MINI-REVIEW: Canon PRO-1000 & PRO-2000

Canon PRO-1000 17" Photo Printer

If you've followed my printing series, you know that I love printing quite a bit and that I've got a lot of time invested in both Canon and Epson printers. Both brands have their strengths and weaknesses, but I'm so excited about my two new printers that I had to write a quick blurb before the reviews are ready.

PRO-1000 Early Thoughts

Epson 80ml ink

Canon LUCIA PRO 80ml ink

While I am disappointed that it lacks the roll support that my Epson SureColor P800 offers, and the larger ink set on the Canon (12 vs 8) means higher ink costs, so far that's where my concerns have ended. With excellent build quality, a much more durable finish that looks fantastic, and most importantly gorgeous prints sent seamlessly over wifi, I've been very happy in my early testing with this printer. 

All of the ICC profiles I've tested for this printer from Canon, Red River Paper, and Ilford have been excellent so far.

PRO-2000 Thoughts 

Canon PRO-2000 24" Photo Printer with Optional Multi-Function Roll

I loved the prints I got from my iPF6300 and I loved the hard drive feature of the iPF6450, but the quality of the ICC profiles created for the 6450 never matched the quality that I enjoyed with the 6300. This meant that if I wanted a good print, I had to go through the effort of generating the profile myself.

For the PRO-2000, the print quality has been excellent and all of the ICC profiles I've tried so far have been very good. I did have one for the Ilford Galerie Prestige Smooth Pearl 310gsm paper that was slightly darker than I think it should have been, but the PRO-1000  profile was great so I think this was an anomaly.  All of the Canon and Lexjet profiles have been great too.

The optional multi-function roll support has been fantastic and loading sheet paper has gone very well so far. However, the biggest news here is that the phenomenally improved unibody construction makes this printer significantly more stable (and heavy) resulting in less movement and noise than its predecessors. This is a good thing and the looks of this printer just puts a smile on my face every time I walk into my studio - it's stunning to look at!

Features Video

Here's a great video that Canon did that shows how sweet these printer are, and much more is to come from me when I do my official reviews:

Black & White

Black & White support is on par with Epson Advanced Black & White (ABW)

One thing that Canon has always done an excellent job with is black and white prints, and the chroma optimizer makes those blacks look even more incredible.

The new Print Shop Pro software is like a scaled down RIP that replaces my beloved Canon Export Module, but you get to this one off the Automate menu in Photoshop to create print jobs with more features than the export module supported. Sadly it lacks the roll preview feature, but I'm getting used to it despite some quirks.

Pattern Print (aka Print Variations) lives on in both color and B&W

Initially I thought my beloved variations / print pattern feature was gone, but it's alive and well in both color and black and white modes. As usual it does better with big prints vs smaller sheets, but I got up to 45 thumbnails on a letter size sheet (not that you can see squat but it's possible).

PRO-1000 almost equals the PRO-2000

Other than size, ink capacity and roll support, these printers seem to behave identically in every way. The software and print results have been identical which is a good thing for people who like to have a dedicated sheet printer to go with their big roll printers (which is great if you can afford it as you don't have to fight the curls on smaller prints).

Both supported easy to setup wireless and wired network printing. The PRO-1000 does have the added support for integrating with Google Cloud print and AirPrint, so that makes it handy for every day jobs as well. The PRO-1000 also features a night mode to make it a little quieter at night, but neither one made enough noise to wake my 13 month old daughter in an adjacent room with the doors open, so I wouldn't consider either model to be noisy.

I'm thrilled to have this combo in my studio!

Conclusion

I'm quite excited about both of these printers which is why I'm doing this early sneak preview. I've got a couple dozen prints under my belt with them but need more testing before I can draw any official conclusions. I can say that it's everything I liked about the PRO-1 print quality with the amazing LUCIA PRO ink set and the fantastic Chroma Optimizer has been very, very good so far. The Canon faithful should be extremely pleased based on what I've seen so far.

