que significa premium presentation paper matte

I was in Best Buy this morning to check prices on 8.5 x 11 photo paper, and saw one pristine box of 13 x 19 Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte 5* - 50 sheets for $10.99. Seemed like a major bargain, but I haven't priced it as I've never used that paper or printed that big. But I have a new Epson R1800 printer. Has anyone ever used this paper and can you comment on it ?

Thanks... carolyn -- Ranger a.k.a chammett http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'

c.hammett wrote: I was in Best Buy this morning to check prices on 8.5 x 11 photo paper, and saw one pristine box of 13 x 19 Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte 5* - 50 sheets for $10.99. Seemed like a major bargain, but I haven't priced it as I've never used that paper or printed that big. But I have a new Epson R1800 printer. Has anyone ever used this paper and can you comment on it ? Thanks... carolyn -- Ranger a.k.a chammett http://www.pbase.com/chammett 'elegance is simplicity'

I found a sample of this paper I got in a pack of samples from Atlex, an online paper source. Their site said it was formerlly called Enhanced Matte . Printed up an 8 x 10 and I'd lgive int an "o.k." but not just really exciting if paper can be called "exciting"

So I answered my questiaon for ME.... but if anyone has opinions, I'd love to know what others think. It might be nice paper for baby or soft fuzzy pet pictures, but not sure what else.

carolyn -- Ranger a.k.a chammett http://www.pbase.com/chammett

It has also gone under the name of Archival Matte in the UK.

It's pretty good stuff and I use it a lot, especially for any b/w. It also looks great under glass.

http://www.outdoorexposure.co.uk

Alan Hewitt wrote: It has also gone under the name of Archival Matte in the UK. It's pretty good stuff and I use it a lot, especially for any b/w. It also looks great under glass.

Thanks Alan. I have no idea whether the $10.99 USD price for 50 sheets of 13 x 19 paper was good or not, as I could find no comparison locally or online, but it sounded good for that much paper. However, I can't imagine printing 50 13 x 19 matte images in my lifetiime !

carolyn Ranger a.k.a chammett http://www.pbase.com/chammett

I bought some of the 8 1/2 x 11 Ultra a few weeks ago and it sure looked and felt like the Enhanced - and I have been told Enhanced = Ultar.

Checked Altex.com which usually has fair prices - Enhanced 13 x 19 50 sheets were $35.99

Ultra Premium price @ best buy (online) is $55.95.

It is a very economical paper, good image quality, deep blacks, smooth surface, bright white surface. There are some downsides, however. With some printers the deeper values (darker tones) show an unpleasant, uneven mottling effect. The paper contains OBAs which fade shortly, leaving the paper quite yellow in comparison.

(I found this out when comparing a sheet that I had accidentally left half-sandwiched between two boxes for two months. So, one half was exposed to light for a few hours every day; the other half was not exposed to light at all. After 2 months I pulled the sheet fully out and found that there was a clear dividing line between the two halves, with the exposed half clearly yellow compared to the other half.) -- Eric Chan http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/photos/ http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/index.html

c.hammett wrote:

That is an excellent price if they didn't mis-label it. Even the letter-size paper costs more than $10.99.

I thought $10.99 for 50 sheets of 13 x 19 sounded awfully cheap... even if it was 8.5 x 12 rather than the larger format. I haven't bought anything but lots of Premium Glossy which I like for albums of my 8 x 10's, so I'm a newbie at both the 13 x 19 size as well as the paper type.

I did notice when I printed a test sheet from my sample box of Epson papers, that the Premium Matte seemed to have less intensity or saturation using the same settings I use and from which I get excellent color matching on glossy, but that could be the difference in matte and gloss papers and the gloss optimizer on the glossy paper. It was not a critical difference in my subject matter (Kenyan elephants which can be any color from gray-tan in color to dusty reddish - brown depending on how much dust they've thrown on themselves l) . I would have to make some adjustments in CS3 if I were gong to anything color-critical with that paper I think.

So, has anyone noticed that the matte papes take color slightly differetnly ?

There is definitely a big difference in color appearance between matte and non-matte papers. First off, the matte papers are basically free of glare; that already makes a big difference in appearance! But also matte papers tend to have a more restricted color gamut and contrast range. These are fundamental differences that should definitely be accounted for when doing image processing, or at least when deciding which paper to use for printing specific images. -- Eric Chan http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/photos/ http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/index.html

Eric Chan wrote: There is definitely a big difference in color appearance between matte and non-matte papers. First off, the matte papers are basically free of glare; that already makes a big difference in appearance! But also matte papers tend to have a more restricted color gamut and contrast range. These are fundamental differences that should definitely be accounted for when doing image processing, or at least when deciding which paper to use for printing specific images. -- Eric Chan http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/photos/ http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/index.html

So what type images do you think are best used on Matte ? I see b/w and maybe some portraits or "soft subjects" like pets . I dug out a sample of Matte that came in a sample pack of Epson papers, and printed a group of elephants on it. The effect was very nice, but ti seemed to lack "punch" of a dramatic image or an image on glossy paper.

