Ilford Professional Inkjet Media

After surveying the market for an article in Photo Review Magazine, we thought readers would be interested in a detailed analysis of some of Ilford’s Galerie fine art inkjet media. We chose Ilford because papers carrying this brand combine high production qualities with affordable pricing. The range offered is also quite wide and papers are available in most popular sheet and roll sizes. All the papers we received were designed for use with pigment inks. We printed them with our Epson Stylus Pro 3880 printer.

The selection of Ilford Galerie papers we received for this review. (Source: Ilford.)

Ilford has a long history in photographic printing media, with 140 years of experience in black and white photo media and a little less in colour materials (which include the renowned Cibachrome media for printing transparencies). So it’s to be expected that they would know how to make excellent inkjet media.

The original company was taken over by Harman Technology Ltd in 2005, before merging with Kentmere in 2007 and then being purchased by Pemberstone Ventures Limited in 2015. The Swiss part of the company and the inkjet media plant at Marly was bought by the Oji Paper Company of Japan in July 2005 and subsequently by Paradigm Global Partners LLP in May 2010.

The ‘Ilford Imaging’ brand and trademarks (but not the Marly plant) was subsequently acquired by CR Kennedy & Company Pty Ltd (which distributes the papers in Australia) and Japan-based Chugai Photo Chemical Company. The Galerie range of papers was re-launched in August 2014 by Ilford Imaging Europe, which is now based in Germany.

ICC ProfilesBefore printing on these papers it’s important to check that you have the appropriate ICC profile loaded in the Colour Management area in your computer (this is where profiles are stored). Ilford provides free downloads of profiles for some papers in its Galerie range, although unfortunately not all.

Dropdown menus on Ilford’s profiles page let you select the paper range, printer brand and the model of the printer you’ll be using. Instructions for installing the profiles are also available via a clickable link on the page.

The Ilford profiles page for the Epson 3880 printer.

While Ilford’s profiles should be pretty good, they haven’t been developed for your specific printer. So while they’re much better than no profile, they won’t necessarily deliver the best possible outcomes. For the best possible output quality you need a ‘custom’ profile created for your printer and the media you’re using.

It’s relatively straightforward (although a bit time-consuming) to create your own ICC profiles when you have a suitable colorimeter (calibrator). We’d recommend the X-Rite i1 Studio, which sells in Australia for around AU$640, the Datacolor Spyder 5 Studio (around AU$675) or if you already have a Spyder 5 monitor calibrator, the Datacolor SpyderPrint (AU$550). Professional imaging suppliers should have one of these brands in stock.

TestsBefore embarking on our tests we downloaded the ICC profiles for those papers for which profiles were listed on the Ilford website. Unfortunately, the following papers did not have profiles available for our printer: Gold Fibre Pearl, FineArt Textured Silk or Washi Torinoko. For the papers that weren’t listed on Ilford’s website we used the nearest equivalent. This meant using the GPSPP11 profile for the pearl papers and the IGPT19 or IGPCAT profile for the matte papers.

To complicate matters, the instructions for installing the profiles aren’t up-to-date; Windows profiles don’t include Windows 10 and Mac OS profiles end at OS 10.7. We found the Windows 10 instructions through a simple Google search so we assume the Mac instructions would be as easy to locate.

It’s important to combine the ICC profile you use with the correct paper type settings from the printer’s dropdown menu. But because Ilford doesn’t make any recommendations, you’re left to work it out through a combination of trial and error and selecting the Epson paper that is nearest in type and surface to the Ilford paper you’re using.

For the pearl papers we used the Premium Lustre setting, while the thicker matte papers were printed on the Velvet Fine Art setting. On the advice of Jeremy Daalder from Image Science, Washi Torinoko paper was printed with the Archival Matte setting. We also tried Archival Matte for the Smooth Cotton Rag paper. Aside from the two Archival Matte settings (which delivered superb results), the remaining settings delivered good results.

For our tests we chose four images and created copies of each in B&W, one with subtle toning. The selection included a human portrait to evaluate the reproduction of skin tones, a portrait of a cat for assessing the ability to reproduce fine details (mainly in fur) and two landscape shots. One was a landscape photographed in quite contrasty side/back lighting to see how well each paper handled fine details and tones in contrasty situations. The other was a misty land/waterscape with subtle tones. This image was toned in Photoshop.

