The Darlow Report
by Andrew Darlow
10/08/08

Hi folks!

For this installment, I offer a quick tip related to matting/framing,
and I offer some links to a podcast, exhibition and some interesting
articles.

Inkjet Heavyweights:
I just launched a new section on the companion site for my book, 301
Inkjet Tips and Techniques entitled Inkjet FAQs. There I'll be
answering popular questions that I receive from people, or which I
come across on forums or newsgroups. Below is a Frequently Asked
Question about inkjet paper:

When I give seminars and do a "show and tell" of various papers, a
lot of people ask me why I prefer heavyweight inkjet papers
(generally over 250gsm) compared with medium-weight inkjet papers
(about 200-250gsm). The heavyweight papers are generally more
expensive, and many people note that the prints will be framed and
thus, no one will know how thick the paper is.

First, I really like the feel of a heavyweight print in the hand. A
heavyweight print (especially in sizes over 11x17 inches) on a paper
like Hahnemuhle Museum Etching (350gsm) or Epson Exhibition Fiber
(325gsm) is very impressive when you hold the print and examine it.
It is similar in a way to the feeling of holding a tightly-stretched canvas.



This image is from a review about Hahnemuhle Museum Etching which I
wrote for InkjetTips.com. You can find the article here.
http://www.inkjettips.com/2008/02/06/hands-on-review-hahnemuhle-
museum-etching/

Second, there is less of a chance of creating a kink, ding, etc. in
most heavyweight papers compared with medium-weight papers. Some
papers (especially semi-gloss and watercolor papers from a roll), can
show slight surface damage even when handled carefully. And while I'm
on that subject, I generally prefer sheets to rolls because of the
potential damage that can occur with roll papers. In addition, roll
papers often need to have the curl removed either before or after
printing.

Third, when you mat a print on heavyweight paper (whether or not you
frame the piece), there is less of a chance of having the print
buckle and begin to create a wave-like effect behind the mat. Also,
an 8-ply mat with a 4-ply mat backing makes the whole package more
stable and resistant to warping. Plus, I really prefer the look of 8-
ply matting, especially with prints over 11x14 inches.

On a similar note, you can generally avoid dry mounting if you use
heavier papers, even at sizes up to 30x40 or 40x60 inches. And in
most cases, you can confidently use spacers and no matting in a
shadow box-like frame if you use a heavyweight paper. That is one of
my favorite framing techniques.

---------------
Articles on Digital Art Guild and the Urban Legends and Country
Tales Show

I always enjoy reading the articles on the Digital Art Guild's site.
They are often written by artists who combine photography and other
art forms, such as fractals, or illustrations produced by hand or
with software directly on a computer. Two particularly interesting
articles currently highlighted are by Kat Larson
(http:// www.digitalartguild.com/content/view/51/26/) and Raymond St. Arnaud
(http://www.digitalartguild.com/content/view/52/26/).

Also, I recently had the honor of being one of three jurors for the
show entitled Urban Legends and Country Tales, which was produced by
the Digital Art Guild. This show is an international print exhibit
that will be on display from October 4 to November 15, 2008 at Bonita
Museum in Bonita, CA. I found the work to be very diverse, and many
of the pieces really moved me. There was a mix of unretouched
photographs, digitally retouched images, images created entirely
using a computer, and images that had a combination of photography
and drawing/painting effects (produced using a computer).

Admission is free to the Bonita Museum, 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita CA
91902 and the hours are 10:00am - 4:00pm - Wednesday through
Saturday. For more information, including a list of exhibiting
artists and a look at some of the entries, visit the show page on the
Digital Art Guild’s website (http://www.digitalartguild.com/content/ view/49/26/).

----------------

I was recently interviewed by Scott Bourne of TWIP (This Week in
Photography) about inkjet printers. I covered a wide range of
suggested printer models from $44 to about $6,000. You can find the
audio interview, links to more info, and a discussion with additional
info at the end of the article here. (http://twipphoto.com/archives/1354). The
TWIP site is a fantastic resource for learning about great places to take photos, equipment info and advice, and much more.

If you'd like to share any thoughts about my thoughts, feel free to
contact me through the contact form here: http://www.inkjettips.com/ contact-us/. Also, I'm conducting a number of printing-related workshops and seminars in the NY/NJ area in the upcoming months, including a seminar at the PhotoPlus Expo
in October (I'll be talking about many of my favorite inkjet printers and papers). For more info, visit http://www.imagingbuffet.com/workshops.

And if you Twitter or would like to, you can follow me and/or sign up
and start Twittering here: http://twitter.com/andrewdarlow

All the best!

Andrew
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