How does this compare to Eastman Endura prints? Many years ago I had a picture printed on Endura, and absolutely love it. It has three dimensions, a depth I'd never seen anywhere before. And the print changed based on things around it. Even as you walked closer to the print. Honestly, it was magical.
Slickrock was a sort of second best. It had some of the depth, but not as dramatic or beautiful. There were two finishes - the one that was the most like Endura was discontinued a while ago. The current version (pearl I think) is far flatter, and less dramatic.
So how does this compare to the original lineup of Slickrock?
Yes, I remember that Kodak paper. The pearl is closer to that paper both the older version of the Slickrock silver and this newer version are more extreme in my opinion. I will say both versions of the Slickrock silver are a bit tricker to pair with images.
Good to know they are tricky papers. I really love that Endura print, it was the first time I've seen a print change character depending on who was standing in front of it. I was really excited when I saw the original Slickrock Pearl, and other companies that offered metallic backed paper (honestly cannot remember the paper brand, or how many there were). I bought them all, and tried them all. And was disappointed they didn't come close to the Endura print. So I mostly gave up on the paper. Well until my nephew was married during COVID and made a series of their "COVID Wedding" pictures with proper social distancing. It was a fun experiment that brought a smile to the couple. By far more successful, the series of more traditional wedding pictures on traditional paper.
Also crazy to think it's been 4 years that Pearl was discontinued.
I really look forward to the future articles about this paper, and how you have approached it. It's such an odd beast, things that seem like they would work with it turn out not so great. Things I would have never imagined working, end up being pretty good.
I found 1 piece of their old silver in a sample box. I think I'll try it with their new emy - just to get some kind of idea. I'm mostly a matte paper person, but the slickrock pearl I have is really intriguing on some images, and so is this new silver one. I'll have to wait for some sample size sheets to come out though. I don't want to get a roll I try, and then decide I'll never use it. I sometimes make extended long print accordion book forms that mount on walls - meaning angles of view and light change as you move past them. Yup - grabbed my interest!
I hope you get a chance to try it soon. It is a bit tricky to pair it with images well. Over hear at paper arts we're working on some meaningful "contests" that we can put in place to print some of our subscribers work as reasonable examples... of course the "winner/winners" would get the print too. Hope we can make that work soon. stay tuned.
took me a bit to figure out a challenge .. go big or don’t go eh - imagine turning pages of a photobook printed with such paper ? Is such an ‘active way of viewing imagery & different from ‘passing by a photo. Is likely a simple but optimum ‘coffee table lighting scenario is easy to accomplish - be a blast - the printed photos ideally have been shot for optimum dynamic viewing
As a writer & shooter would seek something like documenting a viewing with steadicam - lasting as long as completing the book viewing - I wonder what the photos tell a story of - and how the steadicam ‘sees it’ - ie the ‘phenomena & content - would be thinking of a ‘Societal Impact idea for Corporate Advocacy.. There’s some great stories out there & know of several
.. thanks - though am just trying to visualize the viewing experience you describe - initially ! (blue skying)
I can ‘capture & explore a highly visual scenario with a print or prints - love your approach ‘flex & ripple a print - simple shot to illuminate the ‘phenomena (added value ?)
If you can convince me .. (and have so far..) & apparently you see it - then perhaps I can do so with an aim re Societal Impact - some might say I have Product Placement / Prop Supply in mind - cinematically
Can you point me towards further useful Info ? Will sniff on my own for now .. but am just ‘taking your story & ‘running with for now - am all about ‘the Viewing Experience .. & sense a fine story here ! Thanks ! 🦎🏴☠️🎬
Yes, this is a very interesting paper and LuLa wrote a review on it some time ago. The major question marks I have are 1) What is the longevity of the PET (plastic) film, 2) how does it appear under glazing.
Glazing should not affect that reflective silver base layer underlying the ink much at all. I cannot answer the "archival" longevity of the PET layer but every one does complain about "forever plastics". I am assuming it is acid free and if you are using pigment based ink I wouldn't be overly concerned about fade properties or inferior archival properties of other papers incorporating plastic layers (many do)
I’ve been editing HDR-native images (Indigo app) in SDR mode, because that seems to provide better results than editing in HDR and reducing that to SDR for printing. Does this paper have utility there?