The human portrait image.

The cat portrait image.

The contrasty landscape.

The landscape with subtle tonality and gentle warm toning.

In the absence of other information, we printed the two pearl papers with Premium Lustre selected as the Media Type in the printer driver and the remaining papers with the Archival Matte setting. Going on past experience we tested both the maximum quality setting (5) and also one step down (4). We couldn’t see any difference in the prints so, to minimise ink wastage, opted to use the 4 setting with High Speed unchecked.

The Photoshop and printer driver settings we used when printing on the papers with matte surfaces.

In Photoshop, Colour Handling was set to Photoshop Manages Colours and the relevant profile was selected from the Printer Profile dropdown menu. In the printer driver menu it’s essential to select the (Off) No Colour Adjustment mode from the dropdown menu at the base of the Media Settings box, as shown in the illustration above.

Individual Reviews

1. Gold Fibre Pearl, a pearl-surfaced paper with a natural toned, Baryta-like surface that resembles silver halide papers. It claims a wide colour gamut and excellent sharpness and is recommended for digitally toned images. No profile was available for this paper with our printer when this review was published.Weight: 290gsmThickness: 345 microns (14mil)Tint (CIE L*A*B):98.7 | -0.2 | 2.5Opacity: 99%Black ink type: Photo BlackOptical brighteners: NoneAcid free: YesDetails here: Technical Data SheetHandling: A medium-weight paper with a subtle pearl finish that looks and feels attractive. This paper has an instant-dry nanoporous surface that gives the look and feel of a traditional photographic print.Colour printing: This paper reproduces slightly stronger colours and higher contrast than the Prestige FineArt Smooth Pearl paper but encompasses a similar tonal range. Skin tones are attractively rendered. The lack of optical brighteners means the base colour of this paper is pale cream, although it looks quite good with many landscape images.Black and white printing: B&W prints showed this paper can reproduce a wide tonal range with fine tonal gradations but blacks are not quite as deep as we found with some other papers. Toned images printed particularly well on this paper when they are favoured by the slight creaminess of the base.Best for: Both colour and B&W images printed with subtle details and tonalities. This paper also worked well with toned images, particularly warmer tones.Cautions: Increase contrast a little when printing B&W images to boost the depth of blacks.

2. Smooth Pearl, another pearl-surfaced paper, this time with optical brighteners to provide optimal contrast and sharpness plus a wide colour gamut. It is also recommended for black and white reproduction. Manufactured from alpha cellulose, it is acid free. We were able to download the GPSPP12_EPSpro3880_PSPPn.icc profile for this paper.Weight: 270gsmThickness: 420 microns (17mil)Tint: (CIE L*A*B): 97.0 | 0.7 | -0.2Opacity: 99%Black ink type: Photo BlackOptical brighteners: YesAcid free: YesDetails here: Technical Data SheetHandling: A rigid paper that is thick but not so stiff as to require feeding into the printer through the heavy media chute. It has a similar restrained pearl finish to the Gold Fibre Pearl paper but a clean, white base due to the presence of optical brighteners. This paper showed slight curling after printing but we don’t think it would curl readily in rolls (although we weren’t able to test rolls). The instant-dry nanoporous surface simulates the look and feel of a traditional photographic print.Colour printing: The white base works well for colour printing, although saturation is somewhat restrained. Colour gamut is nice and wide and blacks and whites are strong with good tonal definition.Black and white printing: This paper is excellent for B&W printing, giving strong blacks and a wide tonal range with smooth gradations between tones. It works well with toned images and for printing through Epson’s Advanced B&W Printing interface, which allows subtle adjustments to tones. Cooler tones are favoured by the white base of the paper; warmer tones not so much.Best for: The white base works well for or landscapes and architectural shots where fine details make a significant contribution to the impact of the image.Cautions: Before printing check there are no loose paper fibres or debris on the surface of this paper as this can result in irregularities in the printed surface. This issue is potentially present in media containing raw paper (‘cellulose’), although the risk should be relatively low with pearl papers.

