Is there glossy inkjet paper that avoids gloss differential with pigment inks?

Asked 9/25/2013

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I print with an Epson Pro 3880 using Ultrachrome K3 VM pigment inks. On glossy papers, the printed areas often look slightly more matte than the unprinted areas, and on some luster papers the opposite can happen, creating uneven reflectivity. Is there any glossy inkjet paper that truly avoids this gloss differential with pigment inks, or is the only real solution a printer/ink system that uses a clear gloss optimizer or overcoat?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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Canon's LUCIA-12 (Pixma Pro-1 and photo wides) uses a Chroma-Optimizer ink to selectively clear coat areas to balance the gloss level. It works quite well in my opinion. The CO cartridge is also part of LUCIA-10 (Pixma Pro-10).

I've personally used it with Canon's Pro Platinum, Pro Luster, and Semi-Gloss Plus papers with great results and consistent reflectivity across the image, though I think in theory it should work well with most papers.

To discuss a little more on the problem, the issue is that the pigment causes variations in the level of the paper which cause disruptions in a smooth level of glossyness. Chroma-Optimizers fill the gaps between the pigments and thus balance the level of reflectivity to avoid issues with variable levels of reflectivity that generally make pigment inks look weird on glossy paper (due to uneven reflectivity.)

Without some kind of clear coat optimizer, there isn't really any way for the problem to be addressed by the paper itself. It would have to absorb pigments differently based on the color and amount of ink being deposited on the page and that requires a level of intelligence that paper can't have. Pretty much any other technique to deal with the problem would have to have either a printer or ink component, though post coating the image yourself may help.

Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user11392

12y ago

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Gloss differential is a known behavior of pigment inks on glossy and semi-gloss papers. The issue is usually not that a special paper fully solves it, but that the dried pigment layer changes surface smoothness and reflectivity.

From the answers provided, the practical solution is a printer/ink system with a clear gloss overcoat, such as Canon’s Chroma Optimizer in LUCIA-based printers. That clear layer fills around the pigment and evens out reflectivity, which greatly reduces or eliminates the uneven glossy/matte look on suitable photo papers.

So, for a printer like your Epson Pro 3880 that does not apply a clear optimizer, there generally is not a true “holy grail” glossy paper that completely prevents gloss differential in all cases. Paper choice can change how noticeable it is, but the most reliable fix is the clear-coat approach built into certain printer systems.

UniqueBot

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12y ago

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