Hymn photo papers

[rodbam]

In my search for good quality cheaper photo papers I came across what my sixth sense told me might be good enough for me. The reason I thought this paper might be OK was the retail shop I bought it from online (they are in Sydney & I'm up in Brisbane) deal in photographic accessories & they have a studio they rent out & this is the only paper they sell. My reasoning was that if they are selling this to keen or even professional photographers then it might be good stuff.
I wasn't sure about the paper being from China but in the specs on the Chinese web site it said the paper is from Japan so maybe they put the coating on in China. Anyhow I bought a pack of 20 A3+ diamond gloss & a 20 pack of A3+ Pearl at $30 & $35 respectively, a great saving for me over the $150 Canons A3+ papers would have cost & my first prints on each paper look terrific to me'
Does anyone have any knowledge of these papers & any pros or cons?
Here's a link to the shop in Sydney.
http://www.photo-shop-studio.com/eng/p2.asp?ItemClass1=Misc
Here's the link to the paper makers Hymn in China.
http://hymn.en.alibaba.com/product/...et_Photo_Paper.html?tracelog=cgsotherproduct1

 

[rodbam]

Do you use this paper?

 

[The Hat]

rodbam
The prices you are paying for your A3+ photo paper is way over the top.
Have you looked at the roll prices in the same store and compared them
against the sheet size prices, they may be much better value.

Often its a case that A3+ paper is sold at a much higher price just because its A3+ and for no other reason at all.
Another thing you could do is to buy some of this paper from China yourself
it might be a better alternative and far cheaper for the same papers.

I have always used large rolls of photo papers for my posters which I cut to size.

 

[rodbam]

I think because of our small population we don't seem to get much of a choice down here for buying cheaper gear of reasonable quality. My pro9000 mk2 cost me $800 online a few months ago & that was $250 cheaper than in the shops. I cry out loud when I see what our American cousins pay for these things.
My worries with rolled paper was getting rid of the curls from it being in a roll, I've read a few posts where people think it's not worth the trouble. How do you get your roll paper nice & flat? I will have a look at the roll papers & see what savings there are as the paper is my biggest cost now. I have the refilling down pat & still I can't believe how good the ink is & how cheap it is. I should stop saying that because Mikling & Websnail will put their prices up

Hat, I've just worked out the costs & it looks like I can save over 50% by buying in rolls. So now I will need your advice on how to stop the curling, how do you cut them to size, & what sizes can I cut to for my pro9000?
I've worked out from a 310mm wide by 30m long roll I can get two 305mmx457mm (12"x 18") sheets per cut length wise giving me a total of 130 prints at 86c each where as my slightly bigger A3+ costs me $2. 25c a print.
I haven't yet used the custom size function of my printer yet but I'm assuming I can specify it to print a 12"x18" print. If I cut the roll in to A3+ size I will get too much wastage so that's why I'm thinking of printing the odd size 12"x18".
I have a mat cutter but not a dedicated photo paper cutter will this do for cutting the paper or should I invest in a guillotine or some sort of paper cutter?
Thanks mate.

 

[jtoolman]

I saw a device that simply looks like a vinyl window shade rolled up. You know, the spring loaded type you pull down. The only difference is it was even simpler. A round dowel with the shade ( in this case, much more expencive ) material attached and rolled up. To use it, you lay it out open on top of a table. Lay your roll paper "Curly" print with the curl facing down so it runs parallel with the edges of the "shade" material, and just roll it up. When you un roll it, the curl has magically disappeared. Of course, you can reverse roll it by hand and more than likely, if you are like me, ruin the print. I saw the guys from Luminuous Landscape that did the "Camera to Print" DVD using it in one of their segments. Not the Hippy old man with the long wiskers. The other guy. The shocking part was that he was bragging aboue how reasonably priced it was, having only paid about $200 someting for it. WHAT???? I made the same thing with a $4 window shade purchased at the local home center!
Try it, it really does work!

 

[The Hat]

rodbam My worries with rolled paper was getting rid of the curls from it being in a roll,
I've read a few posts where people think it's not worth the trouble. How do you get your roll paper nice & flat?

So now I will need your advice on how to stop the curling, how do you cut them to size,
& what sizes can I cut to for my pro9000?

The rolls of paper I use have very little curl in them to start with and it only tends to be a problem nearing the end of the roll.
One way to remove the curl is to roll the paper back on to the cardboard core and leave it for while to settle then later store it flat.

I use a Dahle 63cm. guillotine to trim all of my paper down to size but I go for the 61cm. wide roll
because its more economical and gives me a wider variety of different sizes to choose from with very little waste,
I do posters and banners mostly as there is not much call for photos (no money in it)..

 

[rodbam]

Thanks JTool & Hat I will investigate the cheapest ways I can cut the paper as I don't have the budget for buying the proper cutters. I have mat cutting tools so I will see how well that cuts photo paper as the edges are not that important to me because the prints will be framed behind glass. The tips on removing any curling makes that not a worry for me now so I might try buying the rolls from now on.
I imagine the cuts will have to be very square for the printer to accept the paper so I will work out how to do that.
The paper I have been buying is 260 gsm but there's another paper that's about 20% dearer & supposedly better quality which is 285 gsm, would the heavier paper be a lot easier to work with for cutting without the proper tools?
Thanks for your help mates.

 

[The Hat]

rodbam I imagine the cuts will have to be very square for the printer to accept the paper so I will work out how to do that.
The paper I have been buying is 260 gsm but there's another paper that's about 20% dearer & supposedly better quality which is 285 gsm,
would the heavier paper be a lot easier to work with for cutting without the proper tools?

When cutting the paper its not that important to have it perfectly straight.
A simple cheap plastic square 65cm. used in the schools is a handy tool to use to get your edges straight

One edge is straight to start with so work with that and if your sheet is not quite square then
dont butted tight against the right-side of the printer and she be right.

The heavier papers have no real advantage when it comes to cutting but does much better in the curl dept alright..

 

[rodbam]

When cutting the paper its not that important to have it perfectly straight.

I wish you hadn't said that because if I set out to make the paper perfectly straight it would end up being sort of near enough but now it's in my mind that it doesn't have to be perfectly straight my cut will end up at 45deg
Thanks for your help Hat I now have some confidence to give it a go.

 

[ghwellsjr]

If the leading edge of the paper is not square with the sides, then Canon printers will adjust the paper so that the leading edge is square with the direction of travel which means the sides may be going in at an angle. That is why The Hat said to not butt the paper up against the right edge of the printer. If you do, the paper may jam against the right edge as the printer pulls it in.