See my full PRO-1000 review here and my PRO-2000 review here.

Where to Buy?

Here's where you can learn or buy your own:

• PRO-1000 at Amazon or  PRO-1000 at B&H + 80ml ink link 
• PRO-2000 at Amazon or PRO-2000 at B&H
  • 160ml ink link or 330ml ink link or 700ml ink link

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• PRO-1000 review
• PRO-2000 review
• Printing Series
• How to print a 4x6 strip of prints without wasting paper
• Lucia EX Ink Rain Test
• Canon iPF6450 review
• Canon iPF6300 review
• Canon PRO-1 review
• Epson P600 review
• Epson P800 review
• Canon 1D X Mark II
• Canon 5D Mark IV
• Canon 5D Mark IV vs 1D X II - an unscientific comparison
• Canon 5Ds
• Canon 5DsR
• Canon 6D (vs Canon 5DM3 & D600)
• Canon 7D Mark II
• Canon 11-24mm f/4L
• Canon 16-35mm f/4L vs 16-35mm f/2.8L II
• Canon 24-70 f/2.8L II (vs 24-70 f/4L IS Comparison)
• Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM First Look
• Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS vs 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 DO
• Canon 100-400m f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM (NEW)
• Canon 200-400mm f/4L IS with 1.4X Extender
• Canon SX-80 Pro Photography Projector

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Try KelbyOne for FREE + Discount Offer (Updated: July 2, 2017)

Click here for the latest KelbyOne Annual Membership Discount

See the bottom of this article for a special offer for ronmartblog.com readers.

Behind the Scenes Video/Review of KelbyOne

Were you ever curious what is behind the scenes for KelbyOne?

Click here to see trailers for many of the classes and click here to see a list of the top photographers in the world that are instructors. You can also click here to see all of the courses that are available.Here’s a list of the top courses over the past 90 days (as of 11/29/16):

1. Scott Kelby’s SLIM System
2. Scott Kelby’s Removing Distracting Images
3. Karen Hutton’s Finding your Voice
4. Thomas Grubba’s Real Estate Photography
5. Kristina Sheik’s Portrait Retouching in LRCC
6. Scott Kelby’s Lightroom Killer Tips
7. Scott Kelby’s Photoshop Techniques every Lightroom User Needs to Know
8. Gabe Biderman’s Night Photography
9. Scott Kelby’s Designing with Type
10. Scott Kelby’s 10 Essential Landscape Techniques

Check out my new behind the scenes video to see how it works:

ronmartblog.com Special Offer

Get  CLICK HERE for the latest offer as the terms change regularly now.

THIS CODE AND OFFER MAY CHANGE in the future, so be sure to contact me if you have any problems.

Other Articles You Might Enjoy

 
• Discount Coupon Code Page – More discounts that are even better than this – some of which are exclusive to ronmartblog.com readers! 
  
• Home Studio on a Budget
  
• Printing Series 
  
• Ron's Recommendations 
  

Disclosure

I was provided a free membership to KelbyOne.com to evaluate the service for this article. I may also get a commission if you sign up using my special offers or use my links, so thanks for supporting this blog by using my special offers and links!

Black Friday Deals 2016

50% Off Topaz Labs Complete Collection

use code “BLACKFRIDAY16” to save 50% off the complete collection or finish your collection at 50% off
This only happens once a year, so don't miss it - it will not be cheaper than this!

See my review of this product

This offer expires on Midnight November 30th Central Time

Trey Ratcliff Stuck In Customs 25% Off Deal

25% off all of Trey's eBooks, presets and tutorials
The biggest sale I've seen from Trey ever

See my review of this product

This offer expires on Nov 28, 2016 at Midnight

Apple Black Friday Deals at B&H

Best deals of the year on Apple products

These are awesome - check it out!

Some items are lame, others are awesome - the deals are always legit though!

