Epson for years to develop a metallic paper. Epson also surprised me by not only doing a traditional glossy metallic but also introducing a luster metallic paper. I’m a huge fan of the Epson Ultra Premium Luster and an ever bigger fan of metallic, so the marriage between the two is more than a dream come true!

Impressions

When I did my last metallic paper comparison, I loved Red River Polar Pearl Metallic and felt it was the winner on price but identical in quality to the Lexjet. As a result of the price advantage, the Red River has been my paper of choice for the last 2+ years and it even had a short run in an incredible 300gsm version (now discontinued) that is still my most favorite ever! As a result, when it comes to glossy metallic, Red River Polar Pearl is the standard by which others are judged.

Glossy

When I flop the papers around in my hands, I notice that the Epson Glossy Metallic seems to have less flex in it – which is great, because that’s the only gripe I have about the Red River (which is what the 300gsm fixed). The color of the Epson seems to be slightly warmer when viewed under a GTI light box, but other than that they are very similar. The amount metallic flake (for lack of a better term) in both papers seems to be about the same, and in my testing the printed results when using the superior Red River ICC profile on both papers surprisingly resulted in the Epson having a slightly cooler temperature image. The cost of the papers currently gives Epson the slight advantage, but if you use my discount coupon code for Red River papers then the Polar Pearl is slightly cheaper.

Luster (or Lustre)

Regardless of how you spell Luster, the Epson Luster Metallic is the first of its kind to come into my studio. I was absolutely THRILLED to find out that Epson had done a luster version because I prefer luster over glossy by a large margin.

As you would hope, the Epson metallic luster has what appears to be an identical luster texture and pattern to the ultra premium luster yet the color is slightly brighter for the ultra premium. The metallic characteristics of this new luster metallic are exactly what I would have hoped for, so I was very satisfied to see that it is a true metallic.

Again I had ICC profile issues, but overall I found the DMax and quality of the print to be very good. In the end I would strongly recommend this paper for anyone who loves metallic but would prefer to print on luster instead of glossy papers.

Compared to Red River & LexJet Metallics

When it comes to luster metallic, there’s only one game in town for me – Epson. However, when it comes to glossy metallic I still prefer the Red River Polar Pearl as my go to paper. My opinion could change if Epson improves its paper profiles, but given what I used during my testing I found the Polar Pearl to have deeper blacks and a more faithful color matching to what I saw on my color calibrated screen (when viewing the prints in a GTI lightbox).

ICC Profiles need work

I downloaded my ICC profiles for my 3880 from http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Pro/ICCProfilesAll.do on November 1, 2014. At that point in time, I felt disappointed with the quality of the ICC profiles provided by Epson. This is rare as they are famous for making brilliant ICC profiles, so hopefully they will do an update in the future. In the meantime, if you can generate your own ICC profiles I’d recommend that you do. You may also find that using the non-metallic equivalent Epson profiles might yield more satisfying results than the actual metallic profiles – however, I strongly discourage that practice unless you have no option. If you don’t mind wasting a little paper and ink, I’d encourage you to do test prints where you print the same part of a image on roughly 1/3rd of the paper with one profile and the same on the other side with the same image and compare the results on the same sheet of paper.

To my eyes the metallic glossy profile generates images that have a cooler color temperature than they should which results in red’s feeling more purple to my eyes. Printing the same identical image with identical settings, but on Red River’s metallic with their profile yielded a perfect print. When printing on the metallic luster and comparing to the ultra premium luster I observed that the metallic print resulted in an image that was too yellow whereas the ultra premium luster was perfect.

I repeated the prints with the metallic papers just to make sure I didn’t make a mistake and got the same identical results, so I’m convinced the problem is the quality of the Epson paper profiles.

Conclusion

My bottom line is that if you are printing metallic and like luster paper over glossy, then definitely get the Epson Metallic Photo Paper Luster – it’s great stuff! Once I get a good paper profile for it (and I’ll make one myself if I must), it’ll probably be my preferred metallic paper. However, if you still like the glossy metallic – which does have a bit more metallic appearance to it – then I’d still recommend the Red River Polar Pearl Metallic over the Epson Metallic Photo Paper Glossy.

