I bought more of the paper. The BW images I had printed really started to shine when they had dried down completely. I looks like my bronzing problem must have been due to some paper profile issue. I finally got ImagePrint to my new printer, and the problem image behaved much better. There is still a very slight hint of bronzing, but I really have to look hard to see it. I still don’t see any hint of it on my BW prints. The paper really has grown on me.
One thing I noticed once I opened the larger pack of paper was the smell. I didn’t notice it with the sample pack, but now, all the sudden a well known scent of dark room came my way. It was really nice. I still pick up the prints and smell them, but don’t tell my wife, she will probably think I’ve finally lost it.
It was a relief to get ImagePrint back in the flow again. If you think the ABW module is serving you well, think again. The ABW module in the Epson driver have linearized the response on a selection of Epson papers, what happens on other papers is just a matter of luck. But even on Epson premium luster I get better result with IP. More neutral, and more like the image I see on screen. I have thrown the same image on papers as different as Fine ARt Pearl and Somerset Enhanced Velvet. The first with deep black and lots of shadow detail, the latter a matt cotton rag that holds remarkable little ink in the shadows. Both were printed with excellent shadow separation without any adjustments. It seems like IP has drawn a completely straight line from the paper base white to the deepest obtainable shadow, and then just maps the image to that line. Fitting the tones in the image to the available dynamic range of the paper. For color the difference isn’t really that big, at least not for the papers that has good canned profiles, but IP adds simplicity here as well. Just drop the image files in the program and select the correct paper profile.