Think Tank Photo annual holiday sale

Best deals you will see in 2016
When I ask my contacts at ThinkTank to do a sale or a deal for my readers they always tell me "we don't do sales or discounts", so this is as close as they'll ever get - and it doesn't suck!

See my review of this product

This offer expires on Dec 31, 2016 or while supplies last

Amazon Black Friday Camera & Photo Deals

Non-stop random deals

Perfectly Clear Black Friday Sale

$50 off

See my review of this product

This offer expires on November 28, 2016

Click here for the latest coupon codes or sign up for my latest deals newsletter for the latest deals..

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, ronmartblog.com may make a commission. Thank you very much for your support!

NOTE: ALL OFFERS are subject to change without notice.

I hate posting deals on the blog, but it's honestly how this blog is funded. This time of year I am flooded with deals and try to keep most of best ones contained to my deals newsletter , but around Black Friday, Christmas and the New Year I try to do a few extra deal posts to keep you informed. If you hate these, just check out the index or archive to the right on the desktop web browser (or the reviews tab on mobile) to get to the stuff you are really interested in.

Ron 

Topaz Labs Black Friday Sale - $750 off - $249.99 for 17 products!

CLICK HERE to get $1000 worth of all17 Topaz Labs products for only $249.99 - Save $750!!! Use the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY16

This offer expires on NOVEMBER 30th and won't be back until next year!

Topaz Labs makes the most innovative plugins for Photoshop and Lightroom these days, so this is a killer deal. What's more, if you already have some this 50% offer will apply when you log in and use the cart to complete your collection!

Where to Buy?

CLICK HERE to get $1000 worth of all17 Topaz Labs products for only $249.99 - Save $750!!! Use the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY16.

Other articles you may enjoy

Here's my reviews of some of my favorite Topaz Labs products:

• Topaz Adjust 5.0
• Topaz Labs B&W Effects 2 (B&W Products Comparison)
• Topaz Labs DeNoise 3.0
• Topaz Labs Glow 2
• Topaz Labs Impression 2
• Topaz Labs Lens Effects
• Topaz Labs ReMask 5.0
• Topaz Labs Restyle 1.0
• Topaz Labs Simplify 4
• Topaz Labs Star Effects
• Topaz Labs Texture Effects
• Topaz Labs Texture Effects 2.0

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

25% All Trey Ratcliff Stuck In Customs Books, Presets and Tutorials (FREE PRESETS)

My friend Trey Ratcliff is joining in on the Black Friday through Cyber Monday madness by offering 25% off his eBooks, Presets and Tutorials.

Click here to check it out!

Want some FREE presets from Trey? Click here to claim yours today!

Here's some of my other articles on this blog about Trey's products:

• Becoming an Artist
• Trey Ratcliff Photo Course Review
• Travel & Landscape Tutorial
• Trey's Photomatix Presets

Trey also was very involved with the hottest new HDR product on the market, check out my free  Aurora HDR 2017 Tutorial and Review for more info!

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a small commission.

ThinkTankPhoto Holiday Sale with free gift & free shipping

My friends at Think Tank Photo only do any noteworthy sales event once a year, and that time has finally come. They have announced two holiday special offers on their award-winning camera bags. The first is their Outlet Center, which is full of huge discounts.  The second, through December 31^st whenever you buy a Think Tank rolling camera bag you will receive Road Warrior Kit for free. 

The Road Warrior Kit features 10 Red Whips cable ties, a Cable Management 10 pouch, an AA Battery Holder and a Travel Pouch. That’s $54.50 worth of accessories FREE!  Click here to see the accessories page to learn more about these.

Don’t forget, Think Tank you will also receive a free gift when you use my links, as well as free shipping. 

Happy holidays,
Ron

Where to Buy?