If my opinion changes based on future paper profile updates then I’ll be sure to update this article.

Where to order

Click here to learn more or order these papers on the B&H web site. My friends at Amazon have it available here.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Printing Series – Tons of great articles on printing related topics and a link to my book on fine art printing
• Discount Coupon Code Page – See here for discounts on Red River Papers and more
• Metallic Paper Comparison: Red River Polar Pearl vs LexJet Sunset Photo (Coupon Code Included)
• Choosing the right Epson printer
• Epson Stylus® Photo R3000 Review
• Epson Stylus® Pro 3880 Overview Review
• Epson 4900 Review
• Epson Ultra Premium Luster Review and How To Walkthrough Videos for Mac & Windows - Covers Lightroom & Photoshop for Mac and Windows for the R3000, 3800 & 4900
• Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper Review and How To Walkthrough
• Epson Hot & Cold Press Papers
• How To: Using Epson’s Advanced B&W Photo (ABW) printing feature
• Understanding Epson’s Printable Area Feature to Avoid Uneven Margins on the 4900

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

COMPARISON: Epson Paper vs Red River Paper – Save Money without Sacrificing Quality!

Premium Photo Inkjet Papers
As good as or better than retail brands

If you read my Printing 101 eBook then you know that the real cost of printing isn’t the ink, it’s the paper. Paper costs add up and the better the paper the worse it gets! Times are tough so real working pros are looking for ways to lower their costs without lowering their quality. Hobbyists are in the same boat since there’s no income involved. As a result, I thought it would be useful to compare some of my favorite Epson papers to what I would call their “generic equivalents” at Red River Paper. 

I should note that this article not only applies to Epson printers, but Canon and some HP printers as well.

I will say up front that I really like Epson papers quite a bit, so if you fall into that camp consider this: How often do you find yourself making a few prints before you think “okay, that’s perfect”? Even the best of of the best print masters I’ve spoken with say that it usually takes them 3 or 4 prints (minimum) before they reach that point. What if you could have a paper that was very similar to do your test prints with and then you used the Epson paper for your final print? You’d have the same end result, but you’d save some money in the process!

Personally I’ve found Red River Papers to be excellent replacements for my Epson papers, so I use them quite often. If I’m giving a print away to a friend or family member, or I’m just doing some print testing I’m often reaching for Red River Paper as a way to keep my costs down. In some cases though, they have the perfect paper that isn’t offered by Epson (like Polar Pearl Metallic or various double-sided paper choices). As a result, I’ve enjoyed getting familiar with their paper lineup and experimenting with their wide variety of papers to see which paper suits a given print the best.

Photographer's Choice Sample Kit

In this article I focus on the papers Red River Paper makes that are best suited for photographers. I feature notes about these papers and where applicable I list what Epson papers they offer that are comparable along with my two cents about what I think of both.

It’s tough to switch paper brands and it’s even harder to pour through all of the choices to know what to get. As a result, I highly recommend you try out Red River Paper’s Photographer's Choice Sample Kit because it includes two 8.5x11 sheets of the papers listed in this section.

Resin Coated Photo-Feel Papers

• 66lb. Polar Pearl Metallic – This is my “money” paper when I want to wow clients. I’ve become very fond of the new 80lb version, but this will give you an idea if you will like metallic paper or not. See my metallic comparison article to learn more.
  
• 66lb. Arctic Polar Gloss – This paper (255g/m² 10.5mil) is just a great glossy paper comparable that is much more substantial than Epson Glossy Photo Paper (196g/m² 9.4mil), but like all of the Arctic Polar papers, it has a cool tone to it.
  
• 66lb. Arctic Polar Satin – This is a great paper with less texture than Luster and less gloss than Glossy. At 255g/m² and 10.5mil it compares very favorably to Epson Photo Semi-Gloss Paper (170g/m² 7mil), and it’s my preference over both Luster and Glossy paper. This is great stuff, but I prefer the UltraPro Satin 2.0 listed below.
  
