Moab Paper

By: Andy Biggs

Moab Paper Companyhas recently announced many new inkjet papers, with many different weights, sizes and finishes available.Moab Paperis the latest player on the inkjet paper block, and their papers are distributed thoughInkjetgoodies.com, as well as other online stores. I took delivery of some papers recently to find out more. Here are my impressions.

Entrada ™ Fine Art

These papers are all cotton-based, and there are two weights to choose from: 190g/m2 and 300g/m2, and both are dual-sided. Each weight comes in either Natural or Bright White. These papers are their premium line of art papers, and have some impressive stats: 100% cotton rag, acid free, dual sided. And if you choose the Natural, there are no optical brighteners. I found the Entrada to be a great replacement for one of my past favorites, Hahnemuehle Photo Rag.

For those who want the nitty gritty details, I was able to get a 1.69 dmax out of this paper with my Epson 2200. I know that by using a more expensive RIP, I would be able to lay down more inks for even deeper blacks. Feeding the 300g/m2 paper is a good situation for using the rear loading straight paper path, as the paper is somewhat thick.

The Entrada Bright White has the same characteristics, but has optical brighteners built in. I actually preferred the Natural, based upon the archival tendencies alone. The Entrada papers come in pre scored 5×7 notecards, as well as 13” wide rolls, not to mention the usual assortment of standard sizes.

Considering that the Entrada 300g/m2 is much less expensive, you can only guess which paper I am going to purchase in the future. As an example, a 25-pack box of 13×19” of Photo Rag comes in at $96, and the Entrada comes in at $51.

Lasal ™ Photo

These papers are considered the workhorse papers from Moab . There are 2 papers available, the Matte and the SemiGloss. With a weight of 170g/m2, the Matte paper looks and feels like Epson Enhanced Matte (EAM). This is a contrasty paper, and is a great paper to use in print exchanges, proofing and general use. The SemiGloss paper has some similarities to the Epson Semi Gloss paper, but of a slightly lighter weight. Both the Lasal Matte and Lasal SemiGloss come dual-sided, which adds great versatility for whatever your printing needs are. I have decided that I will be using the SemiGloss for all of my future brochures and proof prints, and the Lasal Matte for proofing black and white prints.

Anasazi ™ Art Canvas

The Anasazi Art Canvas has a weight of 350 g/m2, which lends itself to being fed via the straight paper path on my Epson 2200. I do not have much experience with canvas papers, but for those who use such papers, I should at least mention Moab’s Anasazi Canvas.

Kokopelli ™ Photo

The Kokopelli papers are the papers that remind us of what a photograph printed in a lab looks like. There are two surfaces, Gloss and Satin. These papers are quick-drying, which means that the papers won’t warm up over time, you get a good indication of what the final dried down print will look like soon after printing. I noticed a slight warm tone to the papers, and no additional warming or yellowing after a day or two. The Satin Kokopelli paper hits Epson’s Premium Luster dead on (as well as the Ilford Smoth Pearl, except for the immediate warm tone). However, I printed an image in Premium Luster, waited a few days, and the two competing papers looked very similar at that point. These papers will work perfectly for people portrait work. Added note: The Kokopelli papers come in 13×60” rolls. For those who are printing on 13” printers, this is very enticing if you print in large volumes. One more bonus: These papers are about 25% less expensive than the Epson papers.

Closing Thoughts

There are more papers coming down the line, of which I don’t know specifics, but if they deliver the similar results as what Moab has today, they are sure to please. Moab Paper has done wonderful job at determining what people want, and delivering a quality product at a great price. Isn’t that the goal? After using all of these papers above, I can clearly state that my new favorite papers are the Entrada 190g/m2 for my compiled ‘art’ portfolios and 300g/m2 for customer print purchases. Add the Kokopelli Satin for my portfolios that will have heavy handling, and that rounds out my selection.

Moab Paper company has come out with some amazing papers at amazing prices. Moab has also made available professional ICC profiles for free download on their web site. At the time of this review, all Epson Ultrachrome printers (2200/2100, 7600, 9600) had profiles available for download on Moab ‘s web site.

Photographs and Text © 2003 — Andy Biggs

Company Information:

Moab Paper Company
www.moabpaper.com

457 Kane Creek Road
Suite B
Moab, UT 84532

Distribution throughInkjetgoodies.com, as well as other retailers onwww.moabpaper.com

Andy Biggs takes up to six trips per year to Tanzania, the ‘home of the safari’, to teach workshops and to share his enjoyment of the wildlife, landscapes and people of Tanzania. If you are interested in joining him on one of his trips, you can contact him at[email protected], view his workshop schedule on this site, or visit his website atwww.andybiggs.com.

Elevate Your Vision

Join our community of passionate photographers.

Access our extensive knowledge archive.

Master the art of landscape and beyond.

Your Email *

Select list(s) to subscribe to

General Interest

Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Luminous Landscape. (You can unsubscribe anytime)

Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.

---

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: The Luminous Landscape Inc. https://luminous-landscape.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the  SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.

By subscribing I agree with Terms and Conditions

Do it later