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy today.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• ThinkTankPhoto Reviews, Recommendations and Special Offer Details (includes MindshiftGear)
• Ron's Recommendations 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW: ThinkTankPhoto Airport Navigator

Airport Navigator offer compact portability while handing heavy loads

The Airport Navigator is a mini roller with a design that allows you to access your gear two separate ways as shown here:

Unique to this bag is the open from the top and front design

Access from the top can be very handy when you are in a hurry as shown here:

Top entry means you can get to your cameras quickly

Despite its size, you can hold a lot of gear too as shown here when opened from the "side" which is traditionally how you access camera bags:

When laying the bag down, you can open it as you traditionally would other bags

What's also need about this bag is that it was purposely designed to ride on top of other larger bags as shown here:

Another nice feature about this bag is that it piggybacks nicely
on other bags like the Airport International

Video - A Peek Inside

Here's a closer look that offers more detail than the photos on the web:

Conclusion

This is a cool bag because it offers the arm and shoulder saving rollers when you have the luxury to roll the bag, but you can pick it up and throw it on your shoulder when ground conditions (i.e., gravel, cobblestone, steps, etc...) prohibit rolling.

It's a small bag, but it can hold a surprising amount of gear. What's more, if you don't mind taking two bags (especially when you have a 2nd person travelling with you), you can use this as your day bag while having your full kit stored in a bigger bag.

For some it will be the one and only bag you need and for others who can absorb the cost of a dual roller bag setup (especially those with travelling assistants) it offers that extra space you need while still fitting nicely in the overhead compartment of the plane.

With excellent zippers, rollers and shoulder strap, I have no reservations about recommending this bag for those with a need for a bag of this size.

Where to Buy? (SPECIAL OFFER)

NOTE: When you use my links below and make a purchase for $50 or more you are eligible for a free gift at checkout.

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy the ThinkTankPhoto Airport Navigator today.

CLICK HERE for more information the full line up of airport series bags and/or refer to this chart:

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Full list of my ThinkTankPhoto review's and special offer
• Airport International v3 Review
• ThinkTankPhoto Airport HeliPak for DJI Phantom Quadcopter (Special Offer)
• DJI Phantom 4 First Look
• MindShift Gear Rotation 180° - Hiking Camera Backpack by TTP’s sister company
• MindShift Gear Panorama Rotation 180° – Smaller but improved
• COMPARISON: Variable Neutral Density Filters (Singh-Ray, B+W, Hoya, Tiffen & Bower)
• What Plug-ins should I buy? [Updated Dec 10, 2015]
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• Ron's Recommendations
• Printing Series

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW: ThinkTankPhoto Airport International v3.0 (Special Offer)

ThinkTankPhoto Airport International v3.0

Whenever I travel and need to bring a lot of gear, my favorite bag for the task has been my ThinkTankPhoto Airport Security v1 bag that I picked up in 2010. It's been to Europe, Asia and quite a few places in North America on tiny puddle jumper planes to the biggest commercial aircraft in the skies. To say that I love this bag is an understatement, but it's quite big and new aircraft are offering smaller overhead storage. To address this need, Think Tank Photo has created a new International bag that is designed to fit in the overhead bin on most commercial planes both foreign and domestic, while still holding quite a bit of gear.

Here's an example of two pro bodies and some really big lenses that fit quite comfortably in this bag:

It's large enough for really big lenses and pro bodies

Here's another example that's closer to what I do with my bag where the biggest lens is the 70-200 and there's a ton of other gear along for the ride:

You can also just hold a lot of normal size gear too

Realistically this is a great size that should meet the needs of most travel photographers, and if you are like me I keep my chargers in my clothes bag so that'd easily allow for another lens or flash.

Here's a crude video designed to just show you the default configuration and give you a better sense for the quality than what you see in online photos:

Conclusion

My favorite feature of my Airport Security v1 was the fact that it had a backpack strap so I could carry it on my back when rolling it wasn't practical (I.e., gravel, cobblestone roads, and stairs at some airports and train stations in Asia & Ireland). Sadly backpack straps have been removed from ALL Airport series bags, so I'll have to stick with my old bag if I want that feature, so I don't consider this a suitable bag to upgrade to if you have the older ones.