3. FineArt Textured Silk, a warm-toned, paper with a subtly-textured matte surface and a base made from 25% cotton and 75% cellulose, it can deliver excellent contrast and sharpness plus a wide color gamut. Its slightly warm-toned base is also ideal for black and white reproduction. No profile was available for this paper with our printer when this review was published.Weight: 270gsmThickness: 460 microns (18mil)Tint (CIE L*A*B): 98.0 | 1.7 | -3.4Opacity: 99%Black ink type: Photo BlackOptical brighteners: YesAcid free: NoDetails here: Technical Data SheetHandling: A medium-weight paper that is rigid but has a very slight tendency to curl after printing. Check that the surface of the paper is free of debris before loading it in the printer. Cotton gloves should be used when handling this paper to prevent possible contaminants getting onto the surface. This paper printed well with Archival Matte selected as the Media Type in the printer driver. This allowed it to be fed in via the normal auto sheet feeder on the Epson 3880 printer.Colour printing: This paper was able to reproduce a wide colour gamut with good contrast, saturation and sharpness. Blacks were deep and rich and whites were nice and clean.Black and white printing: Another paper that delivers excellent tonality and gamut for B&W printing. The subtle surface texture adds a quality look and feel to prints and produces strong blacks with smooth gradations between tones.Best for: A good all-round choice for fine art printing but particularly well suited to studio portraiture. A cost-effective alternative to Hahnemuhle’s German Etching paper.Cautions: Careful handling of prints is recommended as the textured surface of the paper can be vulnerable to scratching.

4. Textured Cotton Rag, a high-quality paper made from 100% cotton rag using the Fourdrinier process, an industrialised version of the historical process of hand paper-making. With no optical brighteners and a finely-textured matt surface, it is acid-free, water-resistant and capable of reproducing a wide colour and tonal gamut with high consistency. We were able to download the IGPTC19_EPP3880_EMP.icc profile for this paper.Weight: 310gsmThickness: 500 micron (20mil)Tint (CIE L*A*B): 97.5 | 0.6 | 1.2Opacity: 98%Black ink type: Matte BlackOptical brighteners: NoneAcid free: YesDetails here: Technical Data SheetHandling: This paper has very good rigidity, no curl and a solid feel. It is also water-resistant. Before printing check there are no loose paper fibres or debris on the surface of this paper as this can result in irregularities in the printed surface. Cotton gloves should be used when handling this paper.Colour printing: The intensity of colours is a little more restrained than the Smooth Cotton Rag alternative. We found the landscape image worked best when we selected the Landscape setting in the Photo Enhance sub-menu, largely because it boosts saturation and sharpness. This paper printed best with Velvet Fine Art selected as the Media Type in the printer driver, which required rear sheet feeding.Black and white printing: This paper delivered slightly better results for B&W images than colour originals. Monochrome images printed best with the Archival Matte setting selected as it delivered the best balance of contrast and tonal subtlety. Toned images also printed nicely on this paper. The Archival Matte media setting also allowed it to be loaded via the normal auto sheet feeder on the Epson 3880 printer.Best for: With no optical brighteners and acid-free construction, this paper is ideal for archival printing where longevity, image stability and a clean matte surface are required.Cautions: Careful handling of prints is recommended as the textured surface of the paper is vulnerable to scratching.

5. Smooth Cotton Rag, a relatively new paper which we received about a week after the others and decided to include as a contrast to Textured Cotton Rag (No. 4 above). This paper is a recent addition to the range and is also manufactured from 100% cotton rag using the Fourdrinier process. With a white base and ‘a clean matte surface’, it’s recommenced for images rich in detail. We were able to download the IGPSC19_EPP3880_EMP.icc profile for this paper.Weight: 310gsmThickness: 485 micron (19mil)Tint (CIE L*A*B): 98.0 | 0.3| 0.7Opacity: 98%Black ink type: Matte BlackOptical brighteners: NoneAcid free: YesDetails here: Technical data sheetHandling: This paper is water-resistant with a smooth matte surface that resists curling. With no optical brighteners this paper combines longevity and image stability with a clean matt surface that delivers the very best in fine art printing. Use cotton gloves when handling this paper and check to ensure there are no loose paper fibres or debris on the surface before loading it in the printer.Colour printing: This paper delivered superb results when printed with the Archival Matte media setting. Colours were beautifully rendered and fine details were recorded with exquisite finesse. This was our favourite paper of those supplied.Black and white printing: B&W images printed just as well as colour image with finely defined details and rich but subtle tonalities. Toned images also worked well on this paper, which was suitable to a wide variety of image types, thanks to its very subtle cream base.Best for: This is a great all-round paper that can deliver superb results with both colour and monochrome images,Cautions: Cotton gloves are recommended when handling this paper.