Images that have deep, dark saturated colors that need that extra "punch" could benefit from a luster, glossy paper. Images whose subject matter suggest gloss, shininess, or reflectivity can often benefit from gloss, too (e.g., images of machinery, etc.). But it comes down to personal taste. For many of my color images I prefer a smooth or lightly textured matte paper. This is especially true for New England fall foliage images. In most cases I really dislike the reflections from gloss/luster papers and often will choose a matte paper solely for this reason. These days, my default is matte unless there is a specific image need for a glossy/luster. -- Eric Chan http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/photos/ http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/index.html

c.hammett wrote: Eric Chan wrote: There is definitely a big difference in color appearance between matte and non-matte papers. First off, the matte papers are basically free of glare; that already makes a big difference in appearance! But also matte papers tend to have a more restricted color gamut and contrast range. These are fundamental differences that should definitely be accounted for when doing image processing, or at least when deciding which paper to use for printing specific images. -- Eric Chan http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/photos/ http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/index.html

Carolyn, it is good to read your post.

Probably 85% of my Photos are on Epson Enhanced Matte Photo paper. It now (some places) has a different name. I use the Epson 2200 and two R800 printers.

When I have an image that I "specifically" want to emphasize the Shadow details, I will process that image for the specific effects. I have had absolutely NO problems in that regard with Matte Photos....

I will acknowledge that I am NOT a fan of Glossy. I got all of that type that I wanted when using the Wet Dark Room, Ferro type Plates, and the "squeegee" (spell ?). Also, glossy seems too be much like the "drug store" type prints. However, this is NOT intended to criticize others that like glossy -- There are good reasons for the use of glossy as needed.

I do print a few images (small size -- 4 x 6) on InkJetArt Micro Ceramic Luster paper which is nice and also have a good supply of 8 1/2 x 11 inch that I occasionally use -- but none larger. The 13 x 19 box of 50 sheets price you mentioned would be a real bargain.

I have printed MANY (primarily Family) images on 13 x 19 and a few on two sheets of 13 x 19 then combined the 2 parts when mounting. These were scans form Hasselblad Medium Format (both Color and B/W) negatives and they are really nice and it almost seems like they are there in real "life size".

Latest sample galleries

Latest in-depth reviews

Nikon has announced the Z6III, its third-generation mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera. A new 24MP sensor brings speed to every part of the camera, and all the key features have been upgraded.

The newest version of Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds video-oriented flagship camera has arrived, and it includes features like internal ProRes RAW recording, 32-bit Float audio capture, phase-detect autofocus, and compatibility with Panasonic's Real-Time LUT system and Lumix Lab app.

The Lumix S9 is Panasonic's newest full-frame mirrorless camera. It allows users to create their own custom looks for out-of-camera colors and is the first full-frame Lumix camera aimed squarely at social media content creators.

The Sony a9 III is the world's first full-frame mirrorless camera to feature a global electronic shutter with simultaneous readout. After extensive testing of this 120 fps sports camera, to see what you gain (and, perhaps, lose).

Fujifilm has announced the X-T50, a mid-range 40MP APS-C mirrorless camera that gains image stabilization, subject recognition AF and a host of high-res video features.

Latest buying guides

What’s the best camera for around $2000? This price point gives you access to some of the most all-round capable cameras available. Excellent image quality, powerful autofocus and great looking video are the least you can expect. We've picked the models that really stand out.

What's the best camera for travel? Good travel cameras should be small, versatile, and offer good image quality. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for travel and recommended the best.

If you want a compact camera that produces great quality photos without the hassle of changing lenses, there are plenty of choices available for every budget. Read on to find out which portable enthusiast compacts are our favorites.

'What's the best mirrorless camera?' We're glad you asked.

Above $2500 cameras tend to become increasingly specialized, making it difficult to select a 'best' option. We case our eye over the options costing more than $2500 but less than $4000, to find the best all-rounder.

• Gear Patrol
• Work for us
• Advertise with us
• Feedback / Contact us
• Camera reviews
• Lens reviews
• Printer reviews
• Buying guides
• Sample images
• Editorial enquiries
• Camera search
• Camera comparison
• Lens search
• Product timeline
• Browse all products
• Community Guidelines
• My Settings
• My GearList