With that said, the quality of this bag appears to be greater than my old bag which is saying a lot as I have ZERO damage from a bag that has enough flights that it could earn Gold status on Delta and United on its own. If you are looking for a good roller bag that can stand a beating, rolls smooth as silk even when loaded with 50+ lbs of gear, and one that will fit nicely in an overhead bin (when inserted per the flight attendants instructions) then this is it. These are great bags that have been improved and are SIGNIFICANTLY better built than any piece of luggage I've ever purchased from a department store. For that reason, I can HIGHLY recommend this bag.

Where to Buy? (SPECIAL OFFER)

NOTE: When you use my links below and make a purchase for $50 or more you are eligible for a free gift at checkout.

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy the ThinkTankPhoto Airport International v3.0 today.

CLICK HERE for more information the full line up of airport series bags and/or refer to this chart:

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Full list of my ThinkTankPhoto review's and special offer
• Airport Navigator Review
• ThinkTankPhoto Airport HeliPak for DJI Phantom Quadcopter (Special Offer)
• DJI Phantom 4 First Look
• MindShift Gear Rotation 180° - Hiking Camera Backpack by TTP’s sister company
• MindShift Gear Panorama Rotation 180° – Smaller but improved
• COMPARISON: Variable Neutral Density Filters (Singh-Ray, B+W, Hoya, Tiffen & Bower)
• What Plug-ins should I buy? [Updated Dec 10, 2015]
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• Ron's Recommendations
• Printing Series

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW: TTP Streetwalker Pro vs Glass Taxi (UPDATED: Nov 20, 2016)

In 2008, my favorite backpack company released a bag series called the Streetwalker, and as of 2016 the Pro version is still my favorite bag!. This series comes in three varieties:

1. Streetwalker - 2 lbs and 9.5” W x 17” H x 6”D - Simple and compact
2. Streetwalker Pro - 2.6 lbs and 10”W x 17.5” H x 7.5” D - Slightly larger in between a full size and small backpack - this is my favorite size!
3. Streetwalker HD - 3.8 lbs and 11.5” W x 19” H x 8.5” D - Full size backpack with room for a 15" laptop

In this article I'm going to compare the Streetwalker Pro with the Glass Taxi that I loved in the days before the Streetwalker series existed.

As a point of reference my Glass Taxi is 2 lbs and 17” H x 8.5” W x 9.5” D. Officially ThinkTankPhoto states that the Streetwalker series is not a replacement for the Glass Taxi, but rather a different offering. In addition, size and weight wise the basic Streetwalker is most like the Glass Taxi, but since I use my Glass Taxi so much and long for a little extra space I decided to step up to the Streetwalker Pro.

The first thing I noticed when I got the Streetwalker Pro was that it was light and super deep (2" deeper than my Glass Taxi). I've tried to show the difference in the photo of both bags below with my Glass Taxi in the front, but it is hard to get the full impact from just a photo.

However when loading the Streetwalker Pro I noticed that my 1DX Mark II  (and previously my 1D X and 1D Mark IV) fit very comfortably in the bag even with the L-bracket on (something that was a challenge in the Glass Taxi). From the moment I got it back in 2008, it immediately became my favorite backpack and it is to this day. My Glass Taxi  for a few years and then eventually was given to a friend as I never had a need for it after getting the Streetwalker series, but then again I didn't own any huge prime lenses which is what its really designed for.

Inside I found the the dividers are much thinner than those used in pre-2008 ThinkTankPhoto bags I've owned. I've always considered the dividers and zippers to be the best features of these bags, so a change was a little concerning. However, I quickly discovered that the thin versions seem to work almost as well and have the added benefit of creating more space in the bag (always a plus). That said, I wish the old thicker dividers would come back.

One really great thing I noticed about the interior is that it finally has good pockets! As you can see on the right hand side in the picture above it now has two big nice zipper pouches versus the one useless velcro pouch in the Glass Taxi. The same holds true for the exterior - there's tons of wonderful pockets with places to hold pens, model releases, keys, and so much more. This is one place where the Streetwalker Pro is a clear winner!

