Customer Reviews

Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl 8 1/2 x 11 inch Inkjet Photo Paper, 100 Sheets (1979239)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I first started developing my own black and white prints almost 30 years ago I fell in love with Ilford pearl. More recently I switched to digital imaging and Ilford Smooth Pearl provides the same beautiful paper finish for ink jet printers that they provided for film developers. The paper has a great look and feel and is reistant to fading. It has the feel of a high quality traditional photo paper. It also works with encapsulated pigmented inks as well as dye based inks. It drys instantly and because of its luster type surface is resistant to smudge marks and finger prints. Ilford also offers a classic version of Pearl, but it is not usable with pigmented inks. I am using Ilford Smooth Pearl with my Epson Stylus 2200 with great results.

Like other reviewers, I have tried virtually all the E surface, satin, semigloss papers. I have used Digital Art Supplies' ICI Olemec for years, preferring it to Epson's Photo Lustre for brighter whites and heavier grade(260). Ilford's Smooth Pearl paper, particularly in larger quantities,at Amazon's price, is about 40% cheaper, palpably noticeably heavier(290), and equal in quality and surface to ICI. The base whiteness of the paper is slightly less than that of ICI, and essentially equivalent to Epson Luster. Even though, when framed, weight is not particularly important, the heft this paper has when handled bespeaks its high quality, similar to the analagous professionally produced custom halide photographic print.

Ilford provides free profiles for all of their major papers for most of the late model quality inkjet printers from Epson, HP and Canon. This is a must download from www.ilford.com/gallerie, if you are printing from Photoshop(where you select the profile in the Print with Preview dialogue box) and calibrate your monitor; that is if you want the optimum congruence between your monitor's output and what you see on the print. With proper attention to details, color matching is excellent and the wide RGB gamut is faithfully reproduced.

Prints are immediately dry and exhibit no significant metamerism with the Epson ultrachrome inks. I currently use an Epson R800, but I have seen prints on this paper with the Epson K3 inks and they are superb as well.

With the K3 set on the latest generation R2400 or 4800, which includes three shades of black cartridges, this paper beautifully displays neutral blacks and greys with a wide tonal range to produce spectacular black and white prints(if the files themselves are such!) which is not possible with the R800 printer whose ink set effectively uses only one tonal black cartridge, either photo or matte black. The B/W prints are good with the R800, but have an unavoidable slight color cast and a compressed tonal range which is NOT the fault of the paper.

Smooth pearl is a fabulous all purpose surface with a satin type gloss, muted with respect to pure glossy, but with more sparkle than a standard matte finish. The E surface is a standard for professional output, particularly for portraiture and the wedding industry, but is a worthy format for just about any type of subject matter.

In summary, this is a super quality product at an amazingly competitive price.

VERY highly recommended.

I have tried all the papers. Ilford is above all the others. I only used the Ilford Gallerie Professional Inkjet Photo Range - smooth gloss paper until I tried this. What I just mentioned is fantastic for high gloss prints. Touch dry before it falls from the printer. This pearl finish is excellent - the best for portraits. There is NONE better.

I love the "pearl" paper for my photos! The finsh is perfect and so professional looking. Much prettier finish than glossy and better color than matte. And buying it from amazon in 100 quantity box is much more economical than buying from the Camera-Photo Stores, plus you save on the postage. I bought a "pack" with a much lesser amount of paper at a lower price from Adorama, but they charged so much postage that it doubled my price on a regular size pack of paper with only 25 sheets. So from this day forward, I will buy my photo paper from Amazon.

Based on the description that it was compatible with all inkjet printers, the glowing reviews, and the fact that I really liked Ilford Pearl in my B&W photography days, I bought a box with a new HP B9180 printer.

The output of the printer is phenomenal. But when I printed a photo on the Pearl paper, it had a very grainy and reticulated look to it. The same picture on HP Advanced Glossy (that came with the printer), was flawless.

After talking to Ilford, who says they've got the paper to work with the HP Vivera inks on another printer, but they don't have a profile for the B9180 yet. And they didn't have any suggestions as to what to try.

HP was actually quite helpful, considering their paper worked fine, and it was the Ilford having problems.

I'm really sorry this didn't work out, since I quite like the surface of the Pearl paper. But since Amazon said it would work, they are refunding my full purchase price (including shipping). Buying from Amazon sometimes has distinct advantages. Who else would take back an opened box of paper, regardless of what it said on the website?

If you do have a printer that works with this paper, it is a nice heavyweight paper with a very appealing surface.

printing with a canon inkjet and love this stuff. terrific finish for portfolio or framed work with a nice weight. downloaded printer profile was spot-on for color work. black and white is still a little toned, but as close as i've found with this printer.
switching from canon semi-gloss paper to this for my bread-and-butter photo printing

Equal quality to similar Epson glossy photo paper but less expensive. Used this paper on an Epson R320 and R1800.

Hands down this is the nicest photo paper I have ever printed with. It really is a nice inbetween product...not too matte not too glossy. And the thickness of the paper is very reassuring. I won't ever buy the junk they sell at Wal-mart or Office Depot again.

I've tried many different types of papers with my Epson 2400. I typically like how glossy paper holds deep blacks and very sharp detail, but do not like the reflective nature of it. The Epson Lustre is a nice balance but seems to be too rough which, in my opinion, destroys the sharp detail glossy papers possess. The Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl is far better at retaining detail and deep blacks while keeping the gloss to a minimal level. I've been using it now exclusively for over a year and have no intention of using Epson papers, unless a better version comes out. This really is the best I've found so far.

I use this paper on my under $100 Canon inkjet printer and the results are simply superb. The colors are so vibrant. This paper was recommended to me
by a friend and I can see why. I see no reason to use any other paper. When I used to do darkroom printing I used Ilford papers so Ilford quality is
well known to me. If there is a better inkjet photo paper out there I'd like to see it.
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