• 75lb. Arctic Polar Luster – Epson Exhibition Fiber (EFP) is 325g/m² and 13mil and this paper is 300g/m² & 11.8mil so it’s a bit lighter with a lot more flex than the very rigid Epson paper. This luster is definitely a superior to Epson Ultra Premium Luster (240g/m² & 10mil) in terms of thickness and has a cooler bright white appearance. EFP is slightly warmer but it also has a more pure bright white appearance. This paper is ideal for those who like Luster and want a superior presentation and feel, but who dislike the rigidity (and the price) of EFP.
  
• 68lb. UltraPro Gloss 2.0 – This is an excellent 240g/m² 10.4mil glossy paper with a warmer more natural tone and a slightly more substantial feel than the Arctic Polar Gloss. This is my preferred Glossy paper from Red River Paper as it is closer to Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper.  
  
• 68lb. UltraPro Satin 2.0 – This is comparable to Epson Premium Semi-Gloss Photo Paper (251g/m² 10.4mil) at 270g/m² 10.4mil. I love this paper and it’s second only to the 80lb. Polar Pearl Metallic as my most used Red River Paper. It has a wonderful luster-like performance with less texture and a pleasing bright white but warmer tone than the Arctic Polar.

Matte Photo Papers

• 60lb. Polar Matte – This is a nice cool white paper that comes in a single and double-sided version. It’s a 229g/m² 10mil paper that is perfectly smooth and super high quality. I really like this paper and prefer its brightness to the 60lb. Premium Matte mentioned below.
  
• 47lb. Premium Matte – This 176g/m², 8.5mil paper reminds me of Epson Matte Heavyweight Paper (167g/m² 9mil). It is not a fine art paper, but it’s good for volume use where higher quality is needed.
  
• 50lb. Premium Matte Double Sided – This 185g/m², 9mil paper compares with Epson Double Sided Matte Paper (178g/m² 9.7mil).It’s good for cardstock needed when printing on both sides.
  
• 60lb. Premium Matte – This 232g/m², 11mil paper blows away the Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Matte (192g/m², 10.3mil) paper that I a lot of people use for their fine art matte printing needs. This smooth and natural paper is closer in quality to the Aurora Fine Art Natural at a slightly cheaper price. It’s good stuff that Epson Premium Matte users are sure to enjoy for a price that’s about the same.

Watercolor 100% Cotton Papers

• Aurora Fine Art White – This is a hearty 250g/m² 13.5mil paper that claims minimal OBA’s, but it’s so much brighter white than the Natural that I have a hard time believing that claim. Instead it seems to have the amped brightness of Epson’s Hot Press Bright (330g/m² and 17mil). Color wise they are very similar with the brightness advantage to the Epson paper. If you find the rigidity of the Epson paper to be frustrating, then this is an excellent replacement. Unlike the Natural paper below, I find it much easier to distinguish this paper from Epson’s Hot Press Bright.
  
• Aurora Fine Art Natural – This is a hearty 250g/m² 13.5mil paper with minimal OBA’s. It reminds me a lot of Epson Hot Press Natural (330g/m² and 17mil), but it’s a little less rigid and it seems to have an even smoother texture. Color wise they are virtually identical. If viewed separately I think one would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two, so if you find the rigidity of the Epson paper to be frustrating, then this is an excellent replacement. The natural papers from both Red River Paper and Epson have a much more substantial feel than their white/bright counterparts, despite being statistically the same.

Other

• 45lb. Zeppelin SemiGloss 2-sided – Need to do a tri-fold brochure? This is your paper! It’s think, folds easily and supports double-sided printing. I really like it for handouts, but I wouldn’t use it for fine art. 
  
• 60lb. Pecos River Gloss – I’ve never had a chance to check this paper out yet, so I can’t really comment on it. It’s purpose seems to be for situations like greeting/Christmas cards where you want a glossy outside and a plain paper back that supports light graphics and text.

Specialty Matte Papers

• 62lb. River Linen – This is what I’d call “Resume Paper” because it has a beautiful linen pattern. At 220g/m² and 10mil, it feels impressive in the hand. It’s an archival paper suitable for fine art that brings its own texture to your print.
  
• 60lb. Paper Canvas – This is a brilliant idea for those who love the texture of canvas, but hate the flex and mounting requirements. This is a paper, NOT a canvas, with a canvas looking texture that looks and performs very much like the River Linen. At 230g/m² and 11mil, it is quite hearty and feels very special in the hand.