Just like all other TTP bags, the added rain protection for a heavy storm comes in the form of a "shower cap" design but it has nothing built-in.

From the exterior the new huge size pockets (show below) and the big pockets on the front (shown at the beginning of this article) make the Streetwalker Pro a very desirable bag to own. I've always found you can't have enough pockets, and this is one bag where I've got more than I need (for now) and that's a good thing!

Conclusion

I’ve been using my Streetwalker Pro since 2008 and I love it. Over the long-haul I stopped using the Glass Taxi for anything but large glass. In fact, even in November 2016, my Streetwalker Pro is often my “go to” bag when I need to carry a lot in a compact bag.

My bag has held up well and the only issue I had with it was the zipper sticking on the turn (due to the glide angle, not a zipper issue) which has been addressed in all models since shortly after I got mine in 2008.

Special Offer

Click here for the latest offer and FREE shipping.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• ThinkTankPhoto reviews page
• Tripod Recommendations 
• Black Rapid RS-7 & RS-Sport
• Ron's Recommendations 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Luminar Tutorial - On Sale Now

Macphun has released its newest photo editing product called Luminar. It's more powerful than Lightroom, yet easier to use than Photoshop.

Luminar Key Features:

• Adaptive User Interface
  • Multiple Modes: From basic to advanced
  • One-click switch between modes
  • Change modes anytime
• All-in-one photo editing tool set
  • Includes essential editing tools for different photography styles
  • Live editing, live processing, live previews
  • Non-destructive editing
  • Works as a standalone app or plug-in
  • RAW converter & processor
  • History Panel

To help quickly get up to speed, I've created this video tutorial:

Where to get it or learn more?

Click here to get your free trial version here or to learn more.

Other Articles You Might Enjoy

• Aurora HDR 2017 Tutorial
• Discount Coupon Codes 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission.

Printing Your Own Holiday/Greeting Cards (Tutorial Included)

Red River Greeting Card Stock Home

If you are like me, you want to send out custom holiday cards with your own photos but often times you find yourself too busy to bother. If you’ve tried it and had horrible results, then you aren’t alone either!

Fortunately, my friends at Red River Paper are experts on this subject and have done an incredible job of providing user education on this topic for use with their papers and envelopes. It’s really the one stop shop no matter if you are using Canon, Epson, or HP papers with just about any software that you can imagine (for both Mac & PC)!!!

I’ve been a fan of Red River Paper for a couple of years and have featured their products on my printing series page, but honestly I’ve never tried their greeting card products – until now. Admittedly, I was very intimidated by this whole process because I’ve had horrific results in the past when I tried to do it all solo. What’s worse, is that I often found myself without paper that could be printed on both sides (especially Luster paper), so I was never really able to do what I wanted. In the end I had to resort to throwing out my hard work and just picking up cards from a discount store. This left me both frustrated and dissatisfied.

How much will it cost to print my card?

Click here to get an estimate from Red River Paper about how much it cost to do your own cards. In most cases, it’s typically under $1 per card.

Templates & Videos (Mac & PC – Aperture, Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements & more…)

Click here to learn more both in written and video form about how to do your own cards in both vertical and horizontal orientation for Canon, Epson, and HP printers using most of the popular photo editing software for both the Mac & PC.

Can I print borderless?

Yes, you can. Click here to learn how.

Can I get envelops and display bags or boxes too?

Yes! Click here to get envelopes, display boxes, Photoshop actions and more.

FAQ’s & Additional Help

Click here to learn more as there’s tons of questions people typically have when trying to do this themselves.

Are there double-sided luster cards?

Yes, and no. There was a 80lb. Red River Luster Card Double Sided paper, but without notice the mill discontinued this paper just as soon as Red River rolled it out.

