Early Assessment of Red River PD Smooth Rag 310

Started 1 week ago | Discussions thread
ForumParentFirstPrevious
Flat view
Schleiermacher Senior Member • Posts: 2,699
Early Assessment of Red River PD Smooth Rag 310

I’ve been searching for a good cotton mat paper for b&w prints that won’t break the bank and that has a semi-smooth surface with a good hand-feel.

After trying both the white and natural versions of Red River’s Aurora Art 300, I decided to try their Palo Duro Smooth Rag 310 (not to be confused with their Palo Duro Smoothgloss paper).

After a few days of working/testing/comparing, I’m finding the PD Smooth Rag markedly superior to the Aurora Art papers — the blacks are deeper, tones are better separated, and the prints simply look crisper. While the PDSR is an OBA-free, warm-toned paper it is a touch whiter than the OBA-free Aurora Art Natural. It has the same nice hand-feel of the Aurora also.

While I don’t have the measuring instruments to test Dmax and linearity, I can actually see a difference in the prints and I like them better.

There isn’t much out there assessing this paper. It seems to be a bit of a sleeper. I found a few quick and positive references on this forum in a few old threads and one review that’s behind a paywall.

It’s a middling priced paper, but I think it delivers a lot of bang for the buck.

Has anyone else used this paper and care to offer their feedback/assessment? Tips/Tricks for getting the best b&w from it?

-- hide signature --

Schleiermacher
www.mmathews.zenfolio.com
----------------------------------------------
'At our best and most fortunate we make pictures because of what stands in front of the camera, to honor what is greater and more interesting than we are. We never accomplish this perfectly, though in return we are given something perfect -- a sense of inclusion. Our subject thus redefines us, and is part of the biography by which we want to be known.' --Robert Adams, Why People Photograph

 Schleiermacher's gear list:Schleiermacher's gear list
Pentax K-1 Fujifilm X-T20 Fujifilm X-T3 Pentax smc FA 31mm F1.8 AL Limited Pentax smc FA 43mm F1.9 Limited +12 more
ForumParentFirstPrevious
Flat view
ForumParentFirstPrevious
Keyboard shortcuts:
FForum PPrevious NNext WNext unread UUpvote SSubscribe RReply QQuote BBookmark MMy threads
Color scheme? Blue / Yellow