NOTE: Sample sheets are labeled on the front lower right for easy identification. This leaves room for a full 8x10.

Profiles & Support

A paper company can’t (and shouldn’t) survive without great ICC profiles and instructions. I’m very satisfied with Red River because they offer profiles for a wide array of printers. I’ve also heard great stories of readers getting excellent customer service – better than Epson according to some – so service after the sale seems to be the name of the game.

Conclusion

I’ve been very satisfied with the Red River Paper products that I’ve used, and I’d have no reservations recommending them to a friend. I still go with some of the heavyweight Epson papers for my most important clients, but for friends and my personal print jobs I’m totally satisfied with the Red River Paper alternatives. It’s great quality at an affordable price, so I highly recommend you pick up a sample kit to see for yourself!

The 80lb. Polar Pearl Metallic is my first choice for fine art metallic printing, and I have used the 68lb. UltraPro Satin 2.0 and Aurora Fine Art Natural quite often in my studio (more than Epson equivalents).

Where to order (SPECIAL OFFER)

Click here to order the Photographer's Choice Sample Kit, or use the links below to learn more or order any of the papers listed:

• 68lb. UltraPro Gloss 2.0
  
• 66lb. Arctic Polar Gloss
  
• 66lb. Polar Pearl Metallic
  
• 80lb. Polar Pearl Metallic
  
• 68lb. UltraPro Satin 2.0
  
• 66lb. Arctic Polar Satin
  
• 75lb. Arctic Polar Luster
  
• 50lb. Arctic Polar Luster Double Sided
  
• 32lb.Premium Gloss
  
• 42lb. Pecos River Gloss
  
• 86lb.Pecos River Gloss Double Sided
  
• 26lb. ColorJet – This light-weight paper will surprise you with its ability to print brilliant color and detail to equal Epson's Presentation Paper Matte. 8.5x11 only 5¢ / sheet
  
• 32lb. Premium Matte
  
• 37lb. Premium Matte
  
• 47lb. Premium Matte
  
• 60lb. Premium Matte
  
• 60lb. Polar Matte
  
• 60lb. Paper Canvas
  
• 62lb. GreenPix - Made of 100% post-consumer recycled content. Unlike many post-consumer product papers, GreenPix™ has few surface imperfections. Photos come out clean and sharp. The back of the sheet is plain paper, suitable for text printing and writing. Its pleasing warm color, top grade photo inkjet coating and sturdy card weight and thickness. Landscapes, portraits, and artistic reproductions all benefit from the neutral warmth of GreenPix™.
  
• 62lb. River Linen
  
• 88lb. Polar Matte Magna
  
• 32lb. Premium Matte Double Sided
  
• 50lb. Premium Matte Double Sided
  
• 60lb. Polar Matte Double Sided
  
• Aurora Fine Art White
  
• Aurora Fine Art Natural
  
• San Gabriel Semi Gloss Fiber – This is comparable to Canson Baryta, but not any Epson paper that I’ve used. I wasn’t a big fan of its texture, but as of this writing it has 10 reviews with a 5 star average so if you like Baryta then I think you’ll be happy with this one.
  
• Blanco Matte Canvas

Click here to visit my special page on Red River Paper where you can learn about the special offers available to readers of this blog.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Metallic Paper Comparison: Red River Polar Pearl vs LexJet Sunset Photo (Coupon Code Included)
  
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
  
• Breathing Color Lyve Canvas – The best canvas I've ever used! (discount offer)
  
• Color Management 101 - How do I get prints to match what I see on my display?
  
• Dano’s Dictionary of Fine Art and Photography Printing Terms (Concise Edition)
  
• GTI PDV-2020EX Desktop Viewer - 23.5 x 25.3" with Lower Luminaire and Side Walls
  
• Ilford Galerie Prestige Smooth Pearl Photo Paper
  
• The PERFECT Print DVD Series by Randy Hufford - A MUST own series!
  