My Experience

I have Canon iPF6450, PRO-1, PRO-10, and Epson R3000, 3880, and 4900 printers on hand, but I quickly discovered that the 3880 was the best printer for the job due its easy support for custom paper sizes. The paper I was using was 7x10 so that eliminated my printers that didn’t support custom size papers (the PRO series printers). I had no desire to do this on my 6450, so that left the Epson’s. The 3880 is the sheet paper king, so I decided to go with it.

While Red River Paper has instructions for Mac and PC with a variety of software, I decided to stay in my comfort zone and print from Photoshop CC on my Windows 7 PC. You can see my Photoshop settings and how I printed above and below.

Here’s my printer driver settings using the Red River paper profile for my test paper (temporarily not for sale):

To keep my settings handy, I created a custom setting called “Red River 7x10 Card”. This won’t exist on your printer, so don’t go looking for it.

The template was handy and I managed to print on both the inside and outside without any problem. I did heed the warning that you should print your inside text first and save your photos on the outside for the second pass through the printer.

For my test prints I did leave high speed (bi-directional) printing on and it seemed to be okay. I also didn’t wait any time before flipping the paper and printing both sides, but I managed to insert the paper in the wrong way – twice!!! This was carelessness on my part, so a heads up that you really need to pay attention when reloading your paper! I chose the sheet feeder since that was the only one that the driver would allow me to use a custom size.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to test borderless because my driver complained that I had to use a supported size if I wanted borderless.

Overall it worked great and I’m thrilled with the results. The scored groove made folding super easy, so my results look like they came from a pro print shop – just what I wanted! Here’s a snapshot photo of how my card turned out (colors displayed inaccurately due to photo of a print):

Test Card - Outside

 

Test Card - Inside

I didn’t have any envelopes to test with, but you can buy them here.

Conclusion

Overall, I’m happy enough that I plan to do all my cards on my own this year. Heck, I may even get creative and start doing my promo cards and create some fine art cards too! I’m also thrilled that I don’t have to cut the paper or fight to get the perfect fold thanks to the pre-scoured fold groove.

I highly recommend Red River Paper’s card products.

Where to order

Click here to learn more on Red River Paper’s web site.

Looking to buy a printer?

If so, then check out these articles:

• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• Printing Series
• Choosing the right Epson printer
  • Epson SureColor P600 Review
  • Epson SureColor P800 Review
• Canon PIXMA PRO-10 Review
• Canon PIXMA PRO-1 Review

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Red River Paper vs Epson Papers - Fantastic papers for Canon and Epson printers

• Getting Great 4x6 Prints Without Any Hassle–Part I of II

• QImage 2013 – Complex Print Layout Made Easy
• Printing 101 eBook 
• Color Management 101 - How do I get prints to match what I see on my display?
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• How to print a 4x6 strip of prints without wasting paper
• Understanding Epson’s Printable Area Feature to Avoid Uneven Margins on the 4900
• See my Printing Series for much more like this

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW: Red River Paper - San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 - Just as good as more expensive Baryta's

If you've followed along in my printing series, you know that I'm a fan of Red River Paper as a suitable alternative to more expensive papers. In fact, my article entitled Red River Paper vs Epson Papers has been one of my more popular articles because I offer my honest opinion on similarities and trade offs for going with Red River over various Epson papers.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I have to state up front that San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 is the best Red River Paper that I've ever tested. The colors and blacks just wow you just as much as the best Baryta's on the market that I've had the pleasure to use and/or examine in real life.

Print Comparisons vs Epson

Now I've said a hundred times, but I'll say it again - if you want to make a print look terrible, try to scan or make a photo of it. No matter how good the scanner or the print, NOTHING beats seeing a print in real life.

With that disclaimer out of the way, to best illustrate the differences/similarities of two papers, I scan them in using my Epson v850 scanner using identical software and setting so you can at least get an apples to apples comparison. It should be noted here though that the San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 images may be slightly skewed due to them being printed on 11x14" paper and my scanner not being able to accommodate that size.  This has a mild impact on edge brightness and sharpness since the edges aren't as flat against the bed as the letter size Epson prints. However, they are close enough for casual viewing distance comparisons.