6. Cotton Artist Textured, a mould-made, 100% cotton rag matte paper with a base manufactured in a traditional paper mill. Its coarsely-structured surface reproduces a traditional watercolor look and feel, whilst still rendering sharp details and providing consistent colour reproduction. We were able to download the IGPCAT_EPP3880_EMP.icc profile for this paper.Weight: 310gsmThickness: 595 micron (23.4mil)Tint (CIE L*A*B): 98 | 0.2 | 2.6Opacity: 98%Black ink type: Matte BlackOptical brighteners: NoneAcid free: YesDetails here: Technical Data SheetHandling: The texturing of the surface of this paper is more noticeable than the other textured papers yet it still manages to deliver rich colour reproduction and plenty of detail. With the Archival Matte media setting it can be fed in through the front sheet feed on the Epson 3880 printer and the results are very good. Cotton gloves should be worn to prevent contaminants from getting onto the surface of the paper.Colour printing: Colours are surprisingly rich for such a textured paper but details aren’t quite as well-resolved as they would be with smoother papers.Black and white printing: The textured surface imparts a ‘fine art’ look to monochrome images, regardless of whether they are toned. The just-off-white paper base works well for B&W prints.Best for: This paper would work well for colour studio portraits and wedding photos but isn’t quite as suitable for images containing a lot of detail. The textured surface tends to act against detail reproduction.Cautions: Careful handling of prints is recommended as the textured surface of the paper is vulnerable to scratching. Finished prints should be interleaved and stored carefully.

7. Washi Torinoko, an interesting paper with the look and feel of hand-made Japanese paper, it is made on a using specialised Japanese paper-making machine called a Tanmo machine. The Washi base is made in the Echizen area of Japan, which is famous for the production of traditional Japanese paper with a history spanning over 1500 years in paper production. Its finely-textured matte surface can reproduce a wide colour gamut with excellent colour consistency.No profile was available for this paper with our printer when this review was published. Fortunately, Jeremy Daalder of Image Science helped us out with a profile for Washi Torinoko, which was great since the other matte paper profiles we tried delivered disappointing results.Weight: 110gsmThickness: 170 microns (6.7mil)Tint (CIE L*A*B): 97.2 | –0.3 | 3.6Opacity: 90%Black ink type: Matte BlackOptical brighteners: NoneAcid free: YesDetails at: Technical Data SheetHandling: This paper has a slightly textured, refined finish that produces attractive results with both colour and monochrome prints. It feels lightweight and retains a very slight curl after printing. The base tone is pale cream, due to the absence of optical brighteners. There is a slight risk of loose paper fibres or debris on the surface of this paper, which should be handled with cotton gloves to protect its delicate surface.Colour printing: Pleasing results with excellent reproduction of details and nicely constrained saturation that retains colour accuracy. Contrast is also quite conservative.Black and white printing: A pleasing result with excellent tonal rendition and grey scale discrimination. Details are fully retained. Blacks and whites are more restrained than some of the other papers but appropriate for the overall tonal range.Best for: The attractive look and feel of this paper works well with both colour and monochrome images. Not quite as ‘arty’ as the much heavier and pricier Awagami ‘Washi’ paper we reviewed in March 2015 but better at retaining colour intensity and detail resolution.Cautions: This paper feels little flimsy and is vulnerable to creasing if not carefully handled. It’s vital to get the profile right to bring out the best in this paper for both colour and B&W prints. Finished prints should be interleaved and stored carefully.

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