• Epson Ultra Premium Luster Review and How To Walkthrough Videos for Mac & Windows - Covers Lightroom & Photoshop for Mac and Windows for the R3000, 3800 & 4900
  
• Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper Review and How To Walkthrough
  
• Epson Hot & Cold Press Papers Review
  
• Canon Fine Art Bright White 330gsm Review
  
• How to print a 4x6 strip of prints without wasting paper on Canon iPF Printers
  
• Understanding Epson’s Printable Area Feature to Avoid Uneven Margins on the 4900
  
• Printing Series – Tons of information on printing topics

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

I was not paid or asked to do this article. I like and believe in this product, so I’m sharing this information to share my excitement for a great product at an affordable price.

My Favorite Metallic Paper Just Got Better - 300gsm Polar Pearl Metallic Plus

Carrera 4s by Ron Martinsen - All Rights Reserved
This image looks great on Polar Pearl Metallic Plus

Red River Paper has introduced a new 300gsm Polar Pearl Metallic Plus that offers the proven benefits of the original 255gsm weight Polar Pearl Metallic with more weight and thickness. You’ll get amazing results from this truly unique inkjet paper that closely matches the look of photo lab metallic prints. Polar Pearl Metallic features the same aspects as its lab equivalent - a high gloss finish and a pearlescent base stock that yields an elegant iridescence in your images. Getting great prints from Polar Pearl Metallic is easy, and Red River Paper even offers free printer profiles to make color management a breeze. This paper is compatible with any inkjet printer and requires no special equipment, inks, or finishing techniques to achieve the metallic effect.
300gsm Polar Pearl Metallic Plus is part of Red River's Polar family of products which represent the absolute state-of-the-art in photo inkjet papers.

Color profiles are available for your printer in Red River's color profile library using the same Polar Pearl Metallic profile for both the original and new version.

Handling guide and FAQ click here

• The look of photo lab metallic prints
• Compatible with any inkjet printer
• Low OBA paper
• 11.8mil photo thickness (vs 10.4 for the 255gsm version)
• Warm tone for pleasing color reproduction
• Acid free base stock. Coating slightly acidic.

To see my review of the thinner predecessor to this paper, check out my article entitled Metallic Paper Comparison: Red River Polar Pearl vs LexJet Sunset Photo (Coupon Code Included). I’ve used this new paper and it’s everything the original is with more substance which helps reduce the chance of accident denting – woohoo!

Click here to order this cool new paper today!

Special Offer

Example for coupon entry only – the offer and code here have expired

Visit http://www.redrivercatalog.com/landing/ronmart/ to learn what the latest offer details to see how much you can save!

Offer subject to change. See my discount coupon code page for the latest terms, and the printing series page for more Red River Paper articles.

Disclaimer

I may get a commission if you make a purchase using links in this article. I also was provided with sample paper to test for this review.

Let’s See Your Fall Colors

 
Canon EOS-1D X, f/13 @ 70 mm (24-70mm f/2.8L II),1/100, ISO 1600

The Fall colors are out of this world in Seattle right now. How are they in your area? Post your favorite fall colors shot you’ve taken recently to the ronmartblog.com Flickr group or Facebook page and let’s see the beauty of your area! I’d especially love to see shots from all around the world (you hear that readers from Japan, UK, Germany and Russia?).

This image was editing using Color Efex 4 which as great filters like Foliage, Skylight, Tonal Contrast, Polarization and more to help make your fall colors pop as much as you want. You can find a discount for Nik Software on my discount coupon code page.

A word about saturated colors and resizing

I intentionally did this one a little over the top to exaggerate the variety of colors in the shot, but downsizing it and converting it sRGB will exaggerate your colors even more (as pixels are discarded). To keep it from having that oversaturated HDR look (and this isn’t an HDR), then you’ll want to desaturate it about 20% to give it a little bit more of a believable look. To see the difference, hover over the above image for a less punchy version. (NOTE: Internet Explorer will typically show the most extreme saturation, with Chrome showing the most accurate color. Firefox tends to show colors more washed out).

You’ll also notice that this image has a lot of detail so when you resize it all of that detail gets crushed which makes the image look soft and kind of blurry. This is why your great foliage images are best shown big, so be sure to print out your favorite images at 13x19” or larger. I like the Epson R3000 or Canon PRO-1 for personal sized prints at an affordable price, but the best results are found on the pro printers featured in my printing series on premium fine art papers like Epson Exhibition Fiber or Red River Polar Pearl Metallic. 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission.