I’ve grown very fond of Epson Exhibition Fiber paper.  It is has become my favorite paper for most of my images, the exception being cases where I feel the look of matte black and matte paper will enhance the mood.

There are a couple of problems.  First, it’s very expensive.  One 17”x22” sheet costs almost $8.  A 24”x30” sheet costs $15.  Ouch.  True, the paper cost is a minimal expense in the final print price, but is it that much better?  Another problem is it only comes in sheets, and once you start trying to wield 24”x30” sheets in a printer it can get challenging.  Finally, 24”x30” sheets are the largest size available, and while that isn’t terribly limiting, there are definitely images I intend to be printed larger ... especially panorama’s.

I decided it made sense to give some of the other new papers a try.  I’ve seen some good reviews of Ilford’s Galerie Gold Fibre Silk, a baryta based paper designed for photo black inks like the Exhibition Fiber.

To me this paper is similar to Exhibition Fiber in many ways.  It is slightly thinner (12.5 vs 13 mil), and not quite as heavy (310gsm vs 325gsm), the result is it is also slightly less rigid.  This small difference may be what allows Ilford to ship the Fibre Gold Silk in rolls, as opposed to Epson where no roll option is available even after a year.

Gold Fibre Silk to my eye appears very slightly warmer.  Not enough to make much difference in the look of color prints, but it may enhance black and white prints, where I usually prefer a very subtle warm base.

I’ve printed a few prints and I like what I see.  The surface doesn’t quite have the same “sheen” to it, and there is slightly more gloss differential.  The paper visually appears smoother, where the Exhibition Fiber seems to have a very subtle and appealing eggshell texture to it.  Colors are rich and pure, and the overall look and feel of the paper is outstanding.

I had some head strikes on my first print, so I set the 11880 printer to a wider platen gap, which seems to have solved the problem.  I downloaded the profile from Ilford’s site, and the recommended paper type seemed a little odd - Premium Semi-Gloss Photo Paper.  The results were fine, but if I decide to make it my long term choice for larger prints, I will make my own profile, and I’ll probably experiment using differernt paper types such as Luster.

I printed the image on this page on both papers at similar sizes, and side by side the Ilford paper isn’t visually quite as appealing to me, but it is very good.  The Ilford paper is definitely a worthy product and while I will continue to use the Exhibition Fiber for smaller prints, I am delighted I can use the Ilford Gold Fibre Silk for my larger prints.  I just printed a 22”x48” print of my recent panorama taken at the Bridges (the one in this article) and it is fantastic.

As far as price, the Ilford is substantially cheaper ... 17”x22” sheets are only $3.20 each, and a 24”x40’ roll should print 14 24”x30” prints allowing for extra space and waste, making each one around $7.75.  This means it is one half the cost of the Exhibition Fiber.

I’ll be trying a few of the other baryta papers to see how they look and perform, but for now I have a great option for larger prints other than the resin coated papers from Epson and Kodak.