I do not have the space to effectively address this in a comment but I'll try to give a bottom line. Disclaimer: When people use the term "HDR" it's very overloaded meaning many things to many people. I'll take the words you just used very literally since you mean literally image files that either are RAW with a ton of dynamic range or literally in HDR format and the "HDR" controls within some of the Adobe apps like Lightroom. Those controls/modes are SPECIFICALLY and only designed for adjustment and display on HDR devices, the adjustments allow viewing and tuning how the file content displays on SDR and HDR devices of various industry specs when output in an HDR image format. That's it. Has zero to do with printing... let us call printing "ultra low dynamic range devices" because of their best case contrast ratio.
So the answer is no, this paper is not somehow magic HDR paper. However you can and do get some fairly wild effects in the lower mid-tones and shadow areas with detail when the silver base layer is reflecting the light source directly. Consequently, you also get a deepening of highlights, mids, and shadow areas when they ARE NOT directly reflecting the light source. You'll have to see it in person, very much like printing on a mirror that has been roughed up with a light sand-blast.
I've been evaluating this new "pro" version for a few months. I did compare it to the old version of which I still have some. There are differences, I would not display them together but unless you are comparing them side by side with the same image I'd have to point them out.
For the few people that have used the older version I was planning on getting out an article on what those differences are prior to the sheet availability. I can describe the difference in words and point them out side by side in-person. I may have difficulty making pictures that clearly illustrate those differences. Bottom line is the new version as a bit more "brushed" or "frosted" appearance of that base metallic silver layer than the older version so it's reaction to angles of light are somewhat but not completely different.
I guess that means I bought a box of the stuff awhile longer than that LOL. I have no idea when or why I even have a box of this stuff. Oddly enough, I printed a few prints from my stash just the other day while testing other papers, so i especially found your write up on the new stuff coincidentally timely
How does this compare to Eastman Endura prints? Many years ago I had a picture printed on Endura, and absolutely love it. It has three dimensions, a depth I'd never seen anywhere before. And the print changed based on things around it. Even as you walked closer to the print. Honestly, it was magical.
Slickrock was a sort of second best. It had some of the depth, but not as dramatic or beautiful. There were two finishes - the one that was the most like Endura was discontinued a while ago. The current version (pearl I think) is far flatter, and less dramatic.
So how does this compare to the original lineup of Slickrock?
Yes, I remember that Kodak paper. The pearl is closer to that paper both the older version of the Slickrock silver and this newer version are more extreme in my opinion. I will say both versions of the Slickrock silver are a bit tricker to pair with images.
Good to know they are tricky papers. I really love that Endura print, it was the first time I've seen a print change character depending on who was standing in front of it. I was really excited when I saw the original Slickrock Pearl, and other companies that offered metallic backed paper (honestly cannot remember the paper brand, or how many there were). I bought them all, and tried them all. And was disappointed they didn't come close to the Endura print. So I mostly gave up on the paper. Well until my nephew was married during COVID and made a series of their "COVID Wedding" pictures with proper social distancing. It was a fun experiment that brought a smile to the couple. By far more successful, the series of more traditional wedding pictures on traditional paper.
Also crazy to think it's been 4 years that Pearl was discontinued.
I really look forward to the future articles about this paper, and how you have approached it. It's such an odd beast, things that seem like they would work with it turn out not so great. Things I would have never imagined working, end up being pretty good.
I am curious to try it. I have at least one image that I think would be stunning. Thanks for telling us about it!
Stay tuned, we're hoping to come up with a way for people to get a print (some type of image contest based on how well images pair with this paper)
Will do.
I found 1 piece of their old silver in a sample box. I think I'll try it with their new emy - just to get some kind of idea. I'm mostly a matte paper person, but the slickrock pearl I have is really intriguing on some images, and so is this new silver one. I'll have to wait for some sample size sheets to come out though. I don't want to get a roll I try, and then decide I'll never use it. I sometimes make extended long print accordion book forms that mount on walls - meaning angles of view and light change as you move past them. Yup - grabbed my interest!
.. am stoked to just think about this - comprehend its potential !
I hope you get a chance to try it soon. It is a bit tricky to pair it with images well. Over hear at paper arts we're working on some meaningful "contests" that we can put in place to print some of our subscribers work as reasonable examples... of course the "winner/winners" would get the print too. Hope we can make that work soon. stay tuned.
took me a bit to figure out a challenge .. go big or don’t go eh - imagine turning pages of a photobook printed with such paper ? Is such an ‘active way of viewing imagery & different from ‘passing by a photo. Is likely a simple but optimum ‘coffee table lighting scenario is easy to accomplish - be a blast - the printed photos ideally have been shot for optimum dynamic viewing
As a writer & shooter would seek something like documenting a viewing with steadicam - lasting as long as completing the book viewing - I wonder what the photos tell a story of - and how the steadicam ‘sees it’ - ie the ‘phenomena & content - would be thinking of a ‘Societal Impact idea for Corporate Advocacy.. There’s some great stories out there & know of several
would love to see what you come up with and how you bind it together and package it.
.. thanks - though am just trying to visualize the viewing experience you describe - initially ! (blue skying)
I can ‘capture & explore a highly visual scenario with a print or prints - love your approach ‘flex & ripple a print - simple shot to illuminate the ‘phenomena (added value ?)
If you can convince me .. (and have so far..) & apparently you see it - then perhaps I can do so with an aim re Societal Impact - some might say I have Product Placement / Prop Supply in mind - cinematically
Can you point me towards further useful Info ? Will sniff on my own for now .. but am just ‘taking your story & ‘running with for now - am all about ‘the Viewing Experience .. & sense a fine story here ! Thanks ! 🦎🏴☠️🎬
Yes, this is a very interesting paper and LuLa wrote a review on it some time ago. The major question marks I have are 1) What is the longevity of the PET (plastic) film, 2) how does it appear under glazing.
Glazing should not affect that reflective silver base layer underlying the ink much at all. I cannot answer the "archival" longevity of the PET layer but every one does complain about "forever plastics". I am assuming it is acid free and if you are using pigment based ink I wouldn't be overly concerned about fade properties or inferior archival properties of other papers incorporating plastic layers (many do)
I’ve been editing HDR-native images (Indigo app) in SDR mode, because that seems to provide better results than editing in HDR and reducing that to SDR for printing. Does this paper have utility there?
I do not have the space to effectively address this in a comment but I'll try to give a bottom line. Disclaimer: When people use the term "HDR" it's very overloaded meaning many things to many people. I'll take the words you just used very literally since you mean literally image files that either are RAW with a ton of dynamic range or literally in HDR format and the "HDR" controls within some of the Adobe apps like Lightroom. Those controls/modes are SPECIFICALLY and only designed for adjustment and display on HDR devices, the adjustments allow viewing and tuning how the file content displays on SDR and HDR devices of various industry specs when output in an HDR image format. That's it. Has zero to do with printing... let us call printing "ultra low dynamic range devices" because of their best case contrast ratio.
So the answer is no, this paper is not somehow magic HDR paper. However you can and do get some fairly wild effects in the lower mid-tones and shadow areas with detail when the silver base layer is reflecting the light source directly. Consequently, you also get a deepening of highlights, mids, and shadow areas when they ARE NOT directly reflecting the light source. You'll have to see it in person, very much like printing on a mirror that has been roughed up with a light sand-blast.
How is this different than their previous Slickrock Metallic Silver (non pro, I guess)?
The older paper was discontinued quite a while ago...
https://www.paperartscollective.com/p/photographic-art-and-dependence-on?utm_source=publication-search
I've been evaluating this new "pro" version for a few months. I did compare it to the old version of which I still have some. There are differences, I would not display them together but unless you are comparing them side by side with the same image I'd have to point them out.
For the few people that have used the older version I was planning on getting out an article on what those differences are prior to the sheet availability. I can describe the difference in words and point them out side by side in-person. I may have difficulty making pictures that clearly illustrate those differences. Bottom line is the new version as a bit more "brushed" or "frosted" appearance of that base metallic silver layer than the older version so it's reaction to angles of light are somewhat but not completely different.
I guess that means I bought a box of the stuff awhile longer than that LOL. I have no idea when or why I even have a box of this stuff. Oddly enough, I printed a few prints from my stash just the other day while testing other papers, so i especially found your write up on the new stuff coincidentally timely
We are not on the same page, but thanks for your reply
Bill,
We'll probably have to discuss in person/phone for me to give you any kind of answer to your question. Hopefully we can do that at some point.