Click the images below to see a full-size TIF scan of the paper. All images are copyright Ron Martinsen - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may view them while this article is open in your browser, but you may not print, edit, save, distribute, etc... them without signed written consent.

Epson Advanced Black & White Mode Test

These prints are both doing the ABW Dark, Warm setting which you can see the print settings / tutorial in video form in my Legacy Baryta review.

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 Print using Epson Advanced Black & White Mode

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 Legacy Baryta Print using Epson Advanced Black & White Mode

In real life the print was identical in temperature. Since no ICC profile comes into play, these were basically two identical prints.

Color Print Evaluation

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 Print

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 Legacy Baryta Print

Even using separate ICC profiles, these prints felt almost identical. There were a couple spots where I wondered if one was better than the other, but then I realized my eyes were probably playing tricks on me as they were both excellent prints.

Compared against Epson Legacy Platine

This is another new Legacy paper from Epson that I love, so I decided to do a comparison here as well...

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 Print

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 Legacy Platine Print

Again, phenomenal results for both that made me again say this was close enough that no mere mortal is going to ever know the difference. In the hand the Platine as a little more flex and surface texture that attracts light, but color wise both are delicious!

Tech Specs

Media: 100% alpha-cellulose base stock with pure Baryta whitener layer
Learn a little more about the amazing properties of barium sulphate (Baryta, Barite) here
Weight: 315gsm
Thickness: 12.2mil
Coated: Microporous coated one side
Color: Slightly neutral white
Surface: Satin like texture with medium reflectivity

Pigment Ink Users: This media requires Photo Black inks.

Archival Characteristics: Acid free, lignin free, buffered with calcium carbonate, FOGRA Certified ISO 9706 (paper aging standards)

In The Hand Comparison

You won't have any problems picking out the San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0 versus the competition because it feels sticky / ready to print on both sides. This is probably my biggest negative I can say about this paper. Beyond that, this paper has a little less flex and visible texture than the Epson paper, but none of these are issues for framed prints.

ICC Profile Quality

The ICC profile that Red River created for the Epson SureColor P800 (here) is almost a clone to Epson's profile for the Epson Legacy Baryta. While comparing both the Epson and Red River under my GTI light box, my only observation was that the Epson profile was slightly better in the reds and for ABW was slightly better in the lightest grays which means softer highlights. It was subtle, but something only a trained eye under a light box will notice as this paper and profile is simply phenomenal.

To get an ICC profile for your printer, visit here.

The Differentiator

My wife doesn't give one <expletive> about big prints - she wants 4x6 and that's it. However, it frustrates me that most 4x6 papers are mediocre at best, so I keep trying to do a larger print (because I'm too lazy to cut and too cheap to waste bigger paper <g>). She turns her nose up at it and ask me to print again, so for a while now I've just settled on the fact that if she's happy then it doesn't matter if the print is mediocre.

Goodbye mediocracy, because unlike other brands Red River makes a 4x6 version of San Gabriel Baryta Semi Gloss 2.0, so my wife can have her favorite print size and I can get the maximum quality of out of the print.

I can't emphasis how excited I am about this because for about 43 cents US (as of the time this was written) I can print a 4x6 print on a true fine art paper!

Want a video tutorial?

Check out my Epson Legacy Platine and Legacy Baryta reviews for video tutorials on how to use both products in Lightroom and Photoshop on the PC and on the Mac. The only thing that changes when you are on a Epson SureColor printer is that you'll specify the

Conclusion

This is truly an exceptional paper at a bargain price. I'd have no issues using it for clients, an exhibit or a physical portfolio. While I tested it on a Epson P800, I'll definitely use it on my Canon PRO-1000 and PRO-2000 printers.

Where to Buy?

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy today.

Photographer's Choice Sample Kit Special Offer

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Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission.