Ilford Galarie Classic Gloss Paper (Ilford GCGP), code: CAT 198
2273, 240gsm
Resin-polymer coating + polymer resin paper base
Price: cheap, average, expensive (Internet/High-Street retail price):
Reasonable High-Street price of £11.95 for a pack of 25, which is
only 48p per A4. Internet price is as low as £19.99 for 90 sheets,
which works out to be only 22p per A4 – excellent deal at
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=777_2_208&sort=2a&&page=2&PHPSESSID=38c6b674a7f22c8d8c05649408c01dac .
Feel: thickness, weight, texture [max. 10]
8/10: Even though weight and thickness wise this paper is
essentially identical to the Pearl version (see below), the Gloss
version has a different print surface feel. Even compared with its
closest relative, the Ilford Printasia Photo Glossy Paper, the
print surface of this one feels ‘wetter’ by touch, and somewhat
‘over-done’. Still, it’s rather good at mimicking a wet-chemical
silver-halide commercial photo paper, just not as good as the
Printasia Glossy stock.
Handling/Display/Storage: paper pick-up, under glass/plastic sleeves stains? [Max. 10]
7/10: This paper poses no problem with the (infamous) U-path of the
new HP printers. But for full-proof paper pick-up (taking into
consideration printer-to-printer manufacturing variance), the
“two-papers-in-the-input tray” method is still recommended. What is
not good is that this paper has a high tendency to leave stain
marks on glass surface of a frame or under plastic album sleeves.
This is despite the prints undergoing more than 72 hours of drying
time. However, the stain marks are not caused by insufficient dry
time, it’s highly probable that the inherently ‘wet’ print surface
is the culprit.
Grain Management: obtrusive, or barely perceptible? [max. 20]
18.5/20: Grain management, while good when viewed on its own or
when compared with some resin-coated papers, is still inferior when
pitted against the best equivalent resin-coated print sample. To be
fair, however, grains on this paper are not obtrusive. It’s just
that Ilford has set itself so high a standard with its other papers
in this test, it’s hard to expect anything less from this one.
Colour Saturation: muted, ‘normal’, intense? [max. 20]
19.5/20: Like its other Ilford family members, it renders normal
saturation, which is to say it’s very good indeed.
B/W potential: neutrality/cast, Dmax [max. 10]
9/10: Having a whiter paper base than the Printasia series
generally, one would have presumed that this one should yield
relative less warm grey scales using the same ‘Colorfast’ paper
setting (known to give a warmish tone to pictures). This is indeed
so. Dmax is very good, but not atypical of a resin-coated (glossy)
inkjet paper.
Highlights & Shadows: details rendered in these 2 extremes [Max. 10]
9/10: Details in the highlight areas is a little ‘fuzzier’ than the
Printasia Glossy paper, but this is not significant enough to mark
it down. Shadow details perform similarly as with other
resin-coated Ilford papers (Classic Pearl, Printasia Satin and
Glossy).
Overall Image Quality: artifacts, bandings, layering, mid-tone details, ‘x-factor’ [max. 20]
18/20: The only Achilles’ heel of this paper is its stain marks,
and boy was it ‘good’ at this! They do not, however, affect the
actual print quality (i.e. no smudges or colour bleeding), but the
obvious stain marks remain like a scar when prints are subsequently
viewed even at a slight angle, and it can be a little distracting.
Total score & grade: [max. 100%]
89% (B+ Grade)
Drying Time: instant, quick, ‘normal’ (takes at least 6 hours)
“Normal” (though stain marks may give an impression that prints
never dry – which, of course, is not true).
Estimated Light-fastness: poor (less than 5 years); average (5-9.9 years); good (10-14.9 years); very good (15-24.9 years); excellent (> 25 years)
Excellent – 30.3 years natural light room illumination (275 lux, 8
hrs daily average) [ see
http://www.livick.com/method/inkjet/pg2d.htm ]
Water-resistance: poor (aqua phobia), average (could stand minor splashes), good (water resistant), very good (water-proof)
Poor.
HP Colorfast Photo Paper
While it is easy to sing praises to the Classic Pearl Paper (see
below), the same does not apply to its Glossy counterpart. It’s sad
to know that, top image quality notwithstanding, something
seemingly unrelated to print quality could mark this paper down
from its otherwise A-grade performance. One just cannot think of a
practical way of storing the prints under plastic sleeves or
display under glass as they are. The only workaround, it seems, is
to invest on a fixative spray, but this can may prove frustrating
(i.e. extra work and money) to end-users. For your information:
though fixative spray increases the water-resistance of the paper,
it normally increases the paper’s tendency to ‘warp’ unevenly when
the weather changes.
Samples/enlarged segments:
--
Fotografer
